API’s New PSSAP® Focused Assessment Enhances Process Safety Performance for Small Refineries, Chemical and Petrochemical Operators
Building upon the success of its Process Safety Site Assessment Program (PSSAP), the American Petroleum Institute (API) developed a new offering, PSSAP Focused, to bring good practices in process safety to smaller refineries, chemical, petrochemical and agribusiness operators.
API, in collaboration with industry partners, developed PSSAP a decade ago for refinery and petrochemical facilities to enhance process safety performance – a broad safety framework based on sound design principles, engineering, operating and maintenance practices – as part of the industry’s continual effort toward zero incidents.
Developed by industry for industry, PSSAP has evolved into a critical tool to help operators improve safety performance assessments that facilitate feedback from expert assessors, allow operators to participate in peer benchmarking and increase collaboration to improve operations. After conducting more than 150 PSSAP assessments in the United States, Canada and globally, PSSAP Focused was developed as a tailored offering at a lower price point, specifically designed for smaller chemical and petrochemical operators.
The PSSAP General Assessment is based on seven protocols to assess a site’s process safety systems by leveraging industry-supported good practices that are guided by more than 100 API standards. PSSAP has also added three new protocols in recent years to address emerging areas where industry could benefit in assessment feedback, including Product Storage & Transfer and Incident Learning.
The strength behind PSSAP comes from third-party teams of industry-qualified process safety expert assessors, who are leaders in the field with 40 years of experience on average in the refining and petrochemical industry. During a PSSAP assessment, API assessors spend approximately one week on site, evaluating a facility’s written management system as well as implementation of each of the protocols, scoring each requirement. This allows API to create benchmarking reports from assessments, resulting in a final report consisting of detailed observations about the 600 requirements contained in the protocols. The benchmarking and final assessment reports allow a site to pinpoint specific areas which may need more attention within their process safety management system.
“The wealth of industry experience held by the assessment team was truly impressive and is key to the value of PSSAP. The assessors’ thorough review of site practices and open interaction with site personnel provided clear direction for our process safety journey and has resulted in tangible improvements across the refinery,” said Greg Lucchesi, vice president and general manager of the Motiva Port Arthur Manufacturing Complex.
PSSAP Focused covers the original seven protocols to conduct fit-for-purpose assessments of refineries and facilities in the chemicals, petrochemicals, plastics, specialty and agribusiness (including fertilizer production) sectors with a focus on smaller operators. PSSAP Focused utilizes smaller assessment teams and the on-site assessment lasts three-and-a-half days instead of five days.
Participation in these assessments gives personnel involved in process safety management insight into a broad spectrum of industry good practices and exposure to relevant API standards, while also evaluating their process safety management practices. Participation in a PSSAP assessment can help sites advance their commitment to safe and responsible operation and continuous improvement.
“API has taken special care in ensuring the PSSAP Focused offering is fit-for-purpose for any site that wants to mature their process safety management programs. Getting smaller chemical and petrochemical operators involved in PSSAP will continue to drive industry toward our shared goal of safer operations for personnel and surrounding communities,” said Colin Frazier, senior manager of API’s System Programs.
PSSAP and PSSAP Focused underscore the industry’s commitment to enhancing process safety performance practices, and are based on industry good practice rather than regulatory requirements.
Operators say PSSAP and its assessors provide expert guidance to enhance process safety performance across facilities through feedback, knowledge sharing of good practices and implementation of essential improvements to process safety management.
“PSSAP is an invaluable tool to test the strength of site management systems against industry good practices, and it is clear the API assessors are invested in sharing these practices with the site to help prevent process safety incidents,” said John Elmore, Shell Geismar’s process safety manager.
To find out more about PSSAP Focused or have a site assessed, visit the PSSAP Focused website or email PSSAP at PSSAP@api.org.