This document discusses building organizational competency for process safety. It defines competency as the state of being well-qualified to perform a task, which individuals and organizations gain through education, training, experience, and natural abilities. The document outlines key areas of competency for process safety, including understanding hazards and risk evaluation, and implementing strong management systems to control risk. It provides examples of career progressions in technical competencies like process hazard analysis. Finally, it emphasizes that human error is the root cause of most accidents, and that human factors and management systems play a key role in controlling human error.

1. Process Safety
Competency
Building Organizational Capacity
for World-Class Performance
by: Gerald D. Burch
Presented to First SABIC Safety Symposium
January, 2013

2. GERALD BURCH
• BS ChE; MBA in Leadership
• 30+ years overall experience; 20+ years in operations, plant engineering, and
plant management; implemented Responsible Care and PSM since 1979
• Recently a trainer for HADEED on II/RCA Leadership and MAADEN on Safety
Leadership for Supervisors, Managers
Process Improvement Institute (PII)
• Since 1998, has trained & coached 2000+ within SABIC on PHA, PSM & PSM
Auditing, procedure writing, human factors, incident investigation, MOC, etc.
(helping to build competencies)
• Led PHAs for SAFCO, PETROKEMYA, UNITED, other affiliates
• Helped develop improvements to the corporate and affiliate PSM programs in
1999-2004
• World-wide: Has trained 8,000, led 12,000 PHAs, hundreds of audits, written
(mostly by coaching others) thousands of procedures, wrote many industry
standards, guidelines (such as for investigation, PHA, LOPA, etc.)

3. Competency
The state or quality of being
well qualified to perform a task Training
An individual gains competency
through education, training
(classroom and hands-on), Individual
Education Experience
Competency
experience, and natural
abilities
Natural
Abilities

4. Competency
The state or quality of being
well qualified to perform a task Information
An individual gains competency
through education, training
(classroom and hands-on), Organizational Performance
Skills
Competency Measures
experience, and natural
abilities
An organization gains
Culture
competency by combining the
skills, information, performance
measures, and the right culture
necessary to achieve its
mission

5. Process Safety Competency
Organizational
Competencies
Required * Commitment to
Process Safety
Management Systems to
Control Risk
“ Adapted from the AIChE/CCPS Guidelines for Risk Based Process Safety, 2007

6. Process Safety Competency
Understand Hazards and
Evaluate Risk
 Hazard Identification and Risk
Analysis
• PHA, RCM, JSA, MOC, PSSR
 Process Knowledge
Management
• Specific process technology and plant
operations (i.e. corrosion, chemical
reactivity, rotating equipment, safety
instrumented systems, etc.)

7. Building Competency
5
EXAMPLE: Process Hazard Analysis
4 Expert
3 Advanced Recognized
2 expertise,
Skill Advanced develops
1 Knowledge training in guidelines,
PHA Leader LOPA, lead site or
Awareness training,
Participate 4-10 PHAs, corporate
and lead 1-3 coaches custodian
Overview PHAs with
contribute others 1-2 per Affiliate,
training, coaching
in 3-5 one in E&PM,
understand
PHAs 1-5% of one in Corp PSM
basic 5% of
Group
Technical Staff Technical Staff
application Maintenance
based on
Operations &
workload
Maintenance Engineering
requirements
Operations & Staff
Engineering Foundation: Training and coaching, cross-
Management functional and cross-departmental sharing of
resources and information, established corporate
guidelines, audits, recognition and incentives

8. Example: Technical Career Progression
Process Technology Inventory
Matrix removed to protect copyrighted material

9. Example : Technical Career Progression
Specific Key Technology Descriptor
Matrix removed to protect copyrighted material

10. Process Safety Competency
Management Systems
to Control Risk
 Operating and Maint. Procedures
 Training and Performance
 Safe Work Practices
 Asset Integrity and Reliability
 Contractor Management
 Conduct of Operations
 Emergency Management
 Human Factors *
“ Added by PIII to emphasize additional focus needed on controlling human error

11. 99% of accidental losses (except for
natural disasters) begin with a human
error (supported by data from thousands of
investigations)
Root causes of accidents are management
system weaknesses
(Center for Chemical Process Safety, American Institute
for Chemical Engineers, “Guidelines for Investigating
Chemical Process Incidents,” 2003) – OSHA agrees
Weak Management Systems  Human Error Accidents

12. I mean to do it this way
(Intentional)
No double-
Over-tighten
checking to
bolts on flange
Types of S
make sure
flange bolts
(you believe it
will seal
W
r
k were done
Human i
p
properly
better)
Over-tighten
o
n
Forget to bolts on g
Error tighten one
bolt on a
flange (you do
not have a
flange torque
wrench)
I did not mean to do it this way
(Unintentional)
Human error excludes deliberate action with harmful intent (fights, sabotage)

13. What is Human Error?
• Any action, or lack of a required action, that
exceeds the system tolerances.
How is Human Error Controlled?
1. By using good human factors (80%)
2. By managing acquired behaviors (20%,
also called Habits)

14. Human Factors Categories
Personnel
 Fitness for Duty What factors
 Knowledge, Skills and Abilities are weakest at
 Attention and Motivation
Resources most job sites
in Saudi
 Procedures and Reference Documentation
 Tools and Equipment
 Staffing
Arabia?
 Supervision
Work Environment Because in some cases,
 Human-System Interface English skills are still too low
 Task Environment to allow workers to write (own)
Task Coordination the procedures & many cannot
understand them or the verbal
 Communication communications to back up
 Coordination and Task Control procedures
the

15. Building Competency 5
EXAMPLE: Operating and Maintenance
Procedures (work instructions) 4 Expert
3 Advanced Recognized
Skill expertise,
2 Advanced
develops
training in
1 Knowledge Procedure
Human guidelines,
writing site or
Awareness Types of training;
Factors, risk
assessment, corporate
procedures write 5-10
Overview coaches custodian
needed for procedures
training, general and others Top 1% of writers
with one in E&PM,
understand specific coaching 5% of one in Corp PSM
basic tasks; learn operators and Group
requirements 25% of maint techs
Maintenance operators and
Operations & maint. techs
Maintenance Engineering
Operations & Staff
Engineering
Foundation: Training and coaching, cross-
Management
functional and cross-departmental sharing of
resources and information, established corporate
guidelines, audits, recognition and incentives

16. Process Safety Competency
Learn from Experience
Improve Performance
 Incident Investigation and RCA
 Measurement and Metrics
 Auditing
 Management Review and
Continuous Improvement

17. Building Competency 5
EXAMPLE: Incident Investigation and
Root Cause Analysis 4 Expert
3 Advanced Recognized
Skill expertise,
2 Advanced
develops
training in
1 Knowledge II/RCA
II/RCA, lead guidelines,
Leader site or
Awareness training,
5-10 major
II/RCA investigations, corporate
training, lead 5-10 custodian
Overview coaches
participate in investigations
training, others Top 1% of
3-5 with leaders, one in
understand coaching 5% of Maint,
investigations E&PM, one in
basics and 25% of Maint,
Operations and
Corp PSM Group
applications Engineering
Maintenance Operations and Staff
Operations & Engineering
Maintenance Engineering Staff
Operations & Staff
Engineering
Foundation: Training and coaching, cross-
Management
functional and cross-departmental sharing of
resources and information, established corporate
guidelines, structured audits, incentives

18. Process Safety Competency
Commitment to
Process Safety
 Process Safety Culture
 Compliance with Standards
 Process Safety Competency
 Workforce Involvement
 Stakeholder Outreach

19. Building Competency 5
EXAMPLE: Process Safety Leadership
4 Expert
3 Advanced Recognized
Skill expertise,
2 develops
Advanced
1 Knowledge Training & training & guidelines,
experience site or
Awareness leadership,
experience,
mentor and corporate
Overview Process performance
coach others custodian
training, safety management
leadership and change
process Top 1% of
training management 15% of Maint, managers and
safety and
Operations and supervisors
site specific 35% of Maint, Engineering
safe work Maintenance Operations and Management
Operations & Engineering
Maintenance Engineering Management
Operations & Management
Engineering
Foundation: Training and coaching, cross-
Management
functional and cross-departmental sharing of
resources and information, established corporate
guidelines, audits, recognition and incentives

20. Process Safety Competency
EXAMPLE: Management/Leadership Actions
When a manager/director/president sends staff to
training or supports on site training – what should
he do?
• Know the need – don’t just meet a quota
• Select only the BEST instructors/coaches (why save
pennies to lose dollars)
• Select the right delegates (not just who is available)
• YOU Kick-off of the training to convey YOUR
expectations and to show visible leadership support
• Check in on the progress of the training, be curious
• After the training, hold each delegate accountable for
putting into practice what they have learned (don’t
give certificates until implementation is demonstrated)

21. CLOSING
Building Process Safety Competency requires:
 Adequate and competent resources
 Training and development opportunities for all staff
 Evaluation, measurement, and performance management to
ensure compliance with established best practices
 A supportive safety culture which values coaching,
collaboration, learning, and open sharing of information
 External engagement with industry and thought leaders
- and -
 Consistent, long-term commitment of senior management to
build and sustain the necessary organizational competencies

22. Thank you for your
time and attention.
Any questions?

23. Gerald D. Burch
Senior Consultant
gburch@piii.com
www.piii.com