Abstract
Across the Process Industry including the HPI the Process Safety Performance Indicators are gaining a wider application being all the Process Industry sectors focused on the prevention of major accidents. That's also in response to recent major accidents with catastrophic impact on HSE involving both the Oil & Gas, Oil Refining and Petrochemicals process industry sectors. The Process Safety Performance Indicators (PSPIs) conceived to improve the process safety performance, including the asset integrity as well, can be considered as part of Safety Management System (SMS) compulsory for Major Accident Hazard (MAH) industries since ruled by the EU Seveso Directive. The PSPIs according to ANSI/API RP 754 "Process Safety Performance Indicators for the Refining and Petrochemical Industries" are conceived, implemented and monitored with the objective of minimizing the risk associated to primary loss of containment of hazardous materials leading to major accidents such as toxic release, large fires, explosions, large and/or irreversible environmental impact. The 6-Step approach for PSPIs Selection & Review, as per HSE HSG254 “Developing process safety indicators”, is aimed to ensure the management ownership, establish the implementation team, establish the PSPIs to assess the Company safety performance, identify and confirm critical process and integrity barriers to prevent major accidents, monitor critical barriers, collect quality data, analyze performance and use it to set improvement actions, eventually review the PSPIs effectiveness. A worked example is presented by the author to illustrate the 6-Step approach particularly in relation to a Fuel Storage Site to support the PSPIs analysis activity based on a practical implementation.
