Abstract
If an organisation’s PSM system is to be successful and sustainable it requires the commitment of the entire workforce, starting at the top. Process safety is integral to a company’s business performance. Without detailed policies, KPIs and effective monitoring and management systems the risk of a major accident and its attendant consequences increases sharply.
There is a legal requirement for organisations to demonstrate process safety leadership and yet the recent inaugural PSM benchmarking programme for the chemical industry highlighted a heavy reliance on technicians and engineers to identify and address any problems.
Whilst it is essential that competent personnel are charged with process safety, experience has shown that if not properly directed this often leads to reactive compliance, meaning that company resources are not necessarily targeted to best effect. Since it is senior management and board directors who ultimately approve the finance for the implementation of changes and initiatives to underpin safety, it makes sense that they understand how hazards and risks are identified and assessed.
As pioneers of the PSM benchmarking programme, HFL Risk Services are an accredited provider for the process safety leadership training course specifically for board members, directors and senior executives. This paper discusses key points from the training course including the business case for Process Safety Management; the requirements of policy deployment, based upon emerging standards and best practice; the value of setting KPIs, the importance of workforce engagement and how to achieve this and the importance and value of Process Safety Improvement Plans to continually reduce risk.
