IOG1 Element 2

(1)

NEBOSH

International Technical

Certificate in

Oil and Gas

Operational Safety

Element 2

Hydrocarbon Process Safety 1

• Contractor Management

• Process Safety Management (PSM) • Permit-to-Work Procedures

• Key Principles of a Safe Shift Handover • Plant Operations and Maintenance • Start Up and Shut Down

The Scale of Contractor Use

• Support vessels • Diving services

• Work on drilling and exploration rigs • Etc.

Contractor Management

To achieve safe working with contractors:

• Risk assess the contractor’s job • Make sure contractors follow site rules

• Good comms - ensure all contractor employees know identity of site contact person (and how to contact) • Include contractors in safe working procedures/PTW

systems

(2)

Contractor Management – 5 Steps

1

•Planning

2

•Choosing a contractor

3

•Contractors working on site

4

•Keeping a check

5

•Reviewing the Work

Assessing contractor competence: • Experienced in the type of work? • Trained in offshore safety requirements? • Any recent enforcement action taken against

them? • Etc.

Contractor Management

Safe Shift Handover – Understanding the Hazards/Issues

• Enough time allowed? • Formal meetings held?

• Conflict between the shifts (how much the off-going shift actually achieved, etc.) ?

• Off-going shift left work they don’t want to do? • Included contractors?

• Etc.

Contractor Management

Process Safety Management (PSM)

Some methodologies used to classify Fire and Explosion risk:

• Dow Fire and Explosion Hazard Index (DF&EI)

• Mond Fire and Explosion and Toxicity Index (MFETI)

(3)

How the Dow Index works:

Awards a characteristic for each factor in the fire/explosion hazard analysis:

• Main items (material factor): MF • General process hazards factor: F1 • Special process hazards factor: F2 • Process unit hazards factor: F3 (F3 = F1 x F2) • Fire & Explosion Index (F&EI) = F3 x MF

Process Safety Management

Dow Index

Advantages Disadvantages

Reproducible Intended for designer use at early stages

Requires evaluation of all aspects of a process unit that increases the potential severity of a fire or explosion

harder to apply to existing plant

Easy to use Not good at determining normal expected loss

Based on actual loss experience Interpretation requires judgement Recognised by industry as good for

ranking chemical process risks

Some PSM controls:

• Inventory control • Spacing of operating plant

• Positioning and protection of control rooms and critical equipment (isolation)

• Administrative controls, e.g. Management of change (MoC)

Process Safety Management (PSM)

MoC control will be needed when, e.g.

• equipment is replaced with non-identical parts • new items or equipment is added to the system • changes are made to the operating procedures (if

outside established design basis and safe operating envelope).

(4)

MoC Procedures should identify:

• the scope of the changes (what needs to change) • the roles and responsibilities of those managing and

making the changes

• how risk analysis is to be undertaken • methods used to communicate the changes • training of personnel involved

Process Safety Management

Some documentation that may be involved in the MoC evaluation:

• Original process system designs (basis for design) • Process flow diagrams

• Cause and effect diagrams • List of control, alarm and trip settings • Equipment specifications

• Drawings detailing classification of hazardous areas

Process Safety Management

Roles and Responsibilities –Making The Change

• Map the organisational changes (prevent gaps) • Match personnel and skills to the task (further

training?)

• Phase the changes.

Process Safety Management

Change proposal document design elements and issues: • Description of the proposed change

• Date of proposal

• Reasoning for the change (why needed etc).

Process Safety Management

• Authorisation (personnel) for different types of change • Involve competent personnel to assess changes • Monitoring of adherence to procedures • Independent auditing of SMS

(5)

The Role and Purpose of a Permit-to-Work System

• To ensure non-routine/hazardous work is assessed, planned, authorised and carried out safely.

Permit-to-Work Procedures

The Typical Features of a Permit-to-Work Document

• Title and permit number

• Reference to other permits/isolation certificates in place • Equipment, distribution board, circuit or job location; plant

identification

• Description of job

• Hazards identified and precautions necessary • Protective equipment and PPE required • Authorisation

• Date, time and duration of the permit

• Identification of employees in control of the work • Permit acceptance

• Extension/Handover arrangements (e.g. shift handover) • Returning to service on completion of work

• Cancellation

Permit-to-Work Procedures

Roles and Responsibilities of those using Permits-to-Work:

• Permit applicant • Issuing authority • Performing Authority • Permit user

Permit-to-Work Procedures

NB need for Training and Competence in use of system.

Permit-to-Work Procedures

Types of Permits-to-Work

Separate permits are required for different tasks, e.g.: • Hot work

• Live electrical or high voltage work • Working at height

• Working over water • Work in confined spaces

(6)

Interfaces with Adjacent Plant

Need to consider implications/interactions e.g. • Permit issued to shut down one item of plant when

another, exactly the same, is already shut down for work.

(Remember Piper Alpha disaster!)

Permit-to-Work Procedures

Interfaces with Contractors

Treat contractors as employees in the permit-to-work system.

Permit-to-Work Procedures

Work role PTW Role

Contractor Permit user Manager appointing contractor Issuing authority

Safe Isolation, Lock-Out and Tag-Out Systems

Permit-to-Work Procedures

Principal requirements:

• Removal (isolation) of energy sources

• Method of prevention of accidental re-application of the energy source • Adequate warnings and safeguards

for those working on isolated equipment and machinery

SAFE ISOLATION STEPS

• Stop machine/plantnormally.

• Dischargeresidual energy.

• Stop allmoving parts (in safe position) • Switched OFF main electrical isolator.

• Fit lock (labelled/coded) to isolator to secure in OFF position.

Permit-to-Work Procedures

Safe isolation must always be proven before commencing the work to be done.

(7)

LOCK-OUT / TAG-OUT SYSTEMS (for multiple lock-offs)

• Safety clamp – where > 1 person requires access • A warning notice

Permit-to-Work Procedures

Fuse removal – if TOTAL SEPARATION from an electricity supply is needed.

Permit-to-Work Procedures

Other energy sources may need -• Pipe disconnection

• Blanking (with locks) • Locking of valves

Other considerations

Physical restraints to prevent fall” of machinery parts after isolation of the power

RE-CONNECTION PROCEDURE

• Tidy away all tools used • Correctly refit removed items

• Lock ‘owner’ unlocks and removes it (may need alternative for shift change-over)

• Remove clamp (if multiple locks) • Warning notice ‘owner’ removes it

• Person who carried out isolation to check if safe to re-connect the energy source(s).

• Reconnect

Permit-to-Work Procedures

Shift Handover communication problems:

• During plant maintenance running across > 1 shift. • Where safety systems may have been over-ridden

(e.g. fire deluge switched onto manual). • During deviations from normal working (e.g.

breakdowns).

• During extended absences by workers.

• Handover between experienced and inexperienced staff.

(8)

To make handovers more effective:

• Make shift change-over comms a high priority • Conduct handovers face-to-face

• 2-way - ensure BOTH shift crews take joint responsibility for information accuracy

• Allow sufficient TIME • Use verbal and written

• Analyse information needs of incoming crew • Etc.

Key Principles of Safe Shift Handover

Asset Integrity

The ability of an ‘asset’ to carry out its intended function effectively and efficiently over its planned lifecycle, at the same time safeguarding the health and safety of those exposed and the operating environment.

Plant Operations and Maintenance

Lifecycle phase Example

deliverables/activities

Design Safety studies

Construction and hook up Procurement quality plans Commission Function test

Operation Maintenance Modification MoC process Decommission Decommissioning plan

Inspection and testing often legal requirement (e.g. lifting

equipment) but generally required:

(9)

• Pressure vessels (including pipelines) – in accordance with a written scheme of examination. Safety of pressure vessels, internal and external inspection and hydraulic testing every 10 years.

• Lifting equipment – six monthly if persons carried ; 12 months for other, unless specified in written scheme by the operator.

Plant Operations and Maintenance

Examples of Inspection/Testing requirements

Maintenance Strategies:

• Emergency / Breakdown maintenance • Opportunity maintenance

• Working adjustments

Plant Operations and Maintenance

• Running repairs • Servicing and inspection • Shutdown maintenance

• Planned preventive maintenance (PPM) • Routine condition-monitoring

Some Corrosion Types:

• General wastage of material (uniform corrosion) • Galvanic corrosion (dissimilar metals in contact) • Pitting (localised attack)

• Intergranular corrosion • Stress corrosion • Erosion corrosion • Corrosion fatigue • High temperature oxidation • Hydrogen embrittlement

Plant Operations and Maintenance

Corrosion control practice and procedures include:

• Selection of (inherently corrosion resistant) materials, e.g. C-Mn steel of offshore vessels and pipework

• Chemical treatments e.g. corrosion inhibiters in pipelines • Surface coatings e.g. paints

• Cathodic protection

• Process and environmental controls • Initial design

• Monitoring/inspection/testing for corrosion

(10)

Corrosion Inspection and monitoring will include risk-based assessment of:

• The operating environment • The composition of produced fluids • Metal wastage

• Pitting corrosion • Erosion caused corrosion • Cracking

• Assessment of the corrosivity of fluids • Development of biological activity

Plant Operations and Maintenance

Three monitoring system types:

In-line systems – devices placed in the system that

have to be removed for monitoring, such as corrosion (weight-loss) coupons, bio-studs, etc.

On-line techniques – using corrosion monitoring

devices fixed in the system or process equipment

Off-line monitoring – which requires inspection and

non-destructive testing

Plant Operations and Maintenance

Asset Integrity Competency and Training, e.g. for:

• Asset integrity managers e.g. performance standards for SCEs

• Others, e.g. corrosion awareness

Plant Operations and Maintenance

Risk based Maintenance and Inspection Strategy

1 • Ensure the risks are reduced to ALARP

2 • Optimise the inspection schedules

3

• Inspect the most critical items of plant, equipment and components

(11)

Techniques, Principles and Importance of Safe Operation Procedures and Maintenance Safe Operation

Safe operation requires planned activities, controlled timetables and full operational guidelines to be in place.

Plant Operations and Maintenance

Standard Operation Procedures

Day-to-day procedures (“standards of performance”) to ensure that “normal” activities are conducted safely.

Control of Ignition Sources in Maintenance and Operations • Electrical equipment –routine inspection and testing • Smoking – restrict to designated areas

• Cooking and heating appliances – designated areas (galley), master (gas) isolator valve clearly visible (gas).

• Mechanical overheating – maintenance • Arson – security

• Hot work (welding, burning etc) – use of permit-to-work

Plant Operations and Maintenance

Hot Work Permit Requirements

• Area safety inspection • Fire-fighting equipment available • Location and nature of the work • Name of the person in charge

• Permitted time-span of the activity and the level of supervision required

• Actions to be taken when the work is finished e.g. fire checks • If done in confined space – then additional precautions!

Plant Operations and Maintenance

• Cleaning and Gas Freeing (‘degassing’) • Purging

• Venting

• Draining of water, product, oxygen and non-condensibles (NCD)

• Inerting

Plant Operations and Maintenance

(12)

Safe Start up/shut down of HC-containing equipment

For maintenance – usually controlled within permit-to-work system (described earlier)

Start Up and Shut Down

Water and Hydrates Presence and Removal

• Hydrates may cause blockages in gas systems - removal may require shut down and venting

Testing, Commissioning and Hook-Up

• Tests on pressures, temperatures and flow-rates may be required, and assurance that relief valves, diverter valves, bursting discs, etc. are functioning correctly. • Leak testing

• NDT e.g. on weld integrity

• Commissioning and hook up may require PTW system