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. Indicators used to monitor Process Incidents (PSI) are aligned with International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) standards. Reported process incidents with environmental consequences are monitored and their severity (medium, high, and catastrophic) is classified according to defined criteria including quantity of spilled material, consequences on site or off site, and damage to the immediate vicinity. The overall management of historical soil contamination is monitored through environmental provisions.
Management approach
Process safety
Solvay’s approach for preventing process incidents is based on the 14 elements of Process Safety Management, with special attention paid to Process Hazard Risk Analysis (Risk Analysis). Risk analysis forms the backbone of risk control. This quantified risk analysis covers existing, new, or modified installations. The use of a unique risk matrix enables Solvay to quantify the risk level of each accident scenario, combining severity and probability factors. The Process Safety Incident rate (PSI rate) is monitored and benchmarked with peers. Each incident is analyzed and ranked according to ICCA (International Council of Chemical Associations) and CEFIC (European Chemical Industry Council) globally harmonized Process Safety metrics. Preventive and corrective actions are implemented, with a focus on incidents generating an operating permit exceedance.
Soil rehabilitation
The corporate “Environmental Rehabilitation” department is dedicated to overseeing the management of closed sites and addressing environmental liabilities resulting from historical soil contamination. An Enterprise Risk Management approach is applied, backed by clear governance that combines a local approach (team management) with a global team (through initiatives). The aim is to have a clear understanding of Solvay’s current and potential environmental liabilities and to effectively address these liabilities.
Indicators
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).
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2019 |
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S1 |
S2 |
2018 |
2017 |
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Process safety incident rate |
0.9 |
0.9 |
1 |
0.9 |
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2019 |
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S1 |
S2 |
2018 |
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Medium-severity process incidents with environmental consequences |
20 |
14 |
47 |
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… with operating permit exceedance |
9 |
7 |
12 |
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… without permit exceedance |
11 |
7 |
35 |
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Two sets of indicators are presented for 2019, because the criteria to assess the severity of the process incidents has been changed in July 2019 to adapt to the ICCA (International Council of Chemical Associations) and CEFIC (European Chemical Industry Council) globally harmonized Process Safety metric.
Process incidents with environmental consequences are monitored and their severity (medium, high, and catastrophic) is classified according to defined criteria: quantity of spilled material, consequences on site or off site, damage to the immediate vicinity, fish kills.
No high or catastrophic severity incidents with environmental consequences were reported for 2019, meaning there was no significant off-site environmental impact. Solvay’s target is to avoid any high severity incidents and to reduce the Process safety incident rate. In 2019, 34 Medium-severity incidents with environmental consequences were reported and, among those, 16 have generated reportable exceedances of an operating permit limit. The Group has followed up on each incident to ensure adequate actions are taken to avoid recurrence.
2019 key achievements
An extensive Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) training program has been developed into a flexible online training program. In total, 83 modules are now available as e-learning units on Solvay’s YouGrow platform. The e-Learning platform enables process safety training to be more widely accessible throughout Solvay. The 83 modules in the Process Hazard Analysis training contain a total of 46 hours of lessons covering a range of subjects in Process Safety. The modules cover the full range of all pre-training required for a Process Risk Analysis (PRA) Leader related to risk analysis approaches, methods, and tools.