Process safety management

Process
safety
manage-
ment

Process Safety Management (PSM) is an important issue that affects the global petrochemical industry and serves as the first line of defense for companies and workers. The purpose of implementing PSM is to prevent or reduce catastrophic incidents involving toxic, reactive, flammable, or explosive chemicals leakage, among others. PSM consists of 14 principles that are voluntary, comprehensive, systematic, and continuous, focusing on the management of key processes in a facility. Compliance with regulations does not guarantee complete risk avoidance, so it is essential for facilities to incorporate critical equipment risk analysis. Therefore, maintaining Equipment Integrity (MI) is particularly important to understand the potential hazards of process equipment, assess the control and management of defense systems, and determine equipment classification. Having complete historical operational records and maintenance data allows for in-depth analysis, decision-making, and prediction from various perspectives, leading to improved equipment reliability, process line productivity, reduced maintenance hours, cost reduction, minimized equipment downtime, and extended equipment lifespan. In short, the main goal is to assess equipment availability in a cost-effective manner, ensuring equipment integrity and providing a safe working environment.

Our company is a traditional manufacturing company, and the frequency of equipment maintenance has been increasing. In order to maintain operational safety, a significant amount of time and resources are spent on inspection work and maintenance costs. In light of this, the group will analyze the advantages and disadvantages of domestic and international Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS), taking into account international standards such as ISO 55000, ISO 14224, EN 15341, EN 13306, and other relevant content. We will introduce Process Safety Management (PSM) and incorporate Equipment Integrity (MI) work items into the CMMS system. External experts will be commissioned to assist in the development and design of a comprehensive CMMS system that includes processes, fields, user-friendly interfaces, control, quantification, and collection of maintenance data. Through the use of "data-driven indicators," improvement goals will be made clear and tangible, and the best practices for factory operation and maintenance will be identified.

Note1:Process Safety Management (PSM).
Note2:Mechanical Integrity(MI).
Note3:Computerized Maintenance Management System(CMMS).
Note4:Vinyl Chain,which consists of three companies : CGPC,TVCM and CGPCP.

Major events in the promotion of process safety management

Three plants in Vinyl Chain(CGPC, TVCM and CGPCP) implemented the PSM, and Chairman Han-Fu Lin of TVCM led all employees to participate and implement the project. Hired external consulting teams which adopted the industry-academia collaboration to help us implement the PSM project, including system establishment, technological methods, etc., which was divided into four phases.

Promotion objectives and achievement results

Establish a management system that complies with the PSM and regulations, reduce the probability of equipment abnormalities, train personnel to take response measures, prevent disasters or obtain immediate control in the early phase to prevent expansion of incident, and ensure the safety and health of personnel inside and outside the plant to achieve sustainable business operations.

2023 objectives

Carry out auditing of the 14 items of the PSM, and learn clearly what needs to be optimized during the current PSM implementation. Incorporate the use of CMMS system, and manage it electronically. Analyze equipment information and carry out maintenance management. Systematically implement equipment failure analysis to estimate its remaining service life.
2023 Performance

Phase 3 (24 months, completion date: December 31, 2023): Key implementation items: process hazard analysis, aging equipment management, review of explosion-proof hazardous areas, continuous optimization of procedures. Internal audits and cross-plant audits, PSM Data is continuously collated and collected, and PSM performance indicators are established. After completing the establishment of the CMMS system, equipment information is analyzed and managed electronically.
2024 target

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Optimization of the PSM Audit Form
Based on the Regulations for Periodic Process Safety Assessment, OSHA 1910.119, CCPS Risk Based Process Safety Management (RBPS), API 581, and the recommendations of the Park Service members, etc, to optimize the Group‘s PSM audit form.

•

PSM Group Cross-Plant Audit
Starting from 2022, USI Group, the BSI accreditation body, and PSM academic experts jointly organize PSM auditor training. PSM auditor training is held regularly every year.

•

Development of PSM Information Platform：
Digitalize the 14-item PSM operational process to connect the correlations among the items and quantify the PSM-related KPIs to effectively grasp the implementation status of each PSM item in the plant. Main functions:

(1)

Collect/review/update the 14 information management items of PSM to keep track of the current situation.

(2)

Documentation of PSM Implementation.

(3)

The electronic form sign-off process is adopted for items such as compliance audit, contractor management optimization, accident investigation, change management, and aging equipment management and tracking to improve efficiency.
2025 target
(Intermediate-term)

Introduce PSM-related technologies and methods, optimize the systematic management of CMMS and the PSM education and training platform.
2030 target
(Long-term)

Each PSM work item complies with the Recognized And Generally Accepted Good Engineering Practices (RAGAGEP) to have a common language with international standards. Complete the following tasks:

1.

Implement the PSM work as the company's work culture and language, and achieve feasibility

2.

Based on the quantified results of the PSM KPIs, we enhance the key points of implementation and find the factory's own best management practices.

3.

Refine PSM technology and keep up with international practices for a shared language.

4.

CMMS systematically manages equipment, establishes the Group's reliability data, and keeps track of equipment status.

5.

For PSM auditing work, regularly schedule audits and inspect the areas that need to be optimized and improved in the plant to achieve the PDCA cycle.

Key Initiatives for Promotion

Senior executives'commitment and support

For the implementation of the PSM, Chairman Han-Fu Lin of TVCM presides over meetings to regularly review the progress.

Our commitment:

Uphold and practice the 「Group Safety Philosophy」, giving top priority to employee safety in decision-making.
Support and lead by example in implementing various occupational safety regulations.
Continuously improve process enhancement to enhance process safety.
Systematic equipment integrity management.
Comply with domestic process safety management system establishment and operation, achieving regulatory compliance.
Eliminate the occurrence of catastrophic leaks of highly hazardous chemicals, and continuously optimize the process safety management system.

Regularly education and training sessions

In order to enable employees to understand the importance of PSM, review and establish labor participation programs so that they can fulfill their respective responsibilities in line with the principles of labor participation in the 14 items of the PSM. Arrange joint participation of employers and employees in the planning, development, implementation and improvement of safety programs in the Company, further achieving process safety management.

Academic Institution

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National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology(NKUST)
☐

Chung Yuan Christian University(CYCU)

Government / Third-party organization

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Labor Inspection Agency
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Industrial Safety and Health Association(ISHA)
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Chinese Industrial Machinery Association
☐

Domestic fire department (Linyuan)

Industry Sharing & External Training

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British Standards Institution(BSI)
☐

DNV
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TUV Rheinland
☐

Chinese Petroleum Corporation(CPC)
☐

Valqua
☐

Schneider Electric

Internal Training

☐

GM of each plants
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The Group’s Chief engineer office
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The Group’s environmental division

PSM Auditor Training

In 2023, USI Group organized PSM Auditor Training, taking a leading position in the industry.
USI group held the PSM training program that 60 people have obtained international certificates so far.

Various activities

PSM Audit System

According to the Process Safety Assessment Procedure, OSHA 1910.119, and API 581, a total of 14 audit checklists for PSM have been established.

The results are presented using radar charts and bar charts to depict the performance of the 14 PSM principles.

Review and optimize audit items annually.

Conduct regular audits of the 14 PSM items annually.

Periodically review/revise process-related operating procedures

Process safety events have high-risk hazards in nature. Therefore, operation phases in addition to normal operations, such as emergency operations, should be considered, and corrective measures should be identified in advance for all deviations. Prepare operating procedures in writing can help us further understand the process, and Improve process safety for more efficient operations, thereby reducing downtime and improving quality.

Contractor management

In order to prevent contractors from having catastrophic leakage that leads to catastrophic incidents during the contract period, a series of management process and follow-up, such as contractor assessment, contractor agreement organization meeting, factory entry management, toolbox meeting, process overview of hazard notification, etc., should be carried out from the beginning.

Maintenance management system

A good basis leads to a good system

ISO 55000~55002 Asset Management
EN 13306 Maintenance terminology
ISO 14224 Petroleum, petrochemical and natural gas industries --Collection and exchange of reliability and maintenance data for equipment
EN 15341 Maintenance Key Performance Indicators
EN 16646 Maintenance within Asset Management

Participation in external activities

Regularly participate in PSM-related seminars and presentations held by government agencies/academia/third-party organizations, so as to learn about the best PSM practices from international factories and industry peers, and refine our in-house process safety management.