H2Tech - Q3 2022 - 36

SAFETY AND SUSTAINABILITY
Capital projects: A focus on technical
safety studies. The focus of ESG
is to identify and manage business risks,
including impacts on the environment,
employees and local communities. Similarly,
from an operational standpoint, the
field of process safety includes a range
of technical safety studies focused on
analyzing, quantifying and mitigating
hazards and risks to the environment, assets,
employees and local communities.
Process safety specifically evaluates potential
fires, explosions, toxins and other
accidental releases of hazardous materials
from facility operations. In addition,
process safety addresses items critical to
mitigating risk, including facility siting,
system controls, passive and active fire
protection systems, emergency response
plans and many others. In summary, the
discipline of process safety involves effective
management systems comprising
practices, procedures and responsible
human performance and behaviors applied
to equipment design/installation
and the facility during operations.7
Process safety is one of many areas
of focus during a capital project, which
is divided into phases that make up the
project lifecycle, covering the project
from onset to completion.8
on a company's publication or specific
guidelines, the terminology for the lifecycle
of capital projects in the oil and
gas and chemical industries may differ.
However, the terminology presented in
Depending
this section will apply to this article. The
main capital project stages are presented
in FIG. 2. These phases include key activities
that are sometimes addressed
as separate stages and are, therefore, included
as follows:
* Project execution-detailed design/
detailed engineering, construction
and commissioning/startup
° Construction phase-
pre-commissioning
° Operation phase-stable
production achieved
° End of life-project for
decommissioning is initiated.
The discipline of
process safety involves
effective management
systems comprising
practices, procedures
and responsible human
performance and
behaviors applied to
equipment design/
installation and the
facility during operations.
* Feasibility and conceptual
planning-front-end loading
(FEL) phases, including FEL-1,
FEL-2 and FEL-3
° Sometimes called front-end
engineering design (FEED)
The objectives of each phase must be
understood in business terms8
to understand
the importance of conducting process
safety studies at the optimal time as
well as periodic stage-gate reviews. When
conducted in an organized and proactive
manner, technical process safety analyses
can be efficiently and cost-effectively
updated at each stage to ensure costly
last-minute changes are not required.
One way to mitigate the likelihood and
impact of late-stage changes is to introduce
a safety plan that includes stagegate
process safety reviews throughout
the design phases. Embedding the safety
plan within the stage-gate review process
minimizes risk while controlling costs
and schedule impacts to ensure successful
project implementation.
* Appraise FEL-1: Identify a range
of development options and
evaluate commercial viability.
* Select FEL-2: Select the site
layout based on evaluating threats
and uncertainties.
* Define FEL-3: Develop a basic
design, including preliminary
plot plans, equipment layout
drawings and preliminary process
flow diagrams; heat, material
and energy balance sheets; and
equipment data sheets. This stage
also improves costs and schedule,
and the project typically receives
financial investment.
* Detailed design: Detailed
engineering of options chosen
in FEL; materials/equipment
are procured.
* Construction: Facility is
built, pre-commissioning is
completed and operational
readiness is performed.
* Commissioning: The project
team hands over the facility
and documentation to the
operations company/team.
FIG. 2. Capital project stages.
36 Q3 2022 | H2-Tech.com
* Operation: The operations team
takes control of the facility and
normal operations continue
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