The Piper Alpha disaster in 1988 was a pivotal moment in process safety management (PSM) practices and led to big changes.
While there were many contributing factors that led to the North Sea oil rig incident, one in particular stands out: On the morning of July 6, 1988, paper-based permit-to-work forms for the day shift were issued, including one for the overhaul of one of the two condensate pumps (pump A), and a second permit for the removal of the pressure safety valve (PSV) on the same pump.
As the day shift ended, an engineer documented in the PSV removal permit that pump A was not ready and must not be started. But the same information was not shared in the pump overhaul permit. In addition, the PSV removal permit was placed in the control center but somehow disappeared.
During the night shift, operators were trying to determine whether they could restart pump A when pump B stopped. They located the pump overhaul permit, but not the PSV removal permit, and went ahead with restarting pump A. Critical information had not been properly shared, leading to the disaster.
The resulting events show: 1) The serious potential for human error with paper permits, 2) how paper permits can cause miscommunication between shifts, and 3) how miscommunication during handovers can have terrible consequences.
The rising priority of PSM digitization
The Piper Alpha disaster and other incidents, along with more recent developments, heightened the need to digitize PSM. According to the Verdantix Global Corporate Survey 2023: Operational Excellence Budgets, Priorities And Tech Preferences, 304 operational excellence decision-makers identified the following PSM digitization goals as either “very important” or “important”:
- Consolidating siloed PSM processes into one platform for a single source of truth view: 92% of respondents
- Bringing more real-time data on asset condition and worker safety for dynamic management of operational risks: 82% of respondents
- Integrating varied types of data: 79% of respondents
- Investing in advanced visualization tools such as 3D to improve understanding of operational risks: 78% of respondents
Why you must start your PSM digitization journey
There are three main reasons why your organization should embark on a PSM digitization journey.
1) Improve frontline safety
Can an incident similar to Piper Alpha happen with digital permits instead of paper permits? It would be much less likely because digital permits eliminate the risk of misplaced or lost paper permits, give day and night shifts operators easy access to the same information, and provide visibility of permits that are not yet closed.
An electronic permit-to-work system includes standardized workflows for the creation, issuance, and close of permits, providing the ability to track activities in real-time. Also, integration with digital isolation (lockout/tagout) certificates ensures proper isolations are in place before work starts.
Digital permits also make it possible to dynamically include critical safety information directly in permits before work starts, so workers are aware of hazards and can take appropriate measures. Based on the type of work, lessons learned from past incidents can be provided.
Digitizing permits as part of PSM digitization improves frontline worker safety and productivity through greater operational efficiency.
2) Dynamically manage risks and barriers
A process hazard analysis review (e.g., HAZOP study, FMEA) is carried out every few years or when a major incident occurs. The results are documented on paper or in static electronic format. But things often change, such as employees, equipment, plant layouts, contractors, procedures, chemicals, etc. Changes can lead to new hazards, an increase in exposure to existing hazards, or outdated information.
Risks are not static. The likelihood of adverse events may increase over time, as well as potential consequences. Barriers and controls are likewise not static and must be continually managed to ensure they remain effective and do not degrade or weaken. In summary, field workers may not receive updated information on risks, hazards, and barriers.
A digital control of work (CoW) solution can interface with external systems, such as maintenance management systems, real-time plant information systems, and other systems through application programming interfaces (APIs), to deliver near real-time status of risks and barriers.
With digitized PSM, the status of risks and controls is accurate and continuously updated, and information is better presented. This is done through dynamic bowties that show all aspects of risk (e.g., hazards, threats, consequences, escalating factors, barriers) in a visual and intuitive way, making it easier to understand complex information and see connections between different elements. This makes it possible to dynamically manage and monitor the status of risks and barriers.
In addition, CoW software provides visualizations of Simultaneous Operations (SIMOPs) to see warning signs of increased risk levels and to safely manage hazardous work.
3) Standardize processes and centralize data
According to the Verdantix global corporate operational excellence survey, 92% of respondents identified the consolidation of siloed PSM processes into one platform for a single source of truth view as an “important” or “very important” PSM digitization goal. There are many reasons why.
First, it leads to consistency. Imagine each plant, facility, functional area, or process unit having its own risk assessment methodology. How would you be able to see the bigger picture and compare risk levels or effectiveness of controls throughout all locations? It would be difficult to identify top risks and the most effective barriers.
Second, you can connect the dots between PSM elements. For example, you categorize events in your incident management system as either process safety or occupational safety incidents. After conducting an incident investigation for a process safety incident, you launch an action plan through the same platform to: 1) review a risk assessment, or 2) make a management of change (MOC) request to implement a new control or change an existing barrier. Finally, permits are updated with new lessons learned from the incident investigation for the same type of work. All within the same platform, using the same data.
Third, standardized processes and centralized data lead to more accurate and complete data, helping to ensure regulatory compliance with OSHA’s PSM standard, the EU’s Seveso III Directive, the UK’s Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) regulations, and other rules.
Interested in starting your PSM digitization journey? Download these complimentary Verdantix resources to accelerate your efforts:
