Management of Change or Change of Management?

In 1999, when I was carrying out a PSM audit, we were auditing a maintenance mechanic. I was asking whether he can explain what is the meaning of management of change. He replied that when his company was recently taken over by another company, that is management of change!
Are you carrying out MOC for change in Management?

 
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Process safety and jugaad!

During my trips to Uttar Pradesh, I often see a "Jugaad" modification that highlights the innovativeness of India.  A people transporter, fitted with a agriculture pump set engine powers the vehicle. I was commenting about the vehicle to my driver, when he asked me a question "Do you know what is the brake fluid they use in that vehicle?". Then he told me that it was sachets of one rupee shampoo!!
I marvelled at the inventors ingenuity. Which brings me back to PSM and management of change. India should not loose its sense of innovation, while at the same time, it should manage the changes in a technically right way.....

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Quality of HAZOP studies

I had raised a question to a PSM group in LinkedIn about the deteriorating quality of HAZOP studies.

David Graham, a Process Safety Professional wrote this interesting and humorous comment

Slightly off-topic, but: Quite a few years ago I led a HAZOP on a new build unit for a refinery in the Middle East, on behalf of a large consultancy. One of the consultancy staff led a similar HAZOP on revamp of an existing unit. The staff employee took output from both studies and wrote the Management Report, major findings, etc. 
He included the following phrase in the report:
"It has to be understood that HAZOP will not reveal all the hazards to a project in operations and maintenance activities. It is therefore anticipated that any remaining hazards will be found during operations."
Boom!

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Are you travelling in a confined space?

In a lighter vein........
I am sure many of you will be flying frequently on official visits. Though planes are designed to be evacuated very quickly during an emergency, I often compare them to flying in a confined space! I have tried to correlate the system in chemical industries used for confined space entry to that of flying in a plane:

Confined space entry permit = boarding pass
Man watch = flight stewards
24 V lighting = emergency escape path lighting
Air blower system for ventilation = cabin air pressurisation system
Oxygen monitoring = oxygen masks drop down when oxygen is less
Rescue plan = emergency exits and chutes
Chief emergency and rescue controller= pilot!


I am sure you will be more comfortable when u fly next!! All the best!


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Laws of process safety

 And now for a bit of humour, I have coined some laws of process safety.....

• Process safety performance is inversely proportional to the time a plant / maintenance manager spends in meetings!
• The number of technical persons on the board of a chemical manufacturer is inversely proportional to the chance of a process safety incident occurring
• The more voluminous your PSM program, the more likely a process safety incident would occur.
• Managing process safety is no rocket science - it is look,listen and feel (look at what people are doing, listen to people and feel the pulse of the plant)
• Runaway reactions always happen when the human is around!
• Process safety management does not require six sigma, it requires stick sigma!

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