Advancing Process Safety Management in Latin America: Collaborative Efforts and Strategic Metrics Implementation

As industries worldwide increasingly prioritize robust process safety management (PSM), Latin America, and specifically Colombia, stands at the forefront of these advancements. The American Chemistry Council and Responsabilidad Integral Colombia are spearheading efforts to refine and enhance the consolidation and utilization of process safety indicators for the chemical manufacturing in the region, crucial for evaluating the performance and safety protocols within the sector.

Globally, there has been marked progress in deploying reactive-type metrics for Tier 1 and Tier 2 incidents in the chemical industry, with Colombia also initiating efforts in the compilation of Tier 3 indicators. This initiative aims not only at data consolidation but at harnessing these metrics to derive actionable insights and foster continuous improvement.

This paper details the imperative of integrating metrics that reflect the causality and severity of incidents, alongside the specific activities involved per accident. Enhanced reporting mechanisms, thorough investigations, and the pinpointing of root causes are emphasized as foundational to constructing effective, responsive action plans.

Looking ahead, the planned performance reports promise to expand our database, enabling the identification and adoption of best practices and shared priorities that will further cement the region's leadership in chemical industry safety culture. This work not only underscores the importance of data-driven safety enhancements but also highlights Colombia's role as a beacon of process safety innovation in Latin America and on the global stage.