Process Safety is not just for

Engineers
Getting commitment and delivering
transformational change

Ken Rivers

2nd International Process Safety Symposium

Istanbul
October 2015
 Disclaimer

This presentation contains views and opinions that are solely those of the
presenter and do not necessarily represent the views of my current or previous
employers or any of their affiliates.

The presenter reserves the right to deviate from the script and urges the
audience to exhibit extreme caution in applying anything that you hear or see
during this presentation. Should you feel unwell please see a doctor.

Anyone of a nervous disposition should probably leave the room now.

 Abstract
Process safety is not just for engineers!

Major hazards represent critical risks to an enterprise and Directors and Business Leaders all need to be engaged. Indeed
without senior leadership commitment very little can be done in a company. Their support is vital to ensure the
appropriate priority and resources are made available.

The Global Financial Crisis was a wakeup call that more needed to be done in the area of financial risk management and
awareness. It has lead to increased scrutiny, governance and assurance. Equally, the lessons of Texas City, Deep Water
Horizon etc. tell us that more is needed in the management of major hazards. The consequences of getting it wrong are
becoming more severe indeed major hazard incidents are often becoming enterprise ending events (E ).

How to get the commitment of business leaders is not easy. Engineers need to become linguists and be skilled in the
ability to translate process safety into the language of business. Once we understand how we can do this, then the
opportunity opens up for transformational change.

Process safety is a passion of mine and the real examples from Buncefield and elsewhere will illustrate how challenging
our current mindsets can open up opportunities for fundamental improvement. It is a discussion in which we are all
qualified to participate and where we can all ask meaningful questions in fact we are obliged to, because it could make
all the difference. Leaders create the conditions for this to happen.

It starts with creating commitment. Your voice is critical and I hope these insights help you on your journey.
A Leadership Journey
Visible Leadership
create the compelling vision
build the guiding coalition
excite, energise and empower
support, resource, stand back and encourage

High and Well Understood Standards

instil the belief & confidence that we can do better and
different
you get the performance you demand
hold yourself and others accountable

Changing the nature of conversations and thinking

changes the nature of the analysis and the quality of
decisions
Can deliver transformational change

People are the difference !

focus on building capability & gardening talent
performance anchored in values
first team now and the future
Deep Water Horizon
China Petrochemicals fire
 Managing High Hazard Environments
Leadership and Commitment
Systematic and structured process that gives confidence that all Major Accident Hazards are
identified and reviewed in order to prevent the incident, inhibit escalation, reduce
consequence and ensure emergency preparedness /response.
Safety Case
Bow-ties
Risks managed to ALARP
Based On International and Industry best practice e.g. COMAH (UK)

Asset Integrity management e.g. risk based inspection, instrument protective function, reliability centre
maintenance, operating window controls etc.

Leading / and Lagging Indicators

Learning from others / seek external assessment

Culture of Chronic unease

 COMMITMENT

New Zealand - Rugby World Cup Winners 2011

Near Miss !
I was there .
So What ?
 The Cultural Journey

Natural Where are you ?

instincts

Injury Supervision
rates
Self
Team

Time
Dependant Independent Interdependent

I do it because I have to ! It makes sense It makes sense

for me for us

Consequences $$$$ The right thing

So what ????
What Next ?
Improvement Engine
Values and behaviours
UNCONSCIOUS
COMPETENCE
CONSCIOUS
COMPETENCE
CULTURE

Processes, Procedures ,
Systems SYSTEMS CONSCIOUS
INCOMPETENCE
UNCONSCIOUS
INCOMPETENCE
MEASURE
Incidents, Measurements, Comparisons
 Improvement Engine
Values and behaviours
UNCONSCIOUS
COMPETENCE
CONSCIOUS
COMPETENCE
CULTURE

Audit , Learning from others

Processes, Procedures,
Systems SYSTEMS CONSCIOUS
INCOMPETENCE
UNCONSCIOUS
INCOMPETENCE
MEASURE
Incidents, Measurement, Comparisons

Alert to incidents and sharing and learning from them

 TRANSFORMATION
The Iceberg Getting down to the mental models

What Just Happened? EVENTS

PATTERNS
Whats Been Happening? & TRENDS

What are the SYSTEMIC

Forces at Play? STRUCTURES

What are the Prevalent MENTAL

Assumptions? MODELS
Buncefield
Filling a Tank is not rocket science !

.why are you making this so complicated ?

Dr Peter Baxter , Major Incident Investigation Board ,

Consultant Physician at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge.

Comment made on 20th October , 2006

 Aligned but not joined
.... Kevin Allars

Head of Chemical Industries Division

Hazardous Installations Directorate
Health and Safety Executive
 Aligned but not Joined
a better game than Tennis !

From : To :
Done to us Do to ourselves
Discipline Self Discipline
Held accountable Hold ourselves Accountable
Parent Child Adult Adult
Dependent Collaborative
 Process Safety Leadership Principles
Clear and positive process safety leadership is at the core of managing a major hazard
business and is vital to ensure that risks are effectively managed;
Process safety leadership requires board level involvement and competence. For companies
with boards located outside the UK then the responsibility to show this leadership rests
with the most senior UK managers;
Good process safety management does not happen by chance and requires constant active
engagement;
Board level visibility and promotion of process safety leadership is essential to set a
positive safety culture throughout the organisation;
Engagement of the workforce is needed in the promotion and achievement of good
process safety management;
Monitoring process safety performance based on both leading and lagging indicators is
central to ensuring business risks are being effectively managed;
Publication of process safety performance information provides important public assurance
about the management of risks by an organisation;
Sharing best practice across industry sectors, and learning and implementing lessons from
relevant incidents in other organisations, are important to maintain the currency of
corporate knowledge and competence.
 PSLG Organisation and Resources
Process safety accountabilities should be defined and championed at board level. Board members, senior executives
and managers should be held accountable for process safety leadership and performance;
At least one board member should be fully conversant in process safety management in order to advise the board of
the status of process safety risk management within the organisation and of the process safety implications of
board decisions;
Appropriate resources should be made available to ensure a high standard of process safety management
Organisations should develop a programme for the promotion of process safety by active senior management
engagement with the workforce
Systems and arrangements should be in place to ensure the active involvement of the workforce in the design of
process safety controls and in the review of process safety performance;
Business risks relating to process safety should be assessed and reviewed regularly using an appropriate business risk
analysis methodology;
Leading and lagging process safety indicators should be set for the organisation. Information on process safety
performance should be routinely reviewed at board level and performance published in annual reports;
Companies should actively engage with others within their sector and elsewhere to share good practice and
information on process safety incidents that may benefit others. Companies should have mechanisms and
arrangements in place to incorporate learning from others within their process safety management programmes;
Systems and arrangements should be in place to ensure the retention of corporate knowledge relating to process
safety management.
Ripples from Buncefield

Buncefield Standard Task Group

Process Safety Leadership Group

COMAH Strategic Forum

( Midstream Task Force )

Mental Models and the questions we ask
A tank over filling
Buncefield
- Getting started
- Aligned but not joined
- Ripples - new and broader relationships
People make the difference
A gas cloud over Canada
This could happen here
Speaking another language
 People Make the Difference
Changing the nature of our conversations .
Better conversations
lead to better analysis
lead to better decisions
Depth -> down the iceberg
Breadth -> curiosity across the business
Getting your thinking on the table

It is a discussion in which we are all qualified to participate

where we can all ask meaningful questions
in fact we are obliged to, because it could make all the difference.

Leaders create the conditions for this to happen.

 The Sigmoid Curve
Transform before you need to fix it
Performance

Build

Fix

Time
A Leadership Journey
Visible Leadership
create the compelling vision
build the guiding coalition
excite, energise and empower
support, resource, stand back and encourage

High and Well Understood Standards

instil the belief & confidence that we can do better and
different
you get the performance you demand
hold yourself and others accountable

Changing the nature of conversations and thinking

changes the nature of the analysis and the quality of
decisions
Can deliver transformational change

People are the difference !

focus on building capability & gardening talent
performance anchored in values
first team now and the future