Inherently Safe

AMEC
Inherent Safe Design
amec.com
Inherently Safer Design

An Essential Strategy to Risk Management
Cees de Regt, Director of Process Safety

23 March 2010
Inherently Safer Design What is It?
The intent of ISD is to eliminate a hazard completely or

reduce its magnitude sufficiently
Thereby eliminating / reducing the need for safety systems
(engineered controls) and procedures (administrative
controls)
Furthermore, this hazard elimination or reduction would be
accomplished by means that were inherent in the design and
process and thus permanent and inseparable from them
33
Risk Management Strategies

Inherent
Eliminate hazard or significantly reduce the risks associated

with hazard(s)
Engineered
Passive
Reduce the consequence or likelihood of an incident arising

from a hazard through devices which do not require
detection of an incident or action by any person or device
Engineered
Active

from a hazard by detection of an incipient incident and
activation of devices which interrupt the sequence of
events resulting in the incident or mitigate the
consequences of the incident
Procedural

from a hazard by detection of an incipient incident followed
by implementation of procedures or human activated
devices to interrupt the sequence of events resulting in the
incident or mitigate the consequences of an incident
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Strategies for ISD Two Key References
Kletz (1998)
CCPS (1996)
1.Intensification
2.Substitution
3.Attenuation
4.Limitation of effects
1.Minimize
2.Substitute
3.Moderate
4.Simplify
Add-on friendly plant design strategies:

1.Simplification
2.Avoiding knock on effects
3.Making incorrect assembly impossible
4.Making status clear
5.Tolerance of misuse (error tolerance)
6.Ease of control
7.Understandable software for computer control
8.Instructions and procedures
9.Life-cycle friendliness (construction and demolition)
55
INHERENTLY SAFER DESIGN

1 . Minimise use smaller
2 . Substitute replace a material with a less
quantities of hazardous substances
hazardous substance
Gas
Hot Oil
Gas
THE BASICS
Fewer hazards
Fewer causes
Reduced severity
Fewer consequences
4 . Simplify design facilities that eliminate unnecessary
complexity and make operating errors less likely and that are more
forgiving of errors which are made
Hot
Water
3 . Moderate use a less
hazardous condition, a less hazardous

form of a material, or facilities that
minimise the impact of a hazardous
material or energy
barg
barg
Strategy for Hazard Management UK HSE (OTH 96 521)

Identify Hazards
Understand /Assess Hazards
Inherently
Safer
Design (ISD)
Avoid Hazards
Reduce Severity
Reduce Likelihood
Segregate / Reduce Impact
Additional
Engineering
Controls
Apply Passive Safeguards

Apply Active Safeguards
Apply Procedural Safeguards
Risks ALARP
No
Yes
OK
77
Examples of ISD Measures
Minimise hazardous quantities
Avoid or minimise large (liquid) hydrocarbon inventories

(process vessels, storage tanks, hydrocarbon storage in hull)
Reduce length of hydrocarbon piping
Reduce diameter of piping and risers / pipelines
Limit amount of chemicals stored
Minimise exposure of personnel to hazards
Unmanned platform or Not-Normally Manned concept
Reduce overall POB or reduce POB in hazardous areas
Reduce need for hazardous activities
Limit need for well operations and other simultaneous
operations during installation life
Limit brownfield activities
88
Substitute hazards
Apply less hazardous heating / cooling medium

Use different gantry cranes to move equipment rather than
pedestal cranes
If possible, limit number of personnel transfer operations by
helicopter and use crew boats
Moderate and ensure less hazardous conditions
Reduce process operating pressures and temperatures
Simplify process
Reduce number of trains, risers / pipelines, separators
Minimise need for High Pressure /Low Pressure interfaces
99
Minimise leak frequencies of hydrocarbons
Minimise number of flanges

Minimise number of instrument connections
Locate risers in location protected from external impact (e.g.
within jacket structure, protected by fenders)

Minimise the dropped object risk associated with pedestal
cranes and supply vessel operations
Lifting path relative to live process hydrocarbon
equipment
Lifting path relative to live risers and pipelines
10
10
Dropped Object Risk
Prevailing
Wind
Directions
11
11
ISD considerations to Limit Dropped

Object Risk
Eliminate hazard (preferred ISD solution)

Can lifting operations be avoided?
Can lifting over risers / pipelines be avoided at all times?
Reduce Severity can consequences / impact be limited

Can the risers / pipelines be designed for dropped object impact?
Reduce Likelihood
Can the number of lifts be limited?
Can alternative cranes by used?
12
12
Safeguards for process hazards should follow the principle of

layers of protection
If possible, maximum operating pressure should not exceed
design pressure of process equipment
If this is not possible focus on improving the effectiveness of
(in order of preference)
Basic process control system
Critical alarms, operator supervision and manual
intervention
ESD, Safety Instrumented Systems
Relief and blowdown systems
Post-release physical protection
Emergency response
Each layer should be designed for all conceivable conditions
13
13
Layers of Protection
People, the
Environment and
Property (and
Plant
and Community
Reputation)
Emergency Response
Post-release Physical Protection (bunds,

Active & Passive Fire Protection)
Physical Protection - Relief & blowdown devices
ESD, Safety Instrumented
Systems, F&G Detection
Critical Alarms, Operator Supervision
and Manual Intervention
ISD
Scale
Basic Process Control System

Process Design
Hazard
14
14
Safety Gradient
Bridge Linked Platform
Safety
Gradient
Non
hazardous
areas
Most
hazardous
areas
15
15
Safety Gradient
FPSO
Safety
Gradient
Non
hazardous
areas
Most
hazardous
areas
16
16
Safety Gradient
Floater
Most
hazardous
areas
Safety
Gradient
Non
hazardous
areas
17
17
Layout must prevent fires and explosions in areas with

hydrocarbons (process area, risers etc) escalating to less
hazardous and safe areas
Create a safety gradient on the topsides layout from
safe areas (accommodation) through to areas with
maximum hydrocarbon risk by distance
As much as possible (large) liquid hydrocarbon containing
vessels should be located at lower elevations, HP gas
equipment at upper levels
Reduce the probability of flammable gas build-up and the
increased likelihood of an explosion
Prevent escalation of fires and explosions
18
18
ALARP EER facilities
Temporary Refuge to allow for timely mustering and evacuation

TR designed to withstand impact of fires and explosions
Means of evacuation shielded from fires and explosions
Redundancy in evacuation means (lifeboats / liferafts)
Consider freefall lifeboats vs. davit launched lifeboats
Establish ergonomic design
Process control / operational philosophy
Design of Control Room
Physical access for normal operational tasks (e.g. valves,
sampling, maintenance activities)
Exposure to occupational hazards (e.g. heat stress, vibration
and noise, exhaust gases) during normal operations including
maintenance
19
19
Lifecycle Risk Management Strategy
20
20
How to Implement ISD Practices
1.
At an early phase define a set of ISD goals
2.
Conduct a staged ISD process centred around ISD reviews to see how these
goals can be met
3.
Ensure that ISD principles are applied by all disciplines
4.
Agree on ISD actions and plan for implementation (or possibly further review)
21
21
Hierarchy of ISD Reviews
1.
2.
3.
Review of field concept and configuration

Location of installations
Concept
Select
Type and number of installations
Review of layout of installation
Orientation of installation
Functional segregation (e.g. import, process, export,
utilities, flare, accommodation, firewater, EER)
FEED
Location of grated / plated decks, fire and blast walls
Review of equipment layout
Location and orientation to minimise risk associated
with Major Accident Hazard (explosions, fires) and
Detailed
occupational safety
Design
Detailed ergonomics
22
22
Success or Failure of ISD

Some Factors
Establishing and maintaining an ISD strategy requires

commitment from all parties, and the entire team
As early as possible clear ISD goals should be agreed. These
should be documented and communicated to all project staff
including sub-contractors and suppliers
ISD workshops should be attended by all relevant staff possibly
including sub-contractors and suppliers
Findings of the workshops should be documented and actions /
recommendations should be recorded and tracked
Often ISD design features do not receive the credit and
attention they should, or are only known amongst a few
ISD design features should be acknowledged as such, and
should be shared with a wider audience
23
23
Summary
ISD is an approach to plant and process design, whereby the

hazards are avoided or reduced to such trivial levels that the
plant and process pose no threat of harm to people, property
or environment
And as a result there is no or little need for additional
engineered controls or procedural safeguards
Consistent application of ISD reflects best industry practice
and in regulated countries is a legislative requirement
Successful implementation requires
Commitment from the entire project team
Participation and dedication of all disciplines
A structured process
Extracted from presentation by AMECs Director of Process
Safety to BP 23rd March 2010
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AMEC

Inherent Safe Design

Inherently Safer Design

Cees de Regt, Director of Process Safety

Inherently Safer Design What is It?

The intent of ISD is to eliminate a hazard completely or

Risk Management Strategies

Eliminate hazard or significantly reduce the risks associated

Reduce the consequence or likelihood of an incident arising

Reduce the consequence or likelihood of an incident arising

Reduce the consequence or likelihood of an incident arising

Strategies for ISD Two Key References

Add-on friendly plant design strategies:

INHERENTLY SAFER DESIGN

2 . Substitute replace a material with a less

quantities of hazardous substances

4 . Simplify design facilities that eliminate unnecessary

3 . Moderate use a less

hazardous condition, a less hazardous

Strategy for Hazard Management UK HSE (OTH 96 521)

Apply Passive Safeguards

Examples of ISD Measures

Minimise hazardous quantities

Avoid or minimise large (liquid) hydrocarbon inventories

Examples of ISD Measures

Apply less hazardous heating / cooling medium

Examples of ISD Measures

Minimise leak frequencies of hydrocarbons

Minimise number of flanges

within jacket structure, protected by fenders)

Dropped Object Risk

ISD considerations to Limit Dropped

Eliminate hazard (preferred ISD solution)

Reduce Severity can consequences / impact be limited

Examples of ISD Measures

Safeguards for process hazards should follow the principle of

Post-release Physical Protection (bunds,

Basic Process Control System

Examples of ISD Measures

Layout must prevent fires and explosions in areas with

Examples of ISD Measures

ALARP EER facilities

Temporary Refuge to allow for timely mustering and evacuation

Lifecycle Risk Management Strategy

How to Implement ISD Practices

At an early phase define a set of ISD goals

Ensure that ISD principles are applied by all disciplines

Hierarchy of ISD Reviews

Review of field concept and configuration

Success or Failure of ISD

Establishing and maintaining an ISD strategy requires

ISD is an approach to plant and process design, whereby the

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