Unit 1.pptx 13.1.15

Unit-2

Unit-1

INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT ASPECTS5.2.14

ObjectivesThe criticality of Health Safety Environment (HSE) aspects of Petroleum Operations.

The importance of integrating HSE functions with other management functions.

Introduction:

Reducing error and influencing behaviour (HSG48) is the key document in understanding HSEs approach to human factors.It gives a simple introduction to generic industry guidance on human factors, which it defines as:

"Human factors refer to environmental, organizational and job factors, and human and individual characteristics, which influence behaviour at work in a way which can affect health and safety"

This definition includes three interrelated aspects that must be considered: the job, the individual and the organization:

The job:[1] including areas such as the nature of the task, workload, the working environment, the design of displays and controls, and the role of procedures.

Tasks should be designed in accordance with ergonomic principles to take account of both human limitations and strengths. This includes matching the job to the physical and the mental strengths and limitations of people.Mental aspects would include perceptual, attention and decision making requirements.

The individual:[2] including his/her competence, skills, personality, attitude, and risk perception. Individual characteristics influence behaviour in complex ways. Some characteristics such as personality are fixed; others such as skills and attitudes may be changed or enhanced.

The organization:[3] including work patterns, the culture of the workplace, resources, communications, leadership and so on.

Such factors are often overlooked during the design of jobs but have a significant influence on individual and group behaviour. Petroleum industry is also one of the organizations.

Petroleum industry, by its nature, is a hazardous industry. Why it is hazardous industry?Processing, handling, storage and transportation of large volumes of hazardous petroleum products .

The petroleum operations have been constantly developing, upgrading, and improving their design and operating techniques in terms of economy of scale, high quality products and energy optimization to meet the stiff market competition. All this has increased the potential of major risks.

Major accidents like Bhopal, Mexico City, Seveso, Flixborough and others in the last two decades or so have shaken the confidence of general public about the safety of people, property and environment.

HSE Model and its Integration with Business

HSE is an integrated management function comprising disciplines of occupational health, safety, environment and fire protection. Whatever way look at these functions, industrial hazardsunsafe acts or situations are the basic problems to be managed.

When an industrial hazard leads to an immediate or sudden accident or incident like an injury, fire, explosion or a toxic release, it becomes a safety issue and safety management comes in the picture.

When the hazards have chronic effects on the health of workforce like stress, musculoskeletal disorders and other industrial diseases, it becomes occupational health problem.

On the other hand, when the effect of the unsafe situations is long term and spread over larger areas beyond the boundary limits, it becomes an environmental problem.

HSE efforts of many organizations are driven by statutory requirements and they do whatever minimum is required to avoid litigation and fines. However, an efficient and enlightened corporate see HSE in a much broader perspective.

For them a good HSE performance is an integral part of efficient and profitable business management. They are committed to improve their health, safety and environment and fire protection performance on a continuous basis and in a sustainable way,

i.e., meeting needs of present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The compulsion of integrating HSE functions with business can be well appreciated by looking into the cost of an accident/ incident.

The word accident has a negative implication and could result in loss of life, or damage to goods.

An incident on the other hand can refer to any even that happens; it could be positive or negative.

Consider the following direct or indirect costs of major accidents/incidents:

Injury/loss of life to self or co-workers Workman compensation Cost of inquiry/investigation Loss of property and material Loss of profits Punitive sanctions and fines

Closure/shutdown of the installation Public litigation Environmental pollution Ecological damage Loss of public image Loss of business Shareholders wrath

The above does not include the cost of psychological and social factors associated with major incidents. Considering all these it is sensible to integrate HSE as important management function likeproduction,maintenance, finance, marketing, human resources, etc.

HSE Management FrameworkAs said earlier, many organizations try to meet only the minimum regulatory requirements. But this is not enough in todays business and social environment. Regulations alone can not guarantee the safety of petroleum installations.

Most of the regulatory agencies lay down rules and regulations,which are the minimum basic requirements for the safe design and operation of an installation. Sound and safe engineering practices are equally important but are not adequately addressed in their requirements.

The statutory and law enforcing agencies are generally slow in updating their rules and requirements to keep pace with the technological and social changes.

Further, many regulatory agencies do not have adequate infrastructure and

manpower to exercise superintendence and

control of industrial safety performance on a continuous basis

For example, number of safety inspectors, boiler inspectors and environmentHealth, Safety and Environmental (HSE) Challengesspecialists in most states are far less than what would be required to undertake meaningful inspection visits to a large number of installations under their jurisdiction.

Further, with the background and training that many factory inspectors have, their visits to factories are restricted to checking basic amenities like first-aid facilities, guards for machinespersonal protective equipment,potable water and canteen facilities, etc.

They probably dont have the right training and aptitude for identifying the many process hazards which are not so obvious.Requirements and have a highly efficient self-regulatory system in-house.The regulatory requirements are just very minimum requirements to obtain license and operate an installation.