The Baker Panel Report - ABSA

PROCESS SAFETY KNOWLEDGE AND COMPETENCEDuring the course of its review, the Panel found that many members of BP’s technical and process safety staff have the capabilities andexpertise needed to support a sophisticated process safety effort as shown by the staff’s publications, the internal standards BP produces, andthe respect that many BP staff members receive in world-class technical bodies. Nevertheless, the Panel believes that BP’s system for ensuringan appropriate level of process safety awareness, knowledge, and competence in the organization relating to BP’s U.S. refineries has not beeneffective in a number of respects.First, the Panel’s review indicates that BP has not effectively defined the level of process safety knowledge or competency required of executivemanagement, line management above the refinery level, and refinery managers. For example, the information that the Panel reviewed indicatedthat BP has not established specific process safety qualifications or competencies necessary to serve as a refinery plant manager, the toprankingline manager at each refinery, and has not provided a specific training program around process safety for new refinery managers.Second, BP has not adequately ensured that its U.S. refinery personnel and contractors have sufficient process safety knowledge andcompetence. The information and data that the Panel reviewed indicated, for example, that process safety education and training needs to bemore rigorous, comprehensive, and integrated.Third, the Panel found that at most of BP’s U.S. refineries, the implementation of and overreliance on BP’s computer-based training contributesto inadequate process safety training of refinery employees.The Panel believes that in order for BP to have a high level of process safety performance in its U.S. refineries, those personnel and contractorshaving an active or monitoring role in that performance must have a level of process safety awareness, knowledge, and competence sufficientto allow them to discharge their responsibilities in the process safety management system. The awareness, knowledge, and competence shouldbe appropriate for the job level and process safety responsibilities of the particular individual. Personnel and contractors at the site needprocess safety knowledge and competence, as do managers involved in measuring, monitoring, and evaluating performance and modifying themanagement system from time to time to support continuous improvement in the performance of the system.> Knowledge and competence guidance standardsGuidance from external standards. The ANSI Z-10 standard provides guidance about training workers within a safety management system.That standard indicates that an organization should establish processes to define and assess the competence needed for both employees and contractors; ensure through appropriate education, training, or other methods that employees and contractors are aware of the applicable safetyrequirements and are competent to carry out their responsibilities as defined by the safety management system; ensure effective access to, and remove barriers to participation in, education and training; ensure that training is provided in a language that trainees understand; and ensure that trainers are competent to train employees. 25The OSHA process safety management standard also recognizes the importance of process safety knowledge and initial and refreshertraining. 26 Process Safety Management Systems C 149