Safety Audit Observations & Recommmendations

Safety Audit Tips, Observations &
Recommendations
Part 1
P.G. Sreejith
India
pillai_sreejith@hotmail.com
Safety Audit Preparation
Pre -Safety Audit Guidance
• Send the data request (records, reports
that you want the client to keep ready for
auditing) and audit plan in advance to
client
• Prepare checkpoints based on specific
hazards of the industry that you are
planning to audit
• Collect all possible accident information
for the particular plant and industry
Pre -Safety Audit Guidance
• Send the data request (records, reports
that you want the client to keep ready for
auditing) and audit plan in advance to
client
• Prepare checkpoints based on specific
hazards of the industry that you are
planning to audit
• Collect all possible accident information
for the particular plant and industry
Safety Audit Guidance
• Plan the audit (based on defined scope and
coverage) and to the extent possible to stick to
the plan
• Do a thorough audit, inspect all areas,

equipment
• Meet and discuss with maximum number of

operators / technicians
• Ask specific, relevant questions

Safety Audit
Useful Tips
Be keen and watchful!
• Be a keen observer while auditing.
• Look for exhibits in plant notice boards,

accident statistics, etc.
• Spent more time in newly built / modified

plant (drawing updation, electrical single
line diagram, process change
procedure/MoC)
Compare!!
• Compare adjacent / similar equipment,
phase currents, phase temperatures,
conditions, features, shapes when you
move around in plant and you could
notice:
• Modifications
• Rise in temperature
• Different type of equipment
• Protection devices
Comparison (with comparables) can give lots of valuable hints!!
Safety Observations
&
Recommendations
Process
Chemical
Electrical
Instrumentation
Mechanical
Occupational Health
Fire
Ergonomics
Residual Current operated
Circuit Breakers (RCCBs)
• Try tripping a few of them – you will find
generally 80%+ bypassed. Investigate and solve
the problem technically than readily agreeing to
the common ‘Nuisance Tripping’ tactic followed
by many.
• Check if the right sensitivity RCCBs are

installed.
• UPS loads, HF circuits, DC circuits, etc. requires

special type (Super immunized) RCCBs.
Process Changes (for
Hazardous plants)
• Take a few old Plant Change Control Procedure
(PCCP) / Management of Change (MoC)
procedures from the technical services file and
check if the relevant drawings are updated.
Mostly you will most of the P&IDs are not
updated. Check a few modifications!!
• See if review of Hazardous Area Classification

(HAC) is part of PCCP / MoC. 90% of the cases,
you will not find HAC review in PCCP /MoC.
Process Control Room
• Select 2/3 ESD (Emergency Shut Down) /trip
loops and visit the field instruments associated.
You could find some serious flaws (bypassing,
maintenance issues, fail safe valve positions,
associated gauge readings)
• Check the trip & alarm bypass register in the

control room. Possibly many will be bypassed for
long duration and there would not be any
record/control.
• Check if the P&IDs are updated to reflect the

recent 3 to 4 process modifications
Pressure Vessels
• Check a few PRVs
physically to ensure that
they the isolation valves
installed below are in line
and are not closed
• Do a sample check with

the pressure vessel list
available to see if any
new pressure vessels are
left out
• An isolation valve
upstream PRV will help to
isolate while doing PRV
maintenance jobs pillai_sreejith@hotmail.com
Re-Order Level (ROL) for Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Check the ROL (defined minimum
inventory level) in stores for critical /
special PPE in stores, such as:
• Gas masks / cartridges
• Chemical splash-proof goggles
Note:
ROL is to be defined on consumption levels and potential requirement. ROL needs
periodic review to avoid high inventory levels.
Electrical Protection Relays
• Check for red flags in relays
that indicates that the relay has
operated. Find out the reason!
• See if the triple protection

relays (common CDG relays
from English Electric make)
and check if the over current
settings are the same (R & B
phases will have over current
protection) pillai_sreejith@hotmail.com
Transformers
• Check if the winding and oil temperatures are
set uniform for all transformers
• See if the bucholtz relay valves are in open

condition
• Check for moisture content test reports for

transformers that are located near cooling water
plant areas / where moisture is present in
atmosphere
Toxic Release and Wind Sock
• Fluorescent and illuminated wind socks (at
strategic locations) helps in night time
evacuations
• Check if wind socks are installed in areas

where there is possibility of toxic release
Electrical Testing & Measuring
Instruments
• Some big plants calibrate the protection
relays with a secondary current injection
kit, available internally. See if this master
relay is calibrated by a reputed external
test agency
• Check if the insulation resistance and

earth resistance testers are duly calibrated
First Aid
• Analyze FA box consumption patterns to reveal
issues in certain process units, such as:
• Unit A –more head aches
• Unit B –slip & fall cases
The FA consumption analysis could help you to

identify occupational health issues in some plant
areas!
• Do not keep medicines in FA boxes. The plant
doctor may be consulted.
Electrical Test Lamps
• Ask electricians if they use test lamps and
if yes, check test lamps used by them.
Recommend use of double test lamps in
series instead of single lamp.
• Single test lamps will explode if tested on

440 volt circuits injuring electricians
Hazardous Area Zone 1 pockets
• Check if Ex e ( Increased Safety)

equipment are installed in zone 1 areas
Notes:
• Hazardous Areas need to be classified if flammable chemicals
are having a flash point less than 65 degree C
• Zone 1 area: Area where flammable vapour / gases can exist
in normal operating conditions
• IS 5572 allows only Ex d or Ex d e type equipment in zone 1
areas
Temperature Classification for
hazardous areas
• Check Ex d (flame proof) equipment name
plates to see if T-classification aspect is
taken care in equipment selection based
on the chemical
Note:
Maximum surface temperature of
electrical equipment should not be
more than the Auto Ignition
Temperature (AIT) of the
chemicals that are handled /
stored where the equipment are
located
Surge & Lightning Protection
• Direct lightning protection (Franklin rods,
horizontal air terminations) will not protect
electronic equipment (UPS, TV,
Communication equipment, field
instruments, EPBAX, weigh bridges) from
surges and transients.
• Surge protection devices are to be
additionally installed
Emergency Management Plan
(EMP)
• Check if all the telephone numbers are
updated
• See if the new / modified hazards (new

chemical storage tanks / toxic gas) are
considered in the EMP
• Electrical sub station / cable cellar fires

are considered as emergency scenarios in
EMP?
Rear Electrical panel side
identification
• Both front & rear sides (if they can be
opened) of electrical panels require to be
identified.
• Accidents have occurred where electricians

isolated one feeder in the front and opened
the wrong live panel on the rear side,
resulting in fatal accident!
Orientation of Pressure Relief Valve
pipe ends /vents
• Check out if the orientation of PRV vents
is away from walk ways / platforms, etc.
• This becomes crucial when PRVs are

connected to process vessels that contain
toxic gases
• Also look for isolated PRVs!! Look for PRV

handle positions.
Chemical compatibility
• Check storage/handling/mixing of
chemicals based on their compatibility
Welding
• Gas tests to be done in hazardous areas
at:
• Location where welding machine is kept
• Location where welding is done
• Welding machine to have both lead and

return cables having same length
Work Permits
• Doing audit, look out for a pump / motor
/panel under repair and if you find one,
check for:
• Valid work permit
• If power is positively isolated or not (lock out,
tagged out) at the feeder
AFFF Fire Fighting Foam
• Quality of AFFF to be tested
periodically as per manufacturers
guidelines/ NFPA 11(once in a year
recommended)
• Foam stock to be reviewed based on

OISD 116
OH Medical Centre Records
• Analyze the OH centre records to identify
trends that will help you to identify:
– OH illness in some plant areas
– Injury cause categorization
– Certain months in an year where accidents
are more
– Certain shifts and time where more injuries
are recorded
Accident Reports
• Analyze accident reports for a minimum period
of 2 years to categorize and identify trends
• Check a few reports to verify if root cause has
been identified and acted upon
• Check the training sessions to check if the
accidents are discussed for the benefit of other
employees
• Check if accidents of the similar nature repeats!
An obvious indication that management is not
bothered of accident prevention
Lightning Protection 1
• Installing a vertical air terminal at the top
most point in a plant may or may not
protect the plant
• This ‘notional volumetric cone of
protection’ defined by standards and the
actual lightning strike cases do not match
• Install horizontal air terminals atop all
buildings that you want to protect
Lightning protection 2
• Earth all metal structures, vessels, tanks
to dissipate lightning discharge
• Number of down conductors and its
routing are important in the lightning
protection design
• Test Links installed on every down
conductor helps in effective maintenance
Fire Hydrant System 1
• Check if the jockey pump is in manual / auto
mode. Jockey pump has to be in auto mode
• If jockey pump is in manual mode, then there is
possibly a un-identified persistent leak (which is
possibly underground)
• Ensure adequate diesel stock for the engine
driven fire pump
• An emergency light should be available in Fire
pump room
Fire Hydrant System 2
• It is a good practice to paint the feeder
that feeds fire water pump motor red with
the caution, ‘DO NOT SWITCH OFF’
• Install smoke detectors in fire water pump
house
• Use infra red hotspot detector (while the
fire pump motor is running / when under
trial) on the cable terminations to identify
hotspots
Smoke Detectors
• Maintain a clearance of 1 meter between smoke
detector and A/C air outlet (smoke will be blown
away by the air which could result in delayed
smoke detection)
• Check the Fire Alarm (FA) panel for healthy
condition
• Check for redundant power supply for FA panel
• If FA panel has a stand-by battery, check its
healthiness by switching off the main power
HAZOP Recommendations
• Check the HAZOP worksheet to see if the
causes are addressed by way of additional
safeguards and not only the
consequences
• Ensure that nodes are selected so that no
part of pipeline / equipment are missed out
• Node selection should be carried out to
make the HAZOP process less complex
Critical Process Instrumentation
• Are the critical instruments identified
based on ESD loops, etc.?
• Check if sufficient spares are available for
all critical instruments
• While carrying out field visit, physically
check some critical field instruments to
ensure that they are in circuit and not
bypassed!
Safety Training
• Check if the safety training sessions are
relevant to the plant hazards and past
accidents?
• Check the training efficacy by interacting
with training participants
• Is participant feedback acted upon?
• Are past accidents included in training
programmes?
• Competency of faculty satisfactory?
Thanks!!
Be on the look out for Part 2
P.G. Sreejith

Safety Audit Observations &amp; Recommmendations

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Safety Audit Tips, Observations &

• Do a thorough audit, inspect all areas,

• Meet and discuss with maximum number of

• Ask specific, relevant questions

• Look for exhibits in plant notice boards,

• Spent more time in newly built / modified

• Check if the right sensitivity RCCBs are

• UPS loads, HF circuits, DC circuits, etc. requires

• See if review of Hazardous Area Classification

• Check the trip & alarm bypass register in the

• Check if the P&IDs are updated to reflect the

• Do a sample check with

• See if the triple protection

• See if the bucholtz relay valves are in open

• Check for moisture content test reports for

• Check if wind socks are installed in areas

• Check if the insulation resistance and

The FA consumption analysis could help you to

• Single test lamps will explode if tested on

• Check if Ex e ( Increased Safety)

• See if the new / modified hazards (new

• Electrical sub station / cable cellar fires

• Accidents have occurred where electricians

• This becomes crucial when PRVs are

• Also look for isolated PRVs!! Look for PRV

• Welding machine to have both lead and

• Foam stock to be reviewed based on

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