AM-14-09 Networks Enhance Process Safety Performance

Description:

Process Safety Management (PSM) and other Human Factor considerations have improved the reliability of many operating facilities across many industries. Similarly, there have been significant performance improvements in environment, health and safety (EH&S) management across most industries. Performance improvements are reflected in declining injury frequency trends and declining numbers of incidents – injuries, fatalities and unplanned environmental releases. Despite these improvements, organizational learning and safety culture continue to evolve slowly. Organizations continue to repeat the same and similar incidents within and across industries. PSM incidents continue to increase in cost, and for the most part, are very predictable and avoidable. Networks and Communities of Practice (CoPs) provide an excellent opportunity for organizations to learn proactively and reduce process incidents. However, organized Networks and Communities of Practice continue to be underutilized in organizations. Networks also provide an excellent platform for creating learning and safety cultures that are so essential in today’s highly competitive business environments. In this paper, the authors explore organizational challenges experienced in generating and sharing knowledge. They also explore the maturity journey in setting up Networks and CoPs. The paper also addresses leadership and governance of Networks and CoPs, and expected performance results from Networks and CoPs. The knowledge provided in this paper is transferrable across organizations and industries and is applicable to all scales of business operations.