1. Background

National Grid strives to be at the forefront of process safety management in industry by demonstrating risk control standards for its natural gas storage, transmission, and distribution assets. The company’s Process Safety Management System (PSMS) framework requires assessment of all new assets and modifications to existing assets before operation using its Management of Change (MOC) database and an Action Item Log. An ineffective PSMS exposes a company to risks for employees, the public, and the environment; potential fines for non-compliance; and costs associated with asset failure.

National Grid's focus on process safety has grown each year leading to a 550% increase in MOCs and action items in the system between 2017 and 2022. This exacerbated the challenges faced by the gas business’s process safety team as each member of the team was required to spend 28 hours per week to manage the MOC and Action Item Libraries. Historically, National Grid utilized a SharePoint 2010 site to manage its MOC process. The old MOC form had no indicators for which questions in the checklist should be completed for particular asset types, increasing the chances for user error. The system relied on manual notification of a submitted change to the MOC coordinator and key stakeholders, which impeded the efficiency of the approval process. Similarly, the action item process was completely manual, which resulted in a continually increasing backlog of overdue actions, reaching nearly 300 overdue action items by January 2021. Additional resources were needed by the gas process safety team to reduce the overdue action items. However, the gas business still struggled to stay on top of the backlog as personnel changes had a significant impact on the ability to maintain and update the MOC and Action Item Libraries in a timely manner. There was a clear need for automation of this system as it continued to become a more inefficient and unsustainable use of the company’s process safety resources.

2. Steps for Automation

The first challenge in project development was to obtain business approval from the company’s leadership team. To develop this business case, the team researched various software alternatives to the existing system; engaged with key stakeholders and users of the system to determine what changes would add the most value to the business; and defined the proposed upgrades in scope of work documentation. Next, more detailed documentation for the implementation of the project was developed: including the mapping of the original process’ workflow, an automation logic map, and test cases for the new platform. After review of the required features and workflow for the new system with National Grid’s IT team and leadership, Microsoft’s Power Platform was identified as a suitable host. Power Platform was chosen for several reasons. First, National Grid already had the software licensing, making this the most affordable option. Second, National Grid had in-house expertise in development and support for this software. And lastly, Microsoft Power Apps applications are customizable, allowing the software to be built for purpose. National Grid IT provided a software development team and project manager to help develop the new platform. Additionally, some engineers, project managers, and supervisors were used as beta testers. After the appropriate testing was completed, the migration of data to this new platform began in October 2022. With final launch in November 2022 after a year and a half of work from proposal to implementation.

3. Effects on Process Safety Culture

The updated system focuses on creating an intuitive workflow that sends automatic email notifications to all necessary parties at key stages of the process. Furthermore, the new MOC form is configured for each specific asset type, providing automatic prompts for the MOC originator based on their responses to previous questions. By providing a more comprehensive explanation of what is required for each field, MOC initiators get a better understanding of why MOCs are an essential part of the PSMS and how the process relates directly to their asset class and enhances their project. Dropdown menus featured in the MOC form reduce user entry errors which decreases the time spent by MOC coordinators checking submitted forms for grammatical errors. The ability to track MOC status has also greatly improved with the addition of library search and filtering features based on various criteria like region, asset owner, and MOC status.

Action items generated by MOC forms are now automatically populated into the Action Item Log. Other action items can be entered into the Log by action item coordinators. The identified owner of an action item is automatically notified by email and given the opportunity to confirm their ownership or indicate who else should be responsible. Once an action item is accepted automatic email reminder notifications are sent out on a defined timeline. The notifications also include an escalation mechanism, notifying the action item owner’s supervisor that their employee has an action item coming due or overdue. Owners of action items can close their items or request due date extension within the system. The added workflow capabilities for the action item process have resulted in a near elimination in overdue action items. Furthermore, the new platform allows for adaptability. Any changes required due to corporate process safety updates or specific asset teams’ desire to update their checklists can be made by MOC coordinators or National Grid’s IT support. Additionally, the new Power Apps platform is compatible with Microsoft PowerBI, allowing for more efficient, consistent, and visible reporting of action item and MOC statuses.

By streamlining the process, the company reduced the amount of time spent managing the MOC and Action Item Libraries. This has allowed the gas business process safety team to spend more time on higher safety risk activities, such as identifying and mitigating hazards; improving visibility; and communicating identified risks.