Let's Prevent at Start! PSM from Concept to Commissioning - KOC Way

Several major incidents that involved newly commissioned projects with a range of inherent weaknesses bear testimony to the need for building process safety systematically into future engineering projects. (An incident case study will be presented). One of the main objectives of successfully integrating process safety into a project is to reduce this residual safety risk. Project management should seek to optimize residual risk to as low as reasonably practicable through careful selection of the final development concept and good engineering design. This goal infers an inherently safer design (ISD) approach that should place fewer demands on operations personnel, while also limiting potential for major incidents. The successful implementation of ISD practices throughout a company’s portfolio of engineering projects can reduce major incidents, and contribute to long-term business success.

Method/ Procedure:

After study of lesson learned and industrial best practices, KOC has developed different procedures which clearly identify activities to be carried out at different stage gates of project life cycle of process related facility projects from front end planning (Identification, Concept selection and project definition), project execution till operation phase which generally lasts until stable production is achieved.

This paper will discuss (with relevant examples/ case studies and reference procedures of Kuwait Oil Company HSSE management system) about,

• Integration relevant process safety activities at each stage of project at Kuwait Oil Company
• Process for selection of HSE studies and mandatory HSE studies required for each project stage gate.
• Process of Management of Change for Projects.
• Project HSE Review at different stages (PSSR) including operational readiness review and verification.
• Project HSE activity plan.
• Action Tracking.
• Risk Management in design.
• Capturing lesson learned.
• It will also throw light on relation between project activities to RBPS elements.

Results and Conclusion:

Understanding of hazards, risk and uncertainties represents the foundation for further development and selection of a preferred option at FEED stage.

Better application of ISD principles.

Better Risk management at design stage itself.

Avoid Costly change order during project execution or to the facility after start up. (With KOC Example)

Safe Start up and operation

All Process Safety Information are updated and readily available prior to start operation.

More efficient and less expensive.

Additive information:

No matter how good the process safety input is into any engineering project, the newly installed and commissioned facility has a residual safety risk that the operations team must manage through an effective process safety management system for the life of the facility.

Main Reference Procedures:

KOC.GE.048 - Procedure for the Preparation of Project HSE Plan

KOC.PS.022 - Guidelines for Process Hazard Analysis (PHA)

KOC.GE.049 - Management of Change for Project HSE

KOC.GE.050 - Procedure for Project HSE Review (PHSER)

KOC.PS.014 - Pre Startup Safety Review (PSSR) Procedure

KOC.PS.025 - Guidlines for Risk Based Spacing