27th Process Plant Safety Symposium (PPSS)

The Process Plant Safety Symposium (PPSS) is one of five parallel sessions that comprise the Global Congress on Process Safety (GCPS).  The PPSS conference's focus is to provide proven best practices, perspectives, methods, and tools that can be readily practiced and provide value to personnel at the plant level. 

Encouraged topics for this conference include, but are not limited to:

Session Topic Descriptions:

Building the Next Process Safety Yoda

Process safety, as in most successful ventures, depends upon the people. And process safety is critical to business success in the process industries. Process safety careers are built on an accumulation of diverse experience and increasing depth and breadth of identifying and managing risk.  By investing time in our people, there are opportunities to develop and retain satisfied process safety personnel and to embed leaders with process safety expertise in leadership positions as careers advance. How are we identifying "high potential employees" to invest in without bringing bias into the selection process? 

The focus of this session will be on sharing methods of building the next process safety “Yoda”.  Experience with developing talent management programs, defining career ladders, promoting process safety as a leadership skill, and personal journeys to invest and grow are desired.  For example, practical paths to grow from a PHA Facilitator Trainee to an Expert SME or from a plant process safety engineer to Director of Process Safety or EHS&S.

Please note that this session is not a panel.

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Machine Learning and New Technologies for Reliability, Predictive Maintenance, and Inspections

Machine learning is an emerging specialization within the broader field of Site Reliability Engineering which has the ability to use vast data and algorithms to make fast computations, enable discoveries, and facilitate maintenance predictions to aid in decisions for improving reliability and safety. While large volumes of data analysis is possible, the reliability and predictions for maintenance may or may not always be accurate. 

This session welcomes papers focusing on machine learning that could have an upside and downside to it when applied in the field. This session also welcomes papers that review the proactive monitoring methods currently being adopted in the field such as robots, drone inspections, which could also reduce the cost and improve safety.

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Practical Applications Using Generative AI in Process Safety 

This focused session explores the application of Generative AI (e.g. ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude) within process safety to significantly improve communication, documentation, training, and scenario analysis. We invite contributions that specifically discuss the use of Generative AI to enhance decision-making, generate content, and improve training uptake in hazardous industries.

Papers can address topics like:

• Discussing the unique advantages Generative AI offer over traditional tools

• How Generative AI can improve the creation and maintenance of process safety information

• Case studies demonstrating effective use of Generative AI in generating SOPs, or other parts of operating manuals

• Utilizing Generative AI to create hazard scenarios and uncover unforeseen risks that may be used in PHAs

• Ethical considerations specific to the deployment of Generative AI in safety-critical environments

• Discussion on governance and regulatory frameworks needed to support the use of Generative AI in process safety.

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Process Safety Challenges: Today and in the Future

Process safety leaders and professionals are remarkably busy people! In the daily grind, it is hard enough to keep up with urgent needs and requirements. However, that can pose a problem. What is coming up next that we need to prepare and plan for or investigate? Are there ongoing weaknesses today or future challenges tomorrow in process safety?  How thoroughly are we addressing abnormal operating conditions in PHAs? Or, in our focused, narrow view of process safety, are we missing other important risks such as in the East Palestine, OH train derailment? How can we better manage the risks associated with organizational changes? Are there innovative technologies to support keeping PSI up to date?

This session will address both existing challenges in process safety and new challenges on the horizon. Specific examples of process safety challenges encountered and how they were or can be addressed are desired.

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Process Safety for Sustainability Projects and Operations  

As existing units and plant equipment are built or repurposed for lower BTU fuels (e.g., H2), circular polymer processes are developed, and new processes and unit operations are designed and implemented, the application of process safety practices is imperative to responsibly manage the change, such as higher pressures and chemical reactivity concerns. 

This session welcomes sharing of good process safety practices that address the unique challenges of sustainability projects and operations. Sustainability-related case studies and examples of applying process safety elements such as inherently safer design, HAZOP, management of change, risk-based inspections, facility siting, emergency response, etc. are encouraged.

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Charting the Course for Safer Technology and Alternatives Analysis (STAA) and Practicality Documentation  

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced sweeping changes to the Risk Management Plan (RMP) rule in 2024. Among the changes are requirements to include safer technology and alternative analysis (STAA) for all covered processes in North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes 324 and 325, and to consider inherently safer technology or design (IST/ISD), passive measures, active measures, and procedural measures. Other requirements include that certain covered processes document the practicality of any IST/ISD considered. Furthermore, certain covered processes must implement at least one passive measure or an IST/ISD at the stationary source.

This session calls for papers that illustrate:

• Methodologies to conduct STAA analysis including IST/ISD considerations.

• Documenting STAA analysis.

• Examples of passive controls that might be implemented because of this analysis.

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Digital Tools for Field Audits  

Process Safety field audits play an important role in strengthening operational excellence and improving process safety performance. Experienced field auditors are vital to identify key gaps, deficiencies and risks. Effective digital tools and systems which are agile, mobile-enabled, and include useful data management and reporting tools can boost field auditors’ productivity and efficiency.

This session welcomes real-world applications that demonstrate the use of cutting-edge technologies for enhancing field audits. We are interested in papers that showcase the use of augmented reality for on-the-ground insights, innovative visualization and virtualization techniques for data interpretation, and advanced automation and integration solutions. 

Topics may include: mobile-enabled auditing tools, real-time data management and sharing across organizations, and practical applications of these technologies in various types of PSM auditing. We aim to explore how these emerging technologies can revolutionize field audits, improve safety, and drive operational excellence.

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Improving Process Hazard Analysis Techniques 

Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) techniques continue to evolve. Challenges for PHAs include staff turnover, reduced tolerance of acceptable risk, and incorporation of new requirements from the recently updated RMP rule. As new staff learn to facilitate PHAs, additional or expanded topics such as natural hazards, safer technology assessments, and siting studies must be folded into the analysis. Also, improved PHA software, AI generated scenarios and responses, and standardized PHA templates have the potential to make PHAs more efficient and thorough. This session will demonstrate some of these new techniques and how they can be used to have more efficient and thorough hazard analyses.

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Quantitative Risk Assessment Methods Beyond Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) Analysis  

While many hazards can be identified during a Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) analysis, some may be too complex to evaluate with this methodology. Some scenarios may fall into the high consequence, low frequency category, and others may be high consequence, high frequency. 

How do we analyze these high-consequence hazards? Is there a quantitative method better suited to assess the risk? QRA, LOPA, or other? This session will focus on practical applications and examples of methodologies, beyond a HAZOP, that have been successful.

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Recognized and Generally Accepted Good Engineering Practices (RAGAGEP) Analysis in New Risk Management Plan (RMP) Rule

The newly revised US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Risk Management Plan (RMP) Rule requires owners of stationary sources to perform a Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) that addresses any gaps in safety between the codes, standards, or practices to which the process was designed and constructed versus the most current version of applicable codes, standards, or practices. 

This session welcomes practicable methods for integrating recognized and generally accepted good engineering practices (RAGAGEP) reviews into the PHA process including: 

• Inventorying current standards 

• Identifying safety gaps between original design standards and revised RAGAGEP

• Categorizing changes as safety-related

• Justifying adoption or rejection of changes to the existing processes

• Case studies for performing practicability methods in managing safety gaps

Prospective authors: Consider if your paper is best aligned to the PPSS “Recognized and Generally Accepted Good Engineering Practices (RAGAGEP) Analysis in New Risk Management Plan (RMP) Rule” session, the CCPS “Continuous Improvement with RAGAGEP - Managing Changing Standards and Best Practices” session, or the PSM2 RAGAGEP “Interpretation and Implementation” session, and submit your abstract accordingly.

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Facility Siting Studies (FSS) - Specific Recommendations After a Study             

So, you've done a Facility Siting Study (FSS) - great! Now what? This session welcomes real examples of the processes plants/companies follow to interpret facility siting study results and decide how and when to act on them.

Questions that may be answered include:

• When is the FSS not enough and further studies are required?

• How can you use the FSS output for emergency evacuation planning, PHAs, and MOCs?

• How do you know to move a control room versus retrofit?

• Are there modifications/upgrades that can be made to existing buildings to reduce occupancy vulnerability?

• How can you use the FSS to determine the optimal layout of a facility?

• How to avoid unintended consequences by misinterpreting the FSS?

Prospective authors: Consider if your paper is best aligned to the PPSS “Facility Siting Studies Recommendations After a Study”  session or the LPS “Facility Siting, Consequence Analysis, and Risk Management”  session, and submit your abstract accordingly.

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Independent Protection Layers (IPL) Verification Fundamentals  

Verification of Independent Protection Layers (IPLs) is critical to ensure credited safeguards are effective, independent, and available upon demand. Best practices involve verifying the IPL is in place in the field, achieves the design intent, is adequately maintained, and supported by operations. 

This session welcomes best practices on IPL verification including how to develop an IPL verification program, what activities are required, who executes them, frequency considerations, and how metrics are utilized to continually improve the IPL reliability. Verification of various kinds of IPLs may be considered, such as safety instrumented systems, BPCS and operator response to alarms, mechanical shutdown systems, and relief devices, among others.

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CCPS Joint Session: Case Histories 

Reviews of process safety incidents provide valuable learning opportunities.  This session invites papers to help understand the causes and lessons learned from incidents in the industry with an emphasis on events that have helped define and develop the process safety field over the years.  

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