Process safety management: the Experience of Essar Oil

CATEGORY: SAFETY
Professional Safety, November 2013, pp. 44-51
Process safety management: the Experience of Essar Oil
Abstract
Process safety management (PSM) focuses on proactively avoiding incidents in oil refineries, and fertilizer, pharmaceutical, explosives and chemical plants that handle hazardous chemicals. If released, these chemicals could have a major impact on workers, surrounding communities or facilities. The consequences of these incidents have significant life-threatening, environmental, legal and financial implications. PSM provides a dynamic environment for continual improvement and increases the awareness of the safety impacts of technology, personnel and the management of process hazards.
PSM at Essar Oil
In India, PSM is still in its developmental stages. The major players providing guidance include American Petroleum Institute (API), Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS), American Institute of Chemical Engineers, DuPont, OSHA and U.K.’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE). In its journey toward world-class refining standards, Essar Oil Ltd. embraced international safety standards. Starting at a highly competitive production of 3 lakh (300,000) barrels per day, management envisioned the importance of PSM and emphasized its implementation at the refinery. Since its inception, PSM has been implemented as a comprehensive management program integrating technology, procedure and management practices.
Essar set up a PSM cell as part of the Health- Safety-Environment-Fire Department and began integrating PSM elements in 2010. Implementation of these elements has been complete in the base units. With the refinery’s expanded production nearing 4 lakh (400,000) barrels per day, PSM implementation and monitoring have received a renewed focus. 
Free Full Text Source: http://www.asse.org/professionalsafety/pastissues/058/11/F1Gop_1113.pdf