2020 Virtual Spring Meeting and 16th GCPS
(14b) Leveraging Process Safety Techniques in Early Phases of Capital Projects to Optimize Risk Reduction and Project Costs
Authors
Introducing stage gate process safety reviews early in the design phases has inherent challenges, most notably the lack of fully developed process design information and ongoing site layout changes. These challenges can be addressed through an application of âtypicalâ unit hazards and layouts for a given type of unit, leveraging existing company asset process data, initial facility layout information, and corporate standards/guidance with respect to layout and spacing. This approach is most effective when using a highly adaptive feasibility approach early in the process where moving unit layouts and associated infrastructure requires minimum rework, improving upon scenario modelling and spacing with each iteration and improving availability of design data.
This paper will introduce a stage gate review process for optimizing unit locations, spacing, fire protection (passive and active), emergency response, population/building siting, and future construction and turnaround planning. The overall goal of a stage gate review process is to minimize personnel exposure, asset damage, and business interruption while also controlling costs and ensuring ease of project implementation. Through the early application of process safety design reviews, capital projects can optimize designs that meets geographic constraints and corporate safety goals around optimizing risk reduction while minimizing project and facility lifetime cost impacts.