Industrial Gas Facility PHA Revalidation Case Study

 

Industrial Gas Facility PHA Revalidation Case Study

The Challenge

In accordance with OSHA PSM regulations, a global manufacturer of industrial gas needed to revalidate their Process Hazard Analysis (PHA). This PHA study focused on identifying any significant safety and environmental impacts associated with the facility's liquid nitrogen / gaseous nitrogen system, and the gas, monitoring, and ventilation system. All buildings on-site, the gas pad, storage and unloading area, cylinder storage areas, the scrubber area, the warehouse, leak check area, and associated utilities were included. The PHA revalidation was conducted both on-site and remotely.

Our Approach

In total, the PHA team was composed of 11 client members, led by the ioMosaic PHA Leader. The PHA team used the Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) methodology to ensure a thorough analysis of all the possible hazards and supplemented this with checklists to review the Facility Siting and Human Factors issues. A HAZOP is a very structured method to guide the team through all potential deviations of a system. The client provided the risk matrix. The results of the PHA were recorded using the client's software.

During the PHA, the team addressed the following:

  • Hazards of the process
  • Previous incidents at similar facilities
  • Engineering and administrative controls and their interrelationships
  • Consequences of failure of these controls
  • Human factors
  • Facility siting
  • A range of the possible safety and health effects to employees at the workplace, as well as off-site consequences to the public and the environment

Deviations which could lead to the consequences listed below were postulated:

  • Personnel injury-on/off-site consequences
  • Environmental pollution impacts
  • Business disruption/Equipment damage

The causes of these deviations and the mechanisms for indication or protection against these consequences were also documented.

The Benefits

ioMosaic provided an executive summary to aid decision-makers, along with a draft report for the client’s review and comments. The PHA was recorded in study sections, where each study section represented a different part of the unit and included one or more items of equipment. Included with the report were the log sheets and a detailed list of recommendations and action items. The client was pleased with the comprehensive, detailed format of actionable documentation that helped drive safety, compliance, and operational efficiency.

Learn More

Our mission is to help you protect your people, your plant, your stakeholder value and our planet. To learn more about how we can help you manage risk, call us at 1.844.ioMosaic.