(53j) a Novel Methodology for Auditing Management of Change (MOC) Program to Make It Sustainable

The chemical process industry involves processing high volume of data during different operations and thereby generating high volume of process or procedure changes. It is very important to manage these changes as based on the past incidents in the industry it can be noted that accidents often occurs after changes. Any change that has safety implications should be carefully evaluated, including performing a hazard analysis, before it is allowed. One of the practicable approach in managing these changes is by implementing an effective Management of Change (MOC) program.

An effective MOC workprocess includes a review and authorization process for evaluating proposed adjustments to facility design, operations, organization or activities prior to implementation to make certain that no unforeseen new hazards are introduced and that the risk of the existing hazards to employee, the public, or the environment is not unknowingly increased. It also includes steps to help ensure that potentially affected personnel are notified of the change and that pertinent document, such as procedures, process safety knowledge, and so forth, are kept up-to-date. Most companies have policies for management of change, but the implementation and enforcement of these policies can vary greatly. Thus it becomes utmost important to evaluate the quality of the MOC program and continuously adjust it based on the lessons learned.

The main aim of this paper is to introduce a novel workprocess that will continuously evaluate the effectiveness of the existing MOC program and also add flexibility to incorporate all the lessons learned thereby making the MOC program evergreen. The workprocess mentioned in this paper will help to leverage the existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of an Organization. The results from the proposed methodology will help an organization in identifying areas of improvements and effectively distribute resources for more focused trainings. Once this methodology is implemented then over a period of time the results will also delineate if the rolled out mitigation options or trainings are effective in addressing the area of concerns.

A well-designed MOC process is an essential loss prevention tool for any business. It is not just for certain hazardous industries. The process applies to any company that wishes to avoid future losses resulting from today’s changes. So the time to start monitoring the quality of the MOC program to make it sustainable is today.