Management of Chemical Risks during Major Plant Shutdowns

Chemical accidents at process plants can occur not only during normal operation but also during shutdown periods. As the number of persons present during a shutdown may be much higher that otherwise, the consequences might also be more severe. Systematic procedures to prevent contract workers from causing accidents have for many years been in place in the Finnish process industry. It seems, however, that the way the safety of the contractors is ensured is not as systematic. A study of six Finnish companies revealed that there are no systematic management procedures in place to ensure that the process plant's own personnel has the knowledge and skills needed to make the plant safe before the cleaning, maintenance and construction work commences. Much of the success in avoiding (chemical) accidents during shutdowns seems to rely on the experience of key individuals and only a small part is due to safety management procedures.