engica ptw-electronic-permit-to-work-step-change-

An engica overview of safetymanagement using electronic PTWsystems with an Integrated SafeSystem of Work (ISSoW)

A Step Change InSafety Management

Copyright: Engica Technology Systems Intenational © 2003

� Safer Safety Management� An Approach to Securing an Improved Safety System� Electronic ISSoW Systems� Industrial Sector Approaches� Adoption and Implementation� Synopsis

Topics

A STEP CHANGE IN SAFETY MANAGEMENT

An engica overview of safety management using electronic PTW systems with an Integrated Safe System of Work (ISSoW)

All industries have issueswith safety, some morethan others and some whohave had regrettable andunpleasant experiences.Industrial organisations have the responsibility toadhere to regulations, retain records, mainta i nstandards, and if concerned improve in house safetystandards. Under the umbrella of HSE directives,initiatives and a number of industrial safety focusgroups there has been significant promotion of taskrisk assessment with the aim to improve safety. Withinthe UK oil & gas sector there is also an alignment ofidea's associated with permits and naming practices tostandardise certain core aspects. Pa r t i c i p an t sdemonstrate a positi v e p r oa c t i v e a t t i t ude t oimplementing such standards but adoption timetablesare yet to be confirmed.

The Energy operators have a number of additionalissues to handle influenced by international operationand rapid ownership and equity changes. The effectsof increased asset disposal and acquisition, build andmaintain life cycle contracts, global expansion, ageingexperience, regional skills shortfalls, increased staffmobility and contract outsourcing to mention a few, allbring a strain on safety knowledge and local practice.These effects must be count e r b a l a n c ed w i t htechniques not only to maintain levels of safety but tostrive to improve them.

Engica have been a c t i v e l y i n vo l v ed i n wo r kmanagement techniques for over two decades andover the past five years have made substan t i a linvestment into a focused design and developmentgroup to construct an Integrated Safe System of Work(ISSoW) software system . The pu r po s e i s t oconsolidate the ideas and initiatives derived from thevarious focus groups to support our existing andprospective clients. The Q4 Safety ISSoW system isnow being launched into active duty having undergonemajor verification and site acceptance trials to attainintrinsically safe certification.

Most people would regard safety from the point ofview of their own and colleagues well being andrightly so. There are howeve r o t h e r d r i v e sstemming from commercial and production issuesincluding insurance premiums, operational uptimeand en v i r o nmen t a l l aw s . The c omb i n e drequirements are now prompting organisations toseek and adopt more systematic approaches toenhance existing methods.

Safety processes with the righ t d i s t r i bu t edknowledge and correctly applied precautions willhandle safety effectively, but this statement holdsthe key to the problem "distributed knowledge andcorrectly applied precautions". Each person oftenrelies upon measures ta ken by o t he r t e ammembers. If one reflects upon serious events inhindsight they all could have been avoided withappropriate precautions and controls. Lessonslearned springs to mind. Management's k e yobjective should be to establish intrinsically safemethods with near zero risk tolerance, and getthem working without bankrupting the organisationin the process.

Safety Implications

Safer SafetyManagement

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This short review looks at various aspects of safetyand software associated with work risk assessmentand permit to work (PTW) systems in the energyand chemical industries. Its scope is to explain howan electronic software system can be used to assistthe necessary processes. It also covers generalaspects of implementation and the various issuesassociated with the adoption of software tools tomake a step change in safety management.



Engica's approach is not to assume that a single system with, say,preset permits will satisfy all organisations. It is recognised thatradical changes in many cases could cause more problems thansolutions. Staff in general are used to their existing paper basedsystems that have been derived over time within their organisation.What is beneficial in many cases is a step enhancement tostrengthen the process rather than radical change.

This does not go against the grainof standardising certain elementsof safety which has been donesuccessfully in many aspects sucha s h a z a r d o u s s u b s t a n c e sdefinitions or lifting regulations.For example colour standards ofthe various permit and certificateswould seem sensible in industrialsectors to help cross companyworking especially for contractpersonnel. Another item could bet h e s t a n d a r d i s a t i o n o fa u t h o r i s a t i o n n a m i n gnomenclature. These aspects relyu p o n g o v e r n m e n t a n dorganisation forums to establishcommon practices although it isworth noting tha t e l e c t r o n i csystems are well positioned toadopt and impose such standards.

In man y c a s e s , i t i s t h eapplication of current or slightlyenhanced permit and certificateform f o rma t s w i t h i n a n ewelectronic system that will gainthe acceptance of use.

One shoul d no t i g no r e t h a tchanging practices takes time.The sensible approach is a stepby step philosophy to accumulatea major step change.

The industrial organisations wedeal with in safety managementrange from power generation, oil& gas, chemical and pr o c e s sbased i n du s t r i e s . T h i s h a sallowed Engica to draw upon thepast and current practices in usei n e a ch s e c t o r du r i n g o u rresearch. It has presented uswith the insight into sys t e m sadvancement. T h i s h a s a ndcontinues to be done, by criticalanalysis and by using the bestmethods from each sector. Ourr e s e a r c h i n t o t a s k r i s kassessment and its approa chhowever has derived a methodthat f i t s a l l i n du s t r i e s a ndprovides integration from bothwork management and permitaspects.

An Approach to Securing anImproved Safety System

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Although many may think thatsafety systems have al r e ad ybeen made electronic or have anopinion that such systems do notimprove the process, it should beno t ed t ha t t h i s a r t i c l e i sdiscussing a more advanced andhighly integrated safe system ofwork approach.

Such systems are now be i ngadopted i n t he ene rgy andproces s i n du s t r i e s a nd webelieve they will become DEFACTO in the course of time. Nodoubt you will have opinions andEngica welcome comment andparticipation in r e l a t e d H S Eforums.



Advanced electronic permit to work(PTW) systems are now beingclass i f ied as Integra t e d S a f eSystems of Work (ISSoW) and suchsystems have a d v a n c e d w e l lbeyond the t r a d i t i o n a l p r i n tc e r t i f i c a t e s f o rms m o d e o rindependent r isk asse s s m e n tmodule.The Q4 ISSoW system for example combines all theelements of work flow, hazard mitigation and permitprocedural methods into a unified process supportedwith relational intelligence. The safety controls andexecution activities are supported with intrinsically safecross check methods to add real value in improving thesafety process in its preparation, execution and returnto service phases. The output is a safety work packdetailing the procedures and confirmation checks tomake it safe.

Knowledge based ISSoW process i ng o f s a f e t yinformation such as risk assessments; plant isolationsallied with lessons learnt provide safety engineers thetools to process permits and certificates in an informedand highly integrated manner.

A rule based flow process can be applied to the Q4ISSoW based system; configured to each permit orcertificate type with authorisation signoffs. Eachprocess provides an audit trail, an approach i nprinciple to strengthen the s a f e t y c he c k s andresponsibility awareness. The managed flow of say atoolbox or pre-work check for examp l e c an b eenforced by virtue of a signatory confirming its physicalperformance and risk acceptability.

The risk assessment process of Q4 brings all aspectsinto the assessment process; this may even includeother developed applications such as COSHH, MSDS,LOLER, ATEX, DSEAR as examples. Normally the resultcan be electronically glued to the main assessmentusing Q4's connection technology o r i t c an bereferenced. The risk assessment tree provides hazardcounter measures with precautions and controls foreach element or step of work. A risk matrix can beused on each hazard to classify the consequence andestimated probability.

Q4's design allows the integration of an existingwork systems into a seamless environment, forexample, work orders and work packs (sometimesknown as modules) are presented to the r i s kassessment process electronically bringing all of theelements into a unified process.

One of the counter arguments to electronic systemsis that a robotic electronic system could lead todisaster due to the use of provided informationwithout due diligence. For example using a templatethat does not exactly detail the environmentalcircumstances of the work. This of course canhappen in a paper based system, where peoplephotocopy a past risk assessment for use. In thecase of the Q4 system, the system either questionsor requires a check statement on each element toinduce a rigorous process. In addition the systemgroups each element in a fashion to give the bigpicture as well as the detail. For example isolations,lifting and material substance hazards are accessibleas a unit via the risk assessment. Finally on thisaspect, in all safety matters it must be understoodthat it is the responsibility of the Author i s i n gAuthority (AA), Senior Authorised Person (SAP) orequivalent to confirm its integrity and it is theresponsibility of engineers to conform to the riskassessment and permit scope. This applies equallyto paper or electronic system.

A major advantage to highl i g h t c omes f r omprocedural documents that are updated assumingthey are encapsulated in the ISSoW electronicsystem. Such changes will immediately be fed topersonnel within the appropriate domain of use. Thisin itself overcomes the problem of maintaining racksof hard copy procedural manuals and increases thechance that they will actually be read!

Electronic ISSoW Systems

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Assuming that a system has the necessary functionalityand processes, successful adoption depends on two keyfactors: - ease of use, this one we classify as natural useand the other is the speed of use.

"Speed of use is vital."Even the most functionally rich system if tediouslyslow will result in operators finding ways ofbypassing the system. After all a good system isabout providing information in order to give moretime to the consideration of the safety issues, riskassessment and precaution precision with regardto the tasks at hand, not just to a c t a s a nexecutive safe guard to litigation. The measureshould be at least equal if not quicker thanmanual methods.

"Natural use is important."Systems designed for rocket scientists are onlygood for rocket scientists. This does not meanthat a bit of training is not needed but it doesmean that the system provides an intuitive andconsistent interface at each stage or phase of thesafety assessment or permit assembly. Q4systems for example have been developed bystanding over the shoulders of safety engineersand watching experienced and novice users usethe system many times to refine its interface. Wedo not accept incohe r en cy b l am ing i t ontechnology shortfalls. This has led in one of itskey features to represent on screen permits as ifactual paper permits, or isolation certificates.The simulation of paper methods with dataenhancing reflect natural processing rather thanseparate element screens. We call this WYSIWYG"what you see is what you get". Have you triedsome web based systems where you fil l out asegment, go back to another and your originalinput is lost and you feel lost. Yes it might be OKto purchase a book on-line but it's no good whenyou have spent a lot of time defining the isolationand lost your information!

Other factors come to bear where certain types ofrepetitive work require processing. Processing thattakes excessive time will inevitability be bypassed bystaff like it or not. This situation has to be avoidedand can be accomplished with risk assessmentlibrary and process route. This sti l l ensures a riskassessment and signoff process but provides aneffective streamlined method for this type of work.

Electronic ISSoW Systems

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Practical ISSoW Usage Issues



Our observation of the oil & gas,power generation and chemicalsectors show that each has aframework of permits andcertificates that reflect practiceswithin that industrial sector.

Taking the the Oil & Gas sector first, its "permit form"generally acts as a risk assessment along w i t hreferences to applicable isolation and other relatedcertificates. The Power Generation industry tends toprovides risk and method statements that are attachedto a work order along with specific PTW and isolationscertificates that have to be obtained prior to workcommencement. In essence both are similar but thepresentation of information varies substantially.

It is difficult to generalise in a short overview, but abrief synopsis is that the Oil & Gas industry in the UKfeature a permit which contains a check approach torisk assessment with attached isolation certificates.Most systems provide a form of surrende r andhandover method with an emphasis on the permit validduration and its expiry time. Power Generation in theUK tends to lead with an appropriate permit containingthe isolations, controls and precautions with a risk andmethod statement attached to the work order.

All sectors in UK use various arrangemen t s o flockboxes and lock bars to secure perm i t s a ndisolations. UK Power plants substantially utilise lockboxcross locking as a more common feature to derivecascaded permits. Cascaded locking introduces a morecomplex arrangement to manage in terms of permitplanning and release but provides efficient lockarrangements and faster shutdown isolation to workrelease. Note the method does not compromise safety.USA power and oil operators on the other hand tend torely on isolation lists which are a form of isolationcertificate with plant tagging rather than lock boxsecurity. The nuclear power business in both UK andUSA exhibit substantial additional safety cross checksand authorisation clearance. Chemical and processorganisations seem to use a hybrid of such systemswith process strength dependent on the danger ratingof the site.

Engica have introduced two new concepts andmethods to support the safety process, one beingthe mechan i sm t o p l a n s hu t down s a f e t yrequirements visually and efficiently. The other isan introduction of a digital dashboard to informoperational controllers of all work permit activities,permit location tracking and validity status.

The Q4 ISSoW Safety System provides a uniqueand powerful integration with Microsoft Visio todevelop visual isolation networks that can serve inthe preparation of isolation documents for a plantoutage or shutdown. The functions provide a visualdrag and drop mechanism on Equipment andIsolations to provide a system, or sub-systemnetwork, that can be called upon to generatedocuments within the permit system. You can useVisio to draw your lock boxes or bars in any waythat is convenient and clear. Then, drawing datadirectly from the safety database use our uniqueVisio integration to assign equipment, isolations andother information directly onto the Visio diagram.Draw on cascades and cross-locks for an outageand then save the entire design straight into thesafety system as an outage or shutdown template.

Improved SafetyPlanning & Tracking

Industrial Sector Approaches

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Safety is no doubt one of the top priorities tooperators and introducing a step improvementchange to safety methods needs a plan, resourceand a supplier with the necessary expertise.

An electronic system can be installed and configured quite quickly onto an organisationnetwork. A summary of elements associated with an electronic system configuration areshown below.

Adoption and Implementation

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It is the definition and the adoption programme thatneeds special attention. As one might guess thedefinition stage presents a series of challenges toget agreement if methods are going to be improvedover the existing process rather than a currentsystem setup. For the oil and gas offshore peoplegetting people together should be factored into theplan. Always put in place a project manager withthe authority level to facilitate and make decisions.Allocate realistic timescales but with hard targetmilestones. All pretty obvious but needless to sayare the reasons why many software systems getdelayed. Engica are obviously here to help theprocess. Our UK office currently implemen t snumerous major systems each year so we've seenand been there. We rely on success for our nextjob so we want our clients to shape up well.

Quality training is centr a l t o t h e u s e o f anIntegrated Safe System of Work. Central to the useof the Q4 Permit system are a series of trainingpackages to get the system working effectively forall your staff and contracting personnel. A series ofpurpose built training packages to get the systemimplemented across the field and onshore sites canbe constructed to install confidence in the systemand the discipline to use the systems correctly. Inaddition purpose built e-learning courses can bedesigned as part of the overall project. The e-learning courses are tailored around the necessarylevel of knowledge each user needs.

Here are some aspects that pertain tooffshore sites

� Project Management� Awareness and Communication Campaign� Purpose Built E-Training Adoption Package� Procedure Manuals� Super User and Administ r a t i o n S y s t em

Training� Mass Staff Training� Offshore Handholding

� Configuration of Screen and Hardcopy Permit and Certificate Forms along with State Flow Logic� Entry of Authorisation personnel and permissions� Injection of Plant Isolation Information (note: - can be grown with system)� Injection of Risk Assessment Information (note: - can be grown with system)� Configuration of Site Drawing for Digital Dashboard (optional)� Integration with existing Work Management System (optional)



International installations with regard to nativelanguage operators such as China and Kazakhstanhave to be borne in mind. The Q4 Safety system hasbeen purposely designed for multi-lingual deployment.This can be in the pure native language wh i c hsubstantially applies to Power utilities, whilst oil andgas often uses English as its management language.Having a single language however may degrade itsmessage functions to native staff. Engica overcomethis by having dual language formats on both formsand data. This type of configuration takes longer toimplement and increases the cost of a system due toproviding dual language training and other elements.

As a footnote our experience is that Polish translationrepresented one of the harder languages to presentdue to phrase and field label lengths. Chinese orsymbolic script is surprisingly much easier but requiresthe whole system to be uni-coded which Q4 is. Anotheradvisory point is to choose a system that has alreadyundergone one system multi-language use or you willbe waiting a long time for its delivery, Engica's firsttranslation experience was Japanese over ten yearsago and we had to learn many hard lessons about database query language handling and other languageinterface factors. Engica are pleased to say that wehave developed the necessary techniques to overcomethese factors and have a track record of proven use inmany languages.

Recognising that safety should not be sacrificed forcost, it is however normal to factor the cost into asolution selection. With regard to a Software SafetyManagement System a view must be taken not onlyon the initial implementa t i on wh i ch shou l dencompass the necessary project elements to makethe installation a success but also confirmation onthe life running costs. Selection of the technologyand its underlying architecture play a key role inkeeping the costs fair with regard to sys t emsupport, upgrades and development of new customelements that may be needed. Sound advice is toalways check with existing users and to questionvariation to contract costs as well as overall costs.

Factors such as experience, size of user base,integration track record and international supportmay well affect a solution choice. The best is notnecessarily the most expensive but the applicationchoice must have a pedigree of proven use to avoidproblems with a mission critical safety system.

Engica feel well positioned in all of the aspectsmentioned above and more, and can a s s e s spotential client requirements and prepare a detailedproject plan with unambiguous costs for both theimplementation project and its life cycle costs.

Operational Languages

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Situations vary depending upon the plants life cyclewhich can categorised into six basic phases; plantdesign, plant construction & commissioning, early l ifeoperation, mid-life operation, late-life operation butapproaching retirement and finally decommissioning &disassembly. All require a comprehensive approach tosafety but d e s i g n t o m i d - l i f e o f f e r t h e b e s topportunities to apply new electronic systems if lookingat the return on investment.

The oil and gas industry have a good track record ofearly deployment of management systems and newdesign and builds offer a great opportunity to getsystems set up even through the design phase readyfor the construction and operation phases.

Adoption and Implementation

Life Cycle Considerations

Cost Considerations



The age of Integrated Safe System of WorkISSoW systems is taking shape and there area number of further techniques not covered inthis short article that can also assist a safetyengineer. The next decade will see substantialimprovements although a completely risk freeenvironment is somewhat hard to envisage.Dealing with high energy, Mother Nature,harsh environments and abso lute s ta f fawareness all create a challenge to safety.

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Author: Ken HuskissonCopyright: Engica Technology SystemsIntenational © 2003

Synopsis

Engica Technology provide software,implementation and integration formission critical maintenance, workflow, safety and logistic management.

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n s e ewww.engica.com

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