29. Last Comment Keith V. Farrell 10/27/2009 Desired Results PSI PHA Changes
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Editor's Notes
Greetings
Obligatory Slide for my employer
I also start with a few thoughts jump start the brain. Arthur C. Clark is a renown science fiction writer, who described geo-sync orbit satellites 14 years before the sputnik.
Objectives We are all knowledgeable of the objectives for process hazard analysis or PHA. We basically need to satisfy a government agency by using valuable resources to generate mountains paper work that may not be looked at again for five years. (Jokingly) We do want the information used to improve our plants and make more money. So, we have to meet our companies expectations in “ streamlining” the study to save the same valuable resources. Based on these requirements, we have to find the tools to help us perform these tasks. We can use technology to enable accessibility to the study and training to enhance the leaders of these studies. We then must bring it together and show a cost savings to our bosses. However, I am not going to talk about is the accuracy of the study. I believe that any properly run study should achieve the same level of accuracy.
These are the well know CFR titles that started this situation and as with all federal issues, they tend to grow. However, with all dark clouds there is a silver lining. These requirements are for the most part, are good for your company and personnel. PHAs, first and foremost help provide for personnel safety to be followed by community protection. And, used correctly, PHAs can make money by maintain long plant run times. Those items in itself is make the effort of PHAs studies, worthwhile.
See slide.
You must pace your study to meet the needs of the team. Not the other way around. This could be short hours and more days, ex. 6 hrs. of study for 4 days a week, in place of 8 hr. days 5 days a week. Yes, the study will take longer, but your quality is better due to the team is fresher. However, you should avoid too much time between sessions. You will have to re-educate the team on the method. This is where a the study leader needs to be able to access the ability of the team and become a leader and a teacher.
Beyond the required tools to perform a study of people, PSI and a place to work. You need to consider the following. The one at the bottom, EIM, is Engineering Information Management. I bet you were wondering when I was going to discuss this topic. Well, that is why you and I are here. EIM is the “computerizing” of engineering data and/or PSI. This allows all required personnel to quick find and review the information on any process covered. But, lets cover the basics quickly.
First, I will cover these items. They are the typical for a PHA. Enough Said.
One typical equipment used in a PHA is a projector. It is use to place the study text information on a screen. You then have to verbally describe the node to color. The coloring, I have found, can take as much as 30 minutes per node. But, this is necessary to “keep everyone on the same page of music”. Any study needs for the team to be able to “access” the data. However, this methodology will cause pauses in the study. The team will have to stop inorder to get everyone on the same page. I like to call this interruptions, “derailing the thought train”. Every derailment, slows the analysis down and may cause numerous information repeats get the team together again.
Here is one way of viewing the study data. Monitors are cheep. The whole cost is about $900, new. I will cover the cost vs. the savings later. I use the monitors to view PHA Manger, EMOCs, PSI and any other text files that are needed reviewing. Basically, the team is on the same page. Thus, less confusion. The monitors also put information that the team needs to see, lending to less side discussions. I have found that the team members will be able to work longer and more efficiency due to less eye fatigue. Also with the monitors, editing is much easier by seeing the changes while they dictate. The time savings is hard to account for but, about I have experienced up to 10 minutes faster per node by using monitors.
Here is one way of viewing the P&IDs. This allows all team members to see the nodes together. There is no misunderstanding of the intent of the node. The cost of the set up is about $2500 of the document camera (most have a project). There are cheep systems, but I chose a high resolution camera to have the best quality. I use the camera for items such as the node coloring, risk matrix boxes and to draw pictures or equations of chemistry. Using the camera, I have found the need for team to color has dropped. I will pre-color the nodes and the team can just follow the screen. I use pointers to identify the items of interest in the P&Ids. Using the camera for the colored nodes is the most practical. Currently, most projector system have difficultly in presenting text information, I normally will not use the project for text. Thus in accordance to the visual nature of most teams, they are able to follow the nodes very easily. We can save about 15 minutes a node by doing this.
Now for the heart of the matter. I have covered the PHA needs. I have covered a quicker way of displaying information. Now for the EIM. What will it do for you. Where should you use it. When should you use it. How will it effect the study. What is the cost involved just for the study.
I will discuss databases, availability and the benefits of both.
We are required to have the PSI available for the study. Some locations have file cabinets full of the necessary information. You have to stop the study to find the information necessary or spend late hours looking for the piece of information. I have been there. The problem is that, you will have to repeat this action numerous times to complete the study. You will make mistakes transferring data. If you lucky, your PSI is an Excel sheet, you will have to search for the right component and transfer the desired information to the study. This is still time consuming and lends itself to errors in copying the data over. A properly formatted database will feed into the PHA software to stop those problems. Again, since you need to maintain PSI, why not use an electronic format.
These are the issues that you will have in starting EIM
Stable is just that, will it crash all the time. Quick, is it easy to add and edit information Ease of use Expandable, can it add more data units or is it fixed in size. Life-span of software. With PHA due every five years, will you be having to move data to a new base. These topics need to be considered before you jump into a database.
See slide.
See slide.
Now for the bottom line. I will discuss the equipment and software cost. I will cover a few trainings for your leaders. Then I will put it together.
What I use in my study room A monitor for each major team member of the study. Document camera for displaying marked up P&Ids on a screen. I have found that the team needs to be able to read the worksheets, but can follow the P&Ids from the screen. You will need video splitters and cable, basic misc. items to connect the equipment.
Berwanger has the PHA Software We use an Access 2000 base program Adobe Writer is use to generate secure documents for publishing on our Intranet This is if you have the basic computer setup for your studies
This is as noted. I have left out the cost of putting the information into the electronic form or in the accessing of the information outside a PHA study. I have found no difference in time maintained of a paper system over an electronic system. And there is a savings in access the information for an electronic system, but that is outside my topic today.
This is based on the fact your leaders are trained in PHA methods. The top three are to have your leader work with the study team to analyze the basic level of analysis. And to be able to encourage the team to brain storm. The final three will give your leader the ability to “think on his feet” pull more information from the team by nudging the team time to time to extend past their comfort zone. We as a people do not like to extend ourselves and by “nudging” the team you can obtain items that may have been missed before.
This is what we have seen in time alone. Without EIM, the included search and find for information is lengthily. With EIM, there are time savings. I use $100/hr for an engineer and $70/hr for operators and we using a design engineer and a process engineer in every study. Time is the intangible measurable item that is necessary to all operations. These savings represent time that can be put to use on other projects. I did not include the PHA Leader. In this method there is allot of prep work to have the study flow at a smooth rate. With all the time savings of the study, a PHA Leader needs something to keep them busy. As I have stated before, the recommendation and considerations will not be discussed. If you have a need for a recommendation, you should solve that issue.
Same as before. You see a quick benefit to the system
WOW. This is the bottom line. The first study you use EIM will save you $7,450 minus the Berwanger Software. Every study after that you will achieve the $11,300 savings. This again is a time savings and does not change the recommendations or considerations that are generated. For some companies, you will have several small plants and a team will move from plant to plant performing the analysis. This will work for you. For large sites with numerous PHAs, this will work for you. Enough said.
This it the circle of life for PHA. No pun intended. We all need to maintain the circle to protect our personnel, families and assets from hazards. EIM just helps the circle flow smoother.
THANKS to the following, Berwanger, Chemical Week and Chemical Engineering
