Addressing the requirements at new production plants and in the permit process

Economic operators must also take into account the requirements of the process safety system at the different stages of planning new production plants and during the permit process. The principles in accordance with the process safety system must have been defined before the production plant is commissioned.

Tukes will inspect the process safety system as part of the commissioning inspection. An economic operator can demonstrate its compliance with the requirements of the process safety system by completing a self-assessment using Tukes’ assessment tool for process safety systems and by implementing the measures required according to the self-assessment. The self-assessment and follow-up of measures are submitted to Tukes during the commissioning inspection at the latest.  

Some of the requirements of the process safety system are such that they have to be addressed at an earlier stage, as part of planning the production plant. Tukes assesses compliance with these requirements when processing the permit application and may already request supplementary measures and changes related to the requirements before granting the permit for the production plant. 

In addition to the requirements that must be taken into account at the permit stage, Tukes has also specified the requirements that will prevent the commissioning of the production plant if serious deficiencies with regard to compliance with them are observed during the commissioning inspection.

Requirements that must be taken into account in production facility planning

Process risk assessment and management

Process safety information

Updating
Characteristics of chemicals
Information about chemicals
Equipment selection criteria
Descriptions of processes affecting process safety

Planning process risk assessments

Risk assessment instructions
Identifying the need for a risk assessment
Selecting the risk assessment method
Required competence
Members of the risk assessment team
Scope of the assessment and a systematic approach
Baseline information
Outsourced operations

Conducting process risk assessments

Identifying hazards
Identifying causes
Probability of hazards being materialised
Use of data in the probability assessment
Assessing the severity of consequences
Addressing direct and subsequent consequences
Identifying major accident hazards
Identifying accident scenarios that require modelling
Documentation

Defining the acceptability of risks

Procedure for defining the acceptability of risks
Addressing personal injuries and damage to the environment and property
Acceptable level for the probability of a major accident
Sufficient accuracy

Residual risks and measures

Reducing risks
Prioritising measures
Defining schedules and responsibilities for measures
Reassessment of process safety risks

Operation and maintenance

Property management

Identifying equipment critical for process safety
Equipment critical for process safety: equipment requiring statutory inspections
Equipment critical for process safety: equipment that causes accidents
Equipment critical for process safety: equipment that prevents accidents
Quality assurance and control for equipment critical for process safety
Testing safety automation
Alarm control
Alarm classification
Maintenance in the safety management system

Safe operation

Equipment isolation practices

Change management

Change planning and risk assessment

Compliance of chemical containers with requirements
Compliance of chemical pipelines with requirements

Planning for emergencies

Internal rescue plan

Preparing an internal rescue plan
Content of the internal rescue plan
Instructions defined in the internal rescue plan
Addressing process safety risks in the internal rescue plan
Personnel resources defined in the internal rescue plan
Rescue equipment
Communicating accidents
Participants in updating the internal rescue plan

Drills

Cooperation in the event of major accidents

Requirements whose deficiencies prevent commissioning

Organisation and personnel

Tasks and responsibilities

Appointing an operations supervisor
The operations supervisor’s rights and obligations
Competence of the operations supervisor
Appointing other statutory key employees
Person responsible for operating principles

Competence management

Defining competence and training needs
Process safety training
Maintaining records of training, competence and qualifications
Process safety induction

Contractor management

Internal rescue plan training for contractors

Operation and maintenance

Property management

Maintenance plan for equipment critical for process safety
Management of equipment critical for process safety
Inspection programme for equipment critical for process safety
Defective equipment critical for process safety
Inspection plan for pipelines
Alarm testing
Alarm competence

Safe operation

Work instructions
Availability of instructions
Understandability of instructions
Knowledge of instructions
Work permit procedure
Bypassing safety systems
Readiness for commissioning
Operators’ competence in process start-up and shutdown situations
Shift changes

Change management

Change management procedures

Change management procedures
Identifying changes

Classifying changes and selecting the procedure

Notifications submitted to Tukes
Temporary repairs of chemical pipelines and equipment
Identifying temporary changes

Change planning and risk assessment

Process safety risk assessment as part of change management
Identifying requirements

Implementation and deployment of changes

Ensure a safe deployment
The role of the chemicals supervisor in the deployment of changes
Updating documents
Training regarding changes

Planning for emergencies

Internal rescue plan

Up-to-datedness of the internal rescue plan
The internal rescue plan in change management

Drills

Plan for drills for chemical accidents
Training the internal rescue plan

Communication to the public

Content of a public notice
Availability of public notices
Distribution of public notices
Up-to-datedness of public notices

Performance monitoring

Non-conformity investigation

Non-conformity reporting procedure

Process safety monitoring

Procedure for process safety monitoring
Observation rounds

Audits and reviews

Audits

Internal audit programme