(32dn) Rethinking the Accident Pyramid: A Shift Towards Proactive Integrated Safety Indicators for High-Hazard Chemical Industries

The traditional safety pyramid, based on Heinrich's theory, and API 754 guidelines for process safety indicators are widely used frameworks for assessing safety performance in high-hazard industries. However, their lack of integration often leads to inefficiencies and missed opportunities for proactive risk management. This paper proposes a reimagined, integrated safety pyramid that combines personnel safety and process safety indicators into a unified six-tier approach to improve safety performance in high-hazard industries such as petrochemical and refining.

The six-tier model focuses on proactive risk management by integrating leading and lagging indicators for both personnel and process safety. It emphasizes learning from critical unsafe conditions, Human Error Producing Conditions (HEPC), and general unsafe conditions to enhance the safety management system, culture, and design aspects. The paper outlines the history of process safety indicators, highlights the challenges associated with using parallel systems for personnel and process safety, and proposes an integrated approach that streamlines reporting, investigation, and data analysis practices.

This integrated model encourages a holistic view of safety performance, consistent reporting practices, and proactive risk management through the analysis of lower-tier incidents. The proposed approach aims to prevent incidents, address systemic issues, and foster a strong safety culture. By making slight modifications to existing practices, high-hazard industries can adopt this approach to achieve better safety outcomes and shift from a reactive to a proactive mindset in managing safety risks.