This document outlines the key elements of process safety leadership. It discusses process safety management and how it differs from personal safety. It emphasizes the importance of process safety leadership, organizational learning, management of change, worker engagement, and competence. Effective process safety requires commitment from all levels of leadership to ensure proper resources, oversight, investigation of incidents to promote continuous learning, and management of risks associated with changes.

1. NEBOSH / HSE
Certificate in Process
Safety Management

2. PROCESS SAFETY LEADERSHIP
Element 1

3. Learning outcomes
1.1 Outline the meaning of process safety and how it differs from personal
safety.
1.2 Explainthe role of leadershipin process safety management.
1.3 Explainthe purpose of organisationallearning,the sharing of lessons
learnt and sources of information.
1.4 Explainhow ‘change’ should be managed to effectively reduce risks to
people and plant.
1.5 Outline the benefits, limitationsand types of worker participation and
engagement.
1.6 Outline what is meant by competence and its importance to process safety.

4. Element 1: Process safety leadership
1.1 Process safety management meaning.
1.2 Process safety leadership.
1.3 Organisational learning.
1.4 Managementof change.
1.6 Competence.
1.5 Worker engagement.

5. Process Safety vs Personal Safety
1. What do you understand by the term “process safety”?
2. How do you think this differs from “personal safety”?
Group discussion

6. Personal Safety
– prevention of incidents causing injuries to
individuals;
– applicable in all workplaces.
Process Safety
– blend of engineering and management
skills;
– prevention or mitigationof catastrophic
failures;
– high-hazard industries.
Personal safety vs process safety

7. Element 1: Process Safety Leadership
1.1 Process safety management meaning.
1.2 Process safety leadership.
1.3 Organisational learning.
1.4 Managementof change.
1.6 Competence.
1.5 Worker engagement.

8. Hazard and risk awareness of
leadership teams
In process safety, leaders need to be:
• Competent and actively engaged.
• In possession of facts and data as decision makers.
• Aware of the hazards and risk potential of their plant and sites
through their life cycle:
− design;
− commissioning;
− operations;
− decommissioning.

9. Group discussion
Board level commitment to process safety is often
achieved by being visible.
- What practical measures can board members take to reinforce
the importance of process safety?

10. Board level visibility
The Principles of Process Safety Leadership place emphasis on board
level visibility to promote process safety.
Practical measures can include:
• leading by example, eg, wearing PPE;
• following site rules;
• providing resource for site and projects;
• supporting the risk assessmentprocess;
• carrying out site visits;
• asking questions!

11. Process safety responsibilities
• Everyone has a role to play in process safety.
• Roles need to be clearly defined.
• Competency and accountability is a must:
− managers:allocate resources;
− engineers:design and maintain;
− safety professionals: advise and guide;
− workers:follow safety procedures.

12. Reasons for holding to account all
individuals with PSM responsibility
• High potential consequences,if fail to carry out
responsibilities adequately.
• Encourages engagement.
• Look for root causes.
NB need to avoid a blame culture.

13. Responsibilities at senior leadership level
CEOs and leaders assure their organisation’s competence to
manage the hazards of its operations. They must:
• ask critical questions;
• ensure competence at all
levels;
• ensure that there is continual
development of expertise,
especially with new law and
technology;
• provide adequate resources
and time for risk analysis;
• provide training and scenario
planning;
• listen to process experts;
• ensure the organisation
manages/reviews contractors
and third parties competency;
• communicate effectively.

14. The provision of adequate resources
“Appropriate resources should be made available to ensure a
high standard of process safety management throughout the
organisation and staff with process safety.”
Appropriate resources can be:
• human;
• financial; and
• physical.
Under-resourcing process safety is a risky business!

15. Process safety objectives and targets
1. Establishoverall
objectives
2. Set targets
(stepping stones)
3. Monitorprogress
of indicators
Leading  Success
Lagging  Failure
4. Review regularly

16. Group discussion
Why might process safety be considered a continuous
improvement process?
- Suggest practical ways in which organisations can seek to
improve.

17. Continuous improvement
Organisations change
• New processes and products.
• New operational conditions.
Technology changes
• New equipment available.
Standards change
• Benchmarking to other organisations.
• Legislation and guidance changes.

18. Element 1: Process safety leadership
1.1 Process safety management meaning.
1.2 Process safety leadership.
1.3 Organisational learning.
1.4 Managementof change.
1.6 Competence.
1.5 Worker engagement.

19. In groups, think about incidents you have been
involved in:
− What was the most significant in terms of actual
injury/harm?
− What had the greatest potential for injury?
− Do you think you learnt all you could from the potentially
serious event?
Group discussion

20. Learning lessons
• Investigate based on the potential AND the actual
consequences.
• Do not downplay the incident as a “near miss”.
• Incidents not investigated, could happen again with more
serious consequences eg:
‒ chemical reaction causes pipes to heat up.
If ignored as a near miss and not investigated
‒ later resulted in a chemical release and
serious injuries.

21. Immediate and root causes
Unsafe act or condition
that lead to the
consequences (harm,
damage etc).
Immediate cause
Underlying
circumstances that
allowed immediate cause
to happen.
Root cause
eg spillage, failure of a
vessel, removed guard.
eg managementor
systems failures.

22. A flammable liquid has overflowed from a vessel
during the filling operation.
The liquid is transferred via a pump to a vessel where it is
metered in based on the transfer time and pump speed.
- Suggest reasons (root causes) for the incident.
Group discussion

23. Root causes
 Pump changed for a higher rate.
 No/poor management of change process.
 No/failure of high level alarm.
 No automatic cut off.
 Operator error.
 Poor initial risk assessment.
 Process changes, eg bigger batches than
design intent.

24. Reasons for investigating accidents
and incidents
• To identify root causes of the incident.
• To prevent the incident happening again.
• To update risk assessments.
• To document/record the details for future use.
• To meet any legal requirements to report and investigate.
• To enable patterns and trends to be discovered.
• Demonstrates a desire to improve and learn lessons.
• To determine if any disciplinary actions are needed.

25. • Causes can be addressed through revised risk assessments.
• Fewer serious events should occur.
• Achievement of legal compliance.
• To assist with any civil claims.
• Workers will feel valued.
• Any disciplinary action will be fair.
Benefits of investigating accidents and
incidents

26. Retention of corporate knowledge
Avoidance of “corporate amnesia”:
– retain information formally rather than relying on individuals;
– lessons learnt;
– decisions;
– designs, etc.

27. Lessons learnt and benchmarking
Lessons learnt
Findings of accident and incident investigations.
Striving for continual improvement.
Benchmarking
Comparing an organisationagainst:
• another organisation;
• a national standard, eg HSE accident
statistics publication; and/or
• an operational standard.

28. Group Discussion
− How do you share the lessons learnt from
incidents within your organisation?
− Is it a two-way process (ie do you also hear about
incidents)?
− Who do you benchmark against?

29. Sources of Process Safety
Management Information
Process safety management information is necessary for the
safe operation and maintenance of process plant and should
be:
• documented;
• reliable;
• current; and
• easily available to the people who need to use it.

30. Sources of process safety
management information
Information internalto the organisation:
• safety datasheets (SDS);
• process design criteria;
• process flow diagrams(PFD);
• safe operatingprocedures (SOPs);
• inspection, auditand investigation
reports;
• maintenancerecords;
• piping and instrument
diagrams (P&IDs);
• process controlsystems;
• relief system design;
• fire detection and protection
plans.

31. Sources of process safety
management information
Information external to the organisation:
• EU Directives;
• the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE);
• the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA);
• harmonised European standards;
• British standards;
• International Labour Organisation(ILO);
• trade associations/professional bodies eg Institute of Chemical
Engineers (IChemE).

32. Group discussion
− Think about the sources of information available
in your organisation to assist in process safety
management.
− Are they documented, reliable, current and easily
available to the people who need to use them?

33. Element 1: Process safety leadership
1.1 Process safety management meaning.
1.2 Process safety leadership.
1.3 Organisational learning.
1.4 Managementof change.
1.6 Competence.
1.5 Worker engagement.

34. What is management of change (MOC)?
• Formally documented process.
• Authorises changes before they are
implemented.
• Ensures relevant safety (and process)
considerations have been made:
‒ hazard and risk analysis.

35. The MOC process
Produce document detailing changes
Carry out risk assessment
Get authorisation for changes
Document and record changes
Consult and inform those affected

36. Element 1: Process safety leadership
1.1 Process safety management meaning.
1.2 Process safety leadership.
1.3 Organisational learning.
1.4 Managementof change.
1.6 Competence.
1.5 Worker engagement.

37. − What do we mean by ‘consultation’ and how is
it different to ‘informing’?
− How do you consult with workers?
Group discussion

38. Key term
Consultation
The two-way exchange of
information between parties, in
this case between employer and
worker. This is far more effective
than the one-way exchange that
we see when people are simply
informed.

39. Benefits and limitations of consulting
Benefits
• Improves relationships.
• Demonstratescommitment.
• Improves safety culture.
• Gains co-operationfrom workers.
• Harnesses workers’ practical
knowledge.
Limitations
• Not all matters can be consulted
on.
• Takes time (which might not be
available).
• Poor consultationprocesses are
worse than no consultation!

40. When consultation is needed
 Introducing changes that affect health and
safety (new plant/processes/work
methods, etc)
 When implementing new technology.
 When appointing safety advisers.
 Development of training plans.
 Reviewing health and safety performance.
 Learning lessons from incidents and near
misses.

41. Types of consultation
Safety
committees
Worker and
management
representatives.
Discussion
groups
Volunteers
interestedin a
topic.
Safety circles
Ideas-sharing
group.
Departmental
meetings
Health and safety
discussions allow
workers to voice
concerns.
Email and web
forums
Helps engagement.

42. Optional activity
Watch the following video of a health and safety
committee:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZcFj2ou2ys
Now discuss:
− Why is the committee proving to be ineffective?
− What would you change?

43. Why include workers?
Engagement should be a priority
‒ Do not allow it to fall by the
wayside.
‒ Schedule meetings and
activities.
‒ Hold people accountable.
Its necessary
‒ Better understanding and involvement results in better
solutions.

44. Element 1: Process safety leadership
1.1 Process safety management meaning.
1.2 Process safety leadership.
1.3 Organisational learning.
1.4 Managementof change.
1.6 Competence.
1.5 Worker engagement.

45. Competence
• The ability to undertake responsibilities and to perform
activities to a recognised standard on a regular basis.
• A combination of practical
and thinking skills,
experience and knowledge.

46. The role of competence in safe working
and behaviours
Benefits of training
‒ Understand the job so work safely.
‒ Train to standards.
‒ Right first time.
Training in how to do the job safely
‒ Operational procedures.
‒ Emergency procedures.

47. Competency management
Example of a training matrix:

48. Competency management
Establish policy
Determine
minimum
competency
standards
Recruit workers
Analyse skill
gaps
Maintain and
develop skills
Assess
competency as
an ongoing
process
Build emergency
management
skills
Gain ownership
and
commitment
Continually
development

49. Process safety training
At all levels:
‒ process safety leaders;
‒ managers/supervisors/designers/safety advisers/newly
qualified managers
‒ operators and technicians.
Training to include:
‒ standard operations;
‒ non-standard operations
(shut-down, etc);
‒ emergency training.

50. Element 1: Summary
1.1 Process safety management meaning.
1.2 Process safety leadership.
1.3 Organisational learning.
1.4 Management of change.
1.5 Worker engagement.
1.6 Competence.