DCC_ProcessSafety_BookletInner_DCC007_5.0

WHAT CAN
YOU DO TO
HELP IMPROVE
PROCESS
SAFETY?
We all have a role to play in improving
process safety within DCC. We can
all help to manage the barriers that
protect us, and the public, from major
accidents or incidents.
We can do this by:
• Looking out for potential leaks
such as corroded valves or pipes
• Following the correct maintenance
routines and procedures
• Reporting if procedures, systems
or check-lists are not fit for purpose
• Supporting any system changes
designed to improve process safety
• Adhering to our Golden Rules and
Safety Essentials at all times

INTRODUCTION
We are committed to the safety of people
- whether they are employees, customers
or members of the public - and to the
protection of the environment.
Process safety is an important part of ensuring that this
commitment is achieved. We will provide the necessary
arrangements, plant, equipment and procedures to
achieve a high standard of process safety and will put in
place monitoring systems to ensure that these standards
are maintained.
However, one of the most critical elements in achieving high
standards in process safety is our employees. Knowing what
process safety is and how people can influence it is essential.
This booklet is designed to help you understand your role
in process safety, and show how you can help us continue
to be a safer, better business.
Donal Murphy
Managing Director, DCC Energy

PROCESS
SAFETY
SAFETY F1RST is the behavioural
HSE programme that underpins
the single commitment to
safety throughout DCC Energy.
The focus to date has been on
the behaviours, policies and
procedures that help us to
improve occupational safety in
the workplace. However, equally
important to safe operations
within DCC is the emphasis we
place upon process safety.
This short guide and the
accompanying case study will
give you a better understanding
of your role in maintaining
process safety throughout all
our operations.

The focus is on YOU. Because in
investigation after investigation
into major incidents and accidents
worldwide – explosions, fires,
crashes – it becomes clear that
the people on site could often
have prevented the loss of life or
property IF their basic perception
of risk had been better. And
improving how we view risk
comes down to three key things
– leadership, management and
communication – and all three
help to inform this booklet.
So first let’s consider what process
safety is – and how we can help to
improve it together.
THE FOCUS
IS ON YOU

WHAT IS
PROCESS
SAFETY?
Process safety focuses on the
potential within our business
for major accidents such as
fires, explosions and accidental
chemical releases – and the
controls we put in place to
prevent these.
Process safety accidents can be
described as ‘high consequence,
low frequency events’. The
potential for such events to
damage our business means that
the management of process
safety requires long term
planning and the progress we
make can only be measured
over many years. Process safety
demands both good management
and good engineering to ensure
that the correct barriers and
controls are put in place to
prevent major accidents.

SWISS
CHEESE?
The Swiss cheese model is a common tool
used to explain how a number of connected
systems need to be maintained to achieve
process safety. In this model, the barriers
that prevent major accidents are depicted
as slices (of cheese), each one with a
number of holes in it. These holes represent
imperfections in the barrier. The better
managed or maintained the barrier is, then
the smaller the holes will be.
When a major accident does happen,
it will invariably be because the
imperfections (the holes) in the barriers
have ‘lined up’ to allow a hazard or risk
to become an accident. But what is very
important to understand here, is that we
are one of the barriers.
Every one of us has a role to play. So if we
all understand what process safety is and
the kind of risks that we face, then the
better we can maintain all the barriers.

HOW DO PROCESS
SAFETY AND
OCCUPATIONAL
SAFETY DIFFER?
How we manage both process
safety and occupational safety
can sometimes be the same – for
example, the use of a permit
to work system is relevant
to both. However, in many
instances they require different
approaches, and while the
distinction between process and
occupational safety is not always
clear, the main differences are:

1.
THE TYPE OF RISK
Process safety deals with the prevention of
major accidents; while occupational safety
tends to focus on more common risks such as
trips and slips and manual lifting. The former
is concerned with potentially catastrophic
accidents that may result in multiple
fatalities and serious business disruption.
The latter addresses the risks we face going
about our daily business.
2.
THE FREQUENCY OF EVENTS
Process safety accidents occur less often
than occupational safety incidents. So we
must not just focus on the most frequent
accidents (such as falls from height), but also
on the potentially most serious ones (such
as explosions). And it is important when
measuring any safety improvements, that
progress in safety is not taken as evidence
of general improvement.

3.
THE POTENTIAL IMPACT
The impact of process safety failures can be
felt by employees, customers and the wider
public. Indeed, failures in process safety can
be far reaching and very dramatic for whole
communities, while occupational safety is
more often concerned with the impact on
the individual employee.
4.
THE FOCUS OF IMPROVEMENT
Improvements in process safety tend to
focus on the design of the systems in which
we operate – checking that the barriers and
controls are fit for purpose. Occupational
safety tends to focus on changing our
individual behaviours and habits. Securing
improvements in process safety not only
demands a much wider range of process
engineering expertise, but also a personal
commitment from all involved.

HOW DO
WE MANAGE
PROCESS
SAFETY?
The tools and techniques
that we use to manage
process safety in our business
are well established and
supported by the leadership
team. Commitment from
management is essential to help
us successfully mitigate against
process safety risks. Our key
controls focus on:
ANALYSIS & PROCEDURE
1. Process Hazard Analysis
2. Process Safety Controls
MANAGEMENT & INDICATORS
3. Asset Management
4. Process Safety Performance
Indicators (PSPIs)

ANALYSIS &
PROCEDURE
1.
PROCESS HAZARD ANALYSIS
Before process safety controls can be put
in place, a process hazard analysis must be
done to understand the hazards and potential
consequences. While all our facilities have
process safety hazard analyses in place, the
challenge is to review them on a regular
basis, update them when there is a change to
equipment or operations, and improve them in
the light of new knowledge, events
or experience.
2.
PROCESS SAFETY CONTROLS
Process safety controls fall into two broad
categories: engineering controls, such as
valves and alarms; and procedural controls
such as permits to work and management of
change procedures. These controls should
ensure that safety is not compromised
during both normal and abnormal operations
such as daily start-ups or following an
emergency shut down, routine maintenance
or breakdown maintenance.

3.
ASSET MANAGEMENT
The professional management of assets, in
particular safety critical assets, is paramount
to process safety. Investing in a register of
safety critical equipment which provides us
with comprehensive details of the asset and
the maintenance required, is a key element in
our approach to effective asset management
and helps to ensure operational integrity.
4.
PROCESS SAFETY PERFORMANCE
INDICATORS (PSPIs)
Investigations into catastrophic accidents
consistently identify common root causes.
These might include things such as a poor
safety culture, cost cutting or an over
reliance on KPIs linked to occupational
safety. In response to such findings, we have
developed a specific suite of performance
indicators for process safety – our PSPIs.
The PSPIs are designed to consistently
monitor that all our critical controls are
in place, that they are being fully
implemented and that the controls remain
effective for the task.
MANAGEMENT
& INDICATORS