Dynamic Process Safety Barriers Management at Petrobras

Monitoring the industrial facilities process safety barriers status makes it possible to act proactively, maintaining its integrity and managing installation risks. This dynamic barrier management process contributes to avoid possible accidental scenarios.

Petrobras monitors TIER 1 and 2 (loss of primary containment), TIER 3 (demands of layers protection) and TIER 4 (operational management) process safety indicators (API 754 and IOGP 456 references).

In order to facilitate the implementation of a process that allows continuous and dynamic monitoring safety barriers, acting mainly at the base of this pyramid (TIER 3 and 4), Petrobras selected a software tool and developed a methodology guide - bow tie, in order to support the dynamic process safety barriers management.

This will reduce TIER 1 and 2 occurrences, and will avoid, in view of the use of the tool by all operational areas of the Company, the occurrence of similar anomalies. In addition, it will allow analysis and prioritization of preventive and corrective actions, avoiding possible fines and penalties.

The Dynamic Process Safety Barriers Management implementation at Petrobras is an important step in the improvement of process safety management through a decision support system to dynamically monitor the integrity of the facilities' safety barriers.