HSE boss confronts sector over safety progress
3 Apr 2012
Only 65 out of 1000 high-risk sites signed up to safety management initiative
London – Process industry leaders have been warned by Judith Hackitt, chair of the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), that ‘time is running out for the sector in terms of its reputation and standing with the public.’
Hackitt was the keynote speaker at a recent conference in London to highlight the progress of an initiative to establish a process safety management (PSM) culture in the process industries.
The PSM initiative, which focuses particularly on the role of senior managers in ensuring the safety of process facilities, emerged from the recommendations of the HSE report on the Buncefield accident in December 2005.
Within the process sector, the initiative has seen the development of process safety leadership training, to which 65 companies have so far signed up to. There are also plans to introduce standards around the initiative backed by new training and benchmarking structures.
Hackitt, though, questioned the rate of progress in the process sector, which includes 1000 site defined as high-risk under the COMAH (Control of Major Accident Hazards) regulations, and where accidents continue occur.
“It is great to have 65 companies involved, but out of 1000 COMAH sites, how good is that? … Can we really be proud of that pace of progress, and that it is right for your industry?”asked the HSE boss.
“Because in the meantime every year in HSE we see reports of 100 loss of containment incidents a year of which about half have potential to be serious incidents.”
Hackitt, however, did acknowledge the work of PSM conference organisers Cogent and the National Skills Academy Process Industries in providing the cohesion and structures needed to deliver PSM across the many diverse constituencies within the sector.
However, the skills bodies along with representatives of many of the 65 companies on board the PSM programme, were told: “”We need to see more and we need to see it quickly. The challenge you face is a big one with a lot of catching up to be done, many elements to be tackled. I don’t think time is on your side.
“You were all very lucky that Buncefield did not result in fatalities. This and the many other incidents that continue to take place on a constant basis make this issue absolutely fundamental for the reputation and survival of your business.”
