Committing Management to Process Safety

Process Safety Management (PSM) at a facility is typically implemented to satisfy regulatory requirements because it is the minimum necessary for successful management of the facility. Ultimately managers are rated by top management on good financial performance, compliance with regulations, and an absence of safety, health and environmental incidents. For the most part, good PSM performance is left to the interpretation of process safety professionals in the facility and, in the absence of incidents, is not viewed as part of good overall management performance.

This paper will propose practical process safety performance indicators, similar to financial indicators, to provide to management as a tool to rate good PSM programs and provide an impetus for superior performance in this area. These performance indicators should be, as in the case of the financial ones, relatively simple to understand and give top management a measure to which site management would be held accountable. It is proposed that these indicators be based on activities that increase the short-term risk of the facility, such as open Management of Change (MOC) items, unresolved Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) recommendations, out-of-service critical instrumentation and unaccomplished refresher training.