IMPROVING MANAGEMENT OF TECHNOLOGICAL RISK - RELIABILITY CERTIFICATION OF SAFETY SYSTEMS

This paper discusses a Process Safety Compliance Framework (PSCF) used to evaluate process risk consistently and systematically. The PSCF as sesses the compliance of the process to existing standards and provide s opportunities to improve the management of technological risk. An es sential element of the PSCF is a Reliability Certification Program. Th e certification program assesses the reliability of safety products an d systems employed within the PSCF to reduce process risk to manageabl e levels, The Process Safety Compliance Framework relies on a Comprehe nsive Process Safety Assessment and Lifecycle Model (CPSALM), which id entifies the process safety target level, or alternatively the process risk profile, The model evaluates the safety level attributed to exis ting safety systems (safety layer) and assesses the effectiveness of p rocess improvements that are required to meet or exceed the process sa fety target level. This target is determined by examining the complian ce of the process to industry, jurisdictional and company specific sta ndards. The CPSALM is applied to several systems performing the same f unction and using different technologies. The performance of these sys tems is compared using reliability as the selection criteria. The appr opriate system is then introduced into the PSCF to assess the process risk. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.