An international chemical manufacturing company was struggling to manually manage its Process Safety Information (PSI) and sought to transition to an electronic system where Process Safety Management (PSM) data from multiple facilities could be stored and accessed into one comprehensive system for qualified employees across the organization.
Paper-based Management of Change (MOC) processes that rely on individuals to keep track of changes are prone to human error and competing priorities. After years of storing and maintaining paper trails of Management of Change (MOC) orders, the client faced the reality that nearly twenty percent of this paperwork was somehow lost or misplaced. An electronic platform was needed to simplify process safety oversight, improve safety for its employees, and reduce the potential for risk.
Process Safety Enterprise® (PSE) and the Management of Change Workflow module met all of the client’s specific needs. The evergreen, server-based platform provided a centralized database accessible and visible to all employees and contained step-by-step guided workflows. ioMosaic first integrated the client’s multiple facility sites and various data into one uniform system by:
Once this framework was finalized, ioMosaic proceeded with developing and implementing the module. To create workflows that were specific to the client, ioMosaic worked with them to create a plan and design lists based on the tasks that involved a change. These originated from the client’s paper system and were compiled into three categories: design, pre-startup, and post-startup stages. ioMosaic also worked to customize specific non-workflow tasks that were important to their processes. The workflow set-up made documents and data easy to organize and maintain over time.
Now users were able to describe a change and scope based on the type of change and equipment. The interface then generated critical questions for determining if a PHA was needed that pre-populated. This workflow step provided employees with guidance, taking much of the guesswork out of revalidations and adding a layer of safeguarding. The client’s decision to add Process Safety Office® PHAGlobal® significantly simplified their management of the PHA lifecycle, effectively initiating and managing continuous PHA revalidation to ensure compliance.
The standard built-in features of PSE such as automatic assignment of approvals, action items tracking, document linking, and email notifications all contributed to making sure the documentation of changes were properly captured and visible to employees, and further streamlined the MOC process for the client.
Previously the client had a history of losing hard copies. PSE and the Management of Change Workflow module brought increased organizational efficiency to multiple facilities across the organization. The client's data was easily organized, processes were optimized, and oversights minimized. Action items were now electronically tracked from start to finish. Status reports and corrective actions were no longer lost or in question as the system now kept track of their data in real-time. The user-friendly dashboard facilitated quick access of reports and open MOCs, which enabled proper and timely reviews of every MOC. All information was accessible to qualified employees across all facility locations. PSE not only greatly improved efficiency, but also created transparency at all organizational levels. In fact, the client reported that the Safety and Health Coordinator spent 40% less time on paper management and logging MOCs as a result of the PSE platform’s functionality.
The client was so satisfied with the results, they have come back for an expansion of their system. ioMosaic will add customized workflows and modules that will create and track action items for other processes such as internal and external audits, customer complaints, and job safety analysis. ioMosaic successfully created an economical, long-term sustainable platform for MOC initiation, approval, and PHA revalidation that raised visibility and efficiency.