Deep within the depths of the petroleum training courses arena, a new buzzword is being sounded. This is ‘process safety management’.

The Health and Safety Executive is talking about it; industry is talking about; and, here at RTS, we’re doing something about it.

Our NSAPI validated course for process safety in a bulk liquid environment underpins the academy’s and HSE’s drive to raise the knowledge and skills base of process operators.

The importance of petroleum training

HSE chair Judith Hackett, speaking earlier this year at the National Skills Academy Conference: Raising the Bar on Process Safety, called on industry to put process safety atop of the agenda. By learning the lessons of yesteryear, she said, we can reduce the risk of avoidable incidents in the future.

Indeed, we can actively reduce the recurrence of Buncefield/ Texas City moments by driving forward process safety performance at all levels of the operational spectrum.

In giving her closing remarks, Judith Hackett revealed that the HSE receives around 100 loss of containment reports every year from Comah sites.

Of these incidents, around 50 fall into Dangerous Occurrence category under RIDDOR (the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations).

Based on these statistics, around one loss of containment incident occurs each week which could easily lead to greater consequences as displayed at Buncefield and Texas City – a clear rallying call for us all to vote in favour of process safety management.

Processing the safety challenge

With approximately 1000 lower and top tier Comah sites in the UK, the scope and reach of process safety management needs to be wider.

Industry and health and safety providers, such as RTS, are at the forefront of this drive. We must work together to improve the fundamental aspects at the coalface of operations, supporting supervisors and managers in delivering a safe process environment.