How Having Updated Heat & Material Balances Leads to Better Process Safety

In order to get the most out of Process Safety Management (PSM), it is important to keep Heat & Material Balances (H&MBs) up to date, which allows analysis of the process to be performed with a greater certainty.   It is important to ensure H&MBs are updated on a regular basis to accurately represent how the process is running.  An H&MB is a valuable source of information for many aspects of PSM such as; Relief Systems Analysis, Process Hazard Analysis (PHA), and Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA).  If the information is not accurate and current, the analysis may lead to inaccuracies and inconsistencies that could result in: increased expense (rework), increased exposure (citations), and greater potential for incident.  This paper will look at some of the possible consequences of not having an up-to-date H&MB in regards to a Relief System Analysis, PHA, or a LOPA.