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NEBOSH
International Technical
Certificate in
Oil and Gas
Operational Safety

Element 2
Hydrocarbon Process Safety 1
Contractor Management
Process Safety Management (PSM)
Permit-to-Work Procedures
Key Principles of a Safe Shift Handover
Plant Operations and Maintenance
Start Up and Shut Down

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Contractor Management
The Scale of Contractor Use

Contractor Management
To achieve safe working with contractors:
Risk assess the contractors job

Support vessels
Make sure contractors follow site rules
Diving services
Work on drilling and exploration rigs
Etc.

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Good comms - ensure all contractor employees know

identity of site contact person (and how to contact)
Include contractors in safe working procedures/PTW
systems

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Contractor Management 5 Steps

Contractor Management

Planning

Assessing contractor competence:

Choosing a contractor

Experienced in the type of work?

Contractors working on site

Trained in offshore safety requirements?

Keeping a check

Any recent enforcement action taken against

them?

Reviewing the Work

Etc.

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Contractor Management
Safe Shift Handover Understanding the Hazards/Issues

Enough time allowed?

Formal meetings held?

Conflict between the shifts (how much the off-going shift actually
achieved, etc.) ?

Off-going shift left work they dont want to do?

Included contractors?

Etc.

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Process Safety Management (PSM)

Some methodologies used to classify Fire and Explosion risk:

Dow Fire and Explosion Hazard Index (DF&EI)

Mond Fire and Explosion and Toxicity Index (MFETI)
Risk Classifications from the Dow index

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Process Safety Management

How the Dow Index works:
Awards a characteristic for each factor in the fire/explosion hazard
analysis:

Dow Index
Advantages

Disadvantages

Reproducible

Intended for designer use at early

stages
harder to apply to existing plant

Main items (material factor): MF

Requires evaluation of all aspects of a

process unit that increases the
potential severity of a fire or explosion

General process hazards factor: F1

Easy to use

Not good at determining normal

expected loss

Special process hazards factor: F2

Based on actual loss experience

Interpretation requires judgement

Process unit hazards factor: F3 (F3 = F1 x F2)

Fire & Explosion Index (F&EI) = F3 x MF

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Recognised by industry as good for

ranking chemical process risks

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Process Safety Management (PSM)

Process Safety Management

Some PSM controls:

MoC control will be needed when, e.g.

Inventory control

equipment is replaced with non-identical parts

Spacing of operating plant

new items or equipment is added to the system

Positioning and protection of control rooms and critical

equipment (isolation)

changes are made to the operating procedures (if

outside established design basis and safe operating
envelope).

Administrative controls, e.g. Management of change (MoC)

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Process Safety Management

Process Safety Management

MoC Procedures should identify:

Some documentation that may be involved in the MoC

evaluation:

the scope of the changes (what needs to change)

Original process system designs (basis for design)

the roles and responsibilities of those managing and

making the changes

Process flow diagrams

Cause and effect diagrams

how risk analysis is to be undertaken

List of control, alarm and trip settings

methods used to communicate the changes

Equipment specifications

training of personnel involved

Drawings detailing classification of hazardous areas

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Process Safety Management

Process Safety Management
Change proposal document design elements and issues:

Roles and Responsibilities Making The Change

Description of the proposed change

Map the organisational changes (prevent gaps)

Date of proposal

Match personnel and skills to the task (further

training?)
Phase the changes.

Reasoning for the change (why needed etc).

Authorisation (personnel) for different types of change
Involve competent personnel to assess changes
Monitoring of adherence to procedures
Independent auditing of SMS

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Permit-to-Work Procedures

Permit-to-Work Procedures
The Typical Features of a Permit-to-Work Document

The Role and Purpose of a Permit-to-Work System

To ensure non-routine/hazardous work is assessed,
planned, authorised and carried out safely.

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Title and permit number

Reference to other permits/isolation certificates in place
Equipment, distribution board, circuit or job location; plant
identification
Description of job
Hazards identified and precautions necessary
Protective equipment and PPE required
Authorisation
Date, time and duration of the permit
Identification of employees in control of the work
Permit acceptance
Extension/Handover arrangements (e.g. shift handover)
Returning to service on completion of work
Cancellation
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Permit-to-Work Procedures

Permit-to-Work Procedures

Roles and Responsibilities of those using Permits-to-Work:

Types of Permits-to-Work

Permit applicant

Separate permits are required for different tasks, e.g.:

Issuing authority

Performing Authority
Permit user

Hot work
Live electrical or high voltage work
Working at height
Working over water
Work in confined spaces

NB need for Training and Competence in use of system.

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Permit-to-Work Procedures

Permit-to-Work Procedures
Interfaces with Contractors

Interfaces with Adjacent Plant

Need to consider implications/interactions e.g.
Permit issued to shut down one item of plant when
another, exactly the same, is already shut down for
work.
(Remember Piper Alpha disaster!)

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Treat contractors as employees in the permit-to-work

system.
Work role

PTW Role

Contractor

Permit user

Manager appointing contractor Issuing authority

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Permit-to-Work Procedures

Permit-to-Work Procedures

Safe Isolation, Lock-Out and Tag-Out Systems

SAFE ISOLATION STEPS

Principal requirements:

Stop machine/plant normally.

Removal (isolation) of energy

sources

Discharge residual energy.

Stop all moving parts (in safe position)

Method of prevention of accidental
re-application of the energy source
Adequate warnings and safeguards
for those working on isolated
equipment and machinery

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Switched OFF main electrical isolator.

Fit lock (labelled/coded) to isolator to secure in OFF
position.
Safe isolation must always be proven before commencing
the work to be done.
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Permit-to-Work Procedures

Permit-to-Work Procedures

LOCK-OUT / TAG-OUT SYSTEMS (for multiple lock-offs)

Other considerations

Safety clamp where > 1 person requires access

Fuse removal if TOTAL SEPARATION from an

electricity supply is needed.

A warning notice

Other energy sources may need Pipe disconnection

Blanking (with locks)
Locking of valves
Physical restraints to prevent fall of machinery parts after
isolation of the power
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Permit-to-Work Procedures

Key Principles of Safe Shift Handover

RE-CONNECTION PROCEDURE

Shift Handover communication problems:

Tidy away all tools used

Correctly refit removed items

During plant maintenance running across > 1 shift.

Lock owner unlocks and removes it (may need alternative for shift
change-over)
Remove clamp (if multiple locks)

Where safety systems may have been over-ridden

(e.g. fire deluge switched onto manual).
During deviations from normal working (e.g.
breakdowns).

Warning notice owner removes it

Person who carried out isolation to check if safe to re-connect the
energy source(s).
Reconnect
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During extended absences by workers.

Handover between experienced and inexperienced
staff.
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Key Principles of Safe Shift Handover

Plant Operations and Maintenance

To make handovers more effective:

Make shift change-over comms a high priority

Asset Integrity

Conduct handovers face-to-face

2-way - ensure BOTH shift crews take joint responsibility for
information accuracy
Allow sufficient TIME
Use verbal and written

The ability of an asset to carry

out its intended function
effectively and efficiently over its
planned lifecycle, at the same
time safeguarding the health and
safety of those exposed and the
operating environment.

Analyse information needs of incoming crew

Etc.
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Plant Operations and Maintenance

Lifecycle phase

Example
deliverables/activities

Design

Safety studies

Construction and hook up

Procurement quality plans

Commission

Function test

Operation

Maintenance

Modification

MoC process

Decommission

Decommissioning plan

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Plant Operations and Maintenance

Inspection and testing often legal requirement (e.g. lifting
equipment) but generally required:

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Plant Operations and Maintenance

Plant Operations and Maintenance

Examples of Inspection/Testing requirements

Maintenance Strategies:
Pressure vessels (including pipelines) in accordance
with a written scheme of examination. Safety of
pressure vessels, internal and external inspection and
hydraulic testing every 10 years.

Emergency / Breakdown maintenance

Opportunity maintenance
Working adjustments

Lifting equipment six monthly if persons carried ; 12

months for other, unless specified in written scheme
by the operator.

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Running repairs
Servicing and inspection
Shutdown maintenance
Planned preventive maintenance (PPM)
Routine condition-monitoring

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Plant Operations and Maintenance

Plant Operations and Maintenance
Some Corrosion Types:

General wastage of material (uniform corrosion)

Galvanic corrosion (dissimilar metals in contact)
Pitting (localised attack)
Intergranular corrosion
Stress corrosion
Erosion corrosion
Corrosion fatigue
High temperature oxidation
Hydrogen embrittlement

Corrosion control practice and procedures include:

Selection of (inherently corrosion resistant) materials, e.g. C-Mn
steel of offshore vessels and pipework
Chemical treatments e.g. corrosion inhibiters in pipelines
Surface coatings e.g. paints
Cathodic protection
Process and environmental controls
Initial design
Monitoring/inspection/testing for corrosion

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Plant Operations and Maintenance

Corrosion Inspection and monitoring will include risk-based
assessment of:

The operating environment

The composition of produced fluids
Metal wastage
Pitting corrosion
Erosion caused corrosion
Cracking
Assessment of the corrosivity of fluids
Development of biological activity

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Plant Operations and Maintenance

Three monitoring system types:
In-line systems devices placed in the system that
have to be removed for monitoring, such as corrosion
(weight-loss) coupons, bio-studs, etc.
On-line techniques using corrosion monitoring
devices fixed in the system or process equipment
Off-line monitoring which requires inspection and
non-destructive testing

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Plant Operations and Maintenance

Plant Operations and Maintenance

Risk based Maintenance and Inspection Strategy

Asset Integrity Competency and Training, e.g. for:

Asset integrity managers e.g. performance standards
for SCEs
Others, e.g. corrosion awareness

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Ensure the risks are reduced to ALARP

Optimise the inspection schedules
Inspect the most critical items of plant, equipment
and components
Use the most appropriate inspection methods

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Plant Operations and Maintenance

Plant Operations and Maintenance
Control of Ignition Sources in Maintenance and Operations

Techniques, Principles and Importance of Safe

Operation Procedures and Maintenance

Electrical equipment routine inspection and testing

Safe Operation

Smoking restrict to designated areas

Safe operation requires planned activities, controlled

timetables and full operational guidelines to be in place.

Cooking and heating appliances designated areas (galley),

master (gas) isolator valve clearly visible (gas).

Standard Operation Procedures

Mechanical overheating maintenance

Day-to-day procedures (standards of performance) to

ensure that normal activities are conducted safely.

Arson security

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Hot work (welding, burning etc) use of permit-to-work

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Plant Operations and Maintenance

Plant Operations and Maintenance

Hot Work Permit Requirements

Area safety inspection

Other Activities undertaken:

Fire-fighting equipment available

Cleaning and Gas Freeing (degassing)

Location and nature of the work

Purging

Name of the person in charge

Venting

Permitted time-span of the activity and the level of supervision

required

Draining of water, product, oxygen and noncondensibles (NCD)

Actions to be taken when the work is finished e.g. fire checks

Inerting

If done in confined space then additional precautions!

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Start Up and Shut Down

Start Up and Shut Down

Testing, Commissioning and Hook-Up

Safe Start up/shut down of HC-containing equipment

For maintenance usually controlled within permit-to-work
system (described earlier)

Tests on pressures, temperatures and flow-rates may be

required, and assurance that relief valves, diverter
valves, bursting discs, etc. are functioning correctly.

Water and Hydrates Presence and Removal

Leak testing

Hydrates may cause blockages in gas systems - removal

may require shut down and venting

NDT e.g. on weld integrity

Commissioning and hook up may require PTW system

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