BPCL Ext Safety Audit Reckoner

"INTRODUCTION:-
Identification of vulnerable areas and specific potential hazards is one of the prime functions of loss prevention in oil industry. Safety audit is an important tool in undertaking this function.

OBJECTIVES OF SAFETY AUDITS

While the basic aim of safety audits is to identify the areas of weaknesses and strengths, safety audits are undertaken to meet different specific objectives viz.-

1. To identify any design deficiencies and also any weaknesses which might \have cropped up during modifications / additions of facilities.

2. To ensure that fire protection facilities and safety systems are well maintained.

3. To ensure that operating/maintenance procedures, work practices are as per those stipulated in the manuals and standards, which might have degraded with time.

4. To check on security, training, preparedness for handling emergencies and disaster management etc.

5. To check the compliance of statutory regulations, standards, codes, etc.

6. As a social objective to cater to public opinion and concern for safe environment. This also improves public relation of the organization.

SCOPE OF SAFETY AUDITS:-

A Safety Audit subjects various areas of a company's activities to a systematic critical examination with the objective of minimizing loss. This includes all the components of the system viz. management policy, attitudes, training, design (Process, Mechanical, Electrical, etc.) aspect, layout and construction of the plant, operating Inspection and Maintenance procedures, emergency plans, personal protection standards, accident records.

TYPES OF SAFETY AUDITS:-

Two types of Safety Audits are proposed to be carried out as below:

I) Internal Safety Audit

ii) External Safety Audit

Audit conducted by Internal Audit teams of the organisation is categorized as Internal Safety Audit. The methodology for carrying out such Internal Safety Audit is described in greater detail in OISD 145. Internal Safety Audits are coordinated by local management under the overall direction from the Corporate Office.

External Safety Audits are carried out by outside teams consisting of technical experts from other organizations in oil industry, professional bodies and statutory authorities under the overall coordination of OISD. They also regularly conducts External Safety Audits of Exploration and Production installations refineries, gas processing plants, LPG Plants, POL Depots/terminals, and cross country pipelines to check compliance and to further improve safety systems.

The External Safety Audits (ESAs) by OISD are conducted which involves hazard and risk identification and risk reduction, management of change and work permit system. Critical examinations of all the components of the Safety Management System viz. Management policy, management attitude towards safety, review of plant layouts, operating/inspection/maintenance procedures, fire/accident records, fire protection facilities, safety training etc. In addition to this, Pre-commissioning safety audits (PCSAs) and Surprise Safety Audits (SSAs) are also conducted.

In this background in order to enhance capacity building for unscathed preparation and judicious handling of External Audits, detailed OISD checklist ready reckoner document is prepared having exhaustive reference to relevant clauses, probable observations, probable recommendations etc.

The document consists of OISD checklist points, against each checklist point, relevant Act/Regulation/Guideline, against each relevant Act/Regulation/ Guideline, relevant clause and its extract in verbatim, against each relevant Act/Regulation/Guideline, relevant clause, various most probable observations, against each probable observation, most suitable recommendation.

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