Your job doesn't end after a PHA, why does your software?

Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) is a critical component of process safety management, and many organizations use software tools to facilitate the PHA process. However, the job of ensuring process safety does not end with the completion of a PHA study, and unfortunately, many software tools are limited in their ability to support ongoing process safety management activities.

PHA studies are typically conducted to identify and evaluate potential hazards associated with a process, and to recommend controls and safeguards to mitigate those hazards. While a PHA study is an essential starting point for managing process safety, it is not sufficient on its own. Ongoing process safety management activities are necessary to ensure that the recommended controls and safeguards are implemented, maintained, and effective.

For example, after a PHA study, it is essential to ensure that safety instrumented systems (SIS) and other safety-related systems are designed, installed, and maintained correctly. The performance of these systems should be regularly monitored, and any issues or deviations from expected performance should be promptly addressed. Likewise, the competency of personnel involved in the operation and maintenance of these systems should be assessed and managed continually.

Other ongoing process safety management activities may include conducting incident investigations, updating process safety information, performing periodic process safety reviews, and managing changes to the process or facility that may impact process safety.

Unfortunately, many software tools that are designed to support the PHA process are limited in their ability to support these ongoing process safety management activities. They may lack critical features for managing safety-related data, monitoring SIS performance, managing changes, or tracking incident investigations.

To effectively manage process safety, organizations need software tools that are designed to support the entire safety lifecycle, not just the PHA process. These tools should provide robust functionality for managing safety-related data, monitoring safety performance, managing changes, tracking incidents and investigations, and supporting other ongoing process safety management activities.

One example of software designed to support the entire process safety lifecycle is Safety Lifecycle Manager? (SLM?). This software platform is designed to support all stages of the safety lifecycle, from hazard identification to decommissioning. It provides a single fully integrated digital platform for managing safety-related data, workflows, and documentation, and it includes features for monitoring safety performance, managing changes, tracking incidents, advanced analytical reporting, and supporting other ongoing process safety management activities.

In conclusion, the job of ensuring process safety does not end with a PHA study, and organizations need software tools that support ongoing process safety management activities. While many software tools are limited in their ability to support these activities, tools designed to support the entire safety lifecycle, such as SLM?, can provide robust functionality for managing end-to-end safety in efficient and transparent way, enabling the shift from thinking you are safe to KNOWING you are safe.