NOTE S13 Process accident and safety
8.2. Process accident and safety
56
situations with high risks
0
High incidents
281
Medium incidents
0.9
Process safety rate
Definition
Process accident and safety focuses on preventing and controlling incidents in industrial processes, especially scenarios involving potentially catastrophic consequences for people or the environment. Solvay's process safety management is risk-based. Process safety programs continue to ensure the integrity of operations and incorporate good design principles alongside best engineering and operating practices. Emergency preparedness and response and the management of contaminated soils are also key aspects.
Management approach
The identification of risk 1 situations (situations with the highest risk) and their in-time management are audited in the frame of the Health, Safety, and Environment management and compliance. Solvay deploys rules and indicators to monitor:
- risk analysis programs,
- identification and mitigation of Risk Level 1 situations,
- implementation of process safety management systems at sites,
- incident follow-up and reporting.
Completion of the risk analysis program is part of the Solvay HSE dashboard regularly reviewed by the Executive Committee. All Solvay industrial and Research and Innovation sites are required to develop and implement an ad hoc process safety management system (PSM). They must implement the PSM practices required by the Group and adapted to their risk level, according to a classification system defined in 2015.
Process safety monthly bulletins are widely distributed in 14 languages. They describe incidents that have occurred at Solvay sites and provide recommendations for improvement.
Indicators
Risk analysis program
The main pillar of Solvay's preventive, risk-based approach is the process risk analysis of existing, new, or modified installations. Quantified risk analysis is a best practice among industrial companies: standardized risk analysis makes it possible to quantify the risk level of every possible accident scenario, combining severity and probability factors. Risk analysis forms the backbone of risk control.
Solvay’s objective:
2020
100%
of the sites with a risk analysis updated in the last five years, for every production line
In % |
2017 |
2016 |
2015 |
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|
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Percentage of concerned product lines having a risk analysis updated in the last five years |
77 |
65 |
69 |
|||||
The risk analysis program makes it possible to identify major accident scenarios and take the necessary preventive measures to make the level of risk acceptable. Solvay uses tiered risk analysis methods and adapts them to the level of potential hazard of every process at every GBU. The increase between 2016 and 2017 is mainly due to the deployment of the simplified method - called PRAMAPOR - for material and processes with low potential hazards.
Mitigation of priority risks
A systematic approach is used across the whole Group to efficiently identify and remediate the highest risks. Handling 100% of "Level 1 Risk Sheet" situations – situations with the highest risks – is a key element of Solvay's process safety policy, as prescribed by Solvay's "Red Line" on health, safety, and environment risk management. The Group has repeatedly succeeded in resolving all level 1 risk sheet situations within one year. This represents 48 risks level 1 situation resolved.
Red Lines are essential Solvay rules that must be respected to the extent that they cover issues which constitute major risks for the Group. All major identified risks are validated and reported at corporate level. Then, as defined by the Red Line, they must be mitigated within a maximum of one year.
|
2017 |
2016 |
2015 |
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|
||||||||
Number of “risk sheets level 1” at the end of the year |
56 |
46 |
94 |
|||||
Process safety management systems (PSM)
Solvay’s objective:
2020
100%
of sites with a process safety management system corresponding to their risk level
In % |
2017 |
2016 |
2015 |
|||||
|
||||||||
Sites with required PSM practices in line with their PSM level |
79 |
90 |
84 |
|||||
The decrease of the figures between 2016 and 2017 can be explained by the change of the calculation methodology. 2017 has been calculated based on the number of sites audited whereas data in 2016 and 2015 have been calculated based on all sites.
In % |
2017 |
2016 |
||||
|
||||||
Sites with a PSM level 1 (Low) |
49 |
54 |
||||
Sites with a PSM level 2 (Medium) |
41 |
34 |
||||
Sites with a PSM level 3 (High) |
10 |
11 |
||||
Process safety incidents
Solvay's target is to avoid any high severity incident and to reduce the incident rate for medium severity incidents. Solvay's incident rate (PSI rate) is consistent with the method proposed by the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA).
Incidents per 100 full time employee (employees and contractors, assuming 2,000 hours of work/worker/year) |
2017 |
2016 |
2015 |
|||
Process safety rate |
0.9 |
0.7 |
0.6 |
The increasing trend in the number of reported PSIs reflects the increasing number of reporting sites, along the newly introduced reporting process.
Solvay has a worldwide rule for reporting process safety incidents based on a severity matrix that takes into account :
- the consequences for people;
- for the environment;
- damages to assets and volumes of chemicals released.
Reportable incidents are classified according to severity (medium, high, and catastrophic). No catastrophic incidents have been reported since 2012.
Number |
2017 |
2016 |
2015 |
|||||
|
||||||||
Medium |
281 |
259 |
215 |
|||||
High |
0 |
1 |
1 |
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