Course Title

Day 1 — Element 1: Process Safety Leadership and Culture

1. Introduction to Process Safety Management

1.1 Process Safety versus Personal Safety

• Defining process safety including (preventing major accident hazard events — loss of containment, fire, explosion, and toxic release — versus personal safety — slips, trips, and struck-by incidents)

• The process safety performance paradox including (organizations with excellent personal safety records that suffer catastrophic process safety events — and why low injury rates do not indicate adequate process safety management)

• Key process safety metrics including (Process Safety Events — Tier 1 and Tier 2 — as defined by API RP 754: Process Safety Performance Indicators, and lagging versus leading indicator frameworks)

• Overview of the NEBOSH HSE Certificate in Process Safety Management including (the four syllabus elements, Unit PSM1 examination format — 40 multiple-choice questions, 90 minutes, 60% pass mark — and examination preparation strategy)

1.2 PSM Legislative and Regulatory Framework

• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.119: Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals — the 14 PSM elements including (Process Safety Information, Process Hazard Analysis, Operating Procedures, Training, Contractor Management, Pre-Startup Safety Review, Mechanical Integrity, Hot Work Permit, Management of Change, Incident Investigation, Emergency Planning and Response, Compliance Audits, Trade Secrets, and Employee Participation)

• UK COMAH — Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations and their alignment with OSHA PSM including (Safety Report obligations, Competent Authority inspection, and land use planning requirements)

• EU Seveso III Directive principles and their international influence on process safety regulation in the Middle East and GCC

• Regional process safety regulatory context including (ADNOC HSE Management System, Saudi Aramco Engineering Standards, and GCC national regulatory authority requirements for major hazard facilities)

2. Process Safety Leadership and Culture

2.1 Leadership Roles and Responsibilities

• The role of senior leadership in process safety including (visible commitment, resource allocation, process safety governance, and the leader's responsibility for safety culture)

• Process safety competency requirements including (competency frameworks for operators, maintenance personnel, engineers, and managers — and the consequences of competency gaps at each level)

• The Hearts and Minds process safety culture model including (the five culture levels — pathological, reactive, calculative, proactive, and generative — and organizational assessment and development strategies)

• Warning signs of process safety culture degradation including (normalization of deviation, production over safety decisions, silencing of near-miss reporting, and complacency after long incident-free periods)

2.2 Process Safety Information and Communication

• Process Safety Information — PSI requirements under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.119 including (chemical hazard data — SDS, technology information — P&IDs and process descriptions, and equipment information — design codes and materials of construction)

• Process Safety Management system documentation including (PSM program scope, element procedures, performance standards, and audit trail requirements)

• Lessons learned communication from process safety incidents including (internal and external lessons learned systems, sharing findings across sites, and integrating learning into operating procedures and training)

Day 2 — Element 2: Management of Process Risk — Hazard Identification

3. Process Hazard Identification and Analysis

3.1 Hazard Identification Methods

• HAZID — Hazard Identification Study methodology including (structured team-based hazard identification at concept or FEED stage, guide word application, and HAZID output documentation)

• HAZOP — Hazard and Operability Study methodology including (node selection, deviation identification using guide words — More, Less, No, Reverse, As Well As, Other Than — consequence and cause analysis, and safeguard identification)

• HAZOP team roles and study management including (HAZOP leader, scribe, process engineer, operations, instrumentation, and HSE representation — and the criticality of multi-disciplinary team composition)

• HAZOP worksheet completion and action tracking including (recording causes, consequences, safeguards, and recommendations — and follow-up action closure before plant startup)

• What-If Analysis and Checklist-based PHA including (application scope versus HAZOP, structured brainstorming technique, and applicability for simpler process hazard assessment)

3.2 Quantitative Risk Assessment Methods

• Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) including (top event definition, event tree development, logic gate use — AND and OR, cut set identification, and minimal cut set determination for probability calculation)

• Event Tree Analysis (ETA) including (initiating event definition, safety system success and failure branching, outcome probability calculation, and integration with FTA for full risk quantification)

• Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) including (component failure mode identification, effect on system, severity rating, detection rating, and Risk Priority Number — RPN calculation)

• Consequence modelling overview including (toxic dispersion modelling, flammable gas cloud modelling, explosion overpressure estimation, and heat radiation calculation — and their use in quantitative risk assessment)

Day 3 — Element 2: Management of Process Risk — Barriers and Controls

4. Barrier Management and Risk Control

4.1 Bow-Tie and Swiss Cheese Models

• The Bow-Tie Barrier Model including (threat identification on the left, top event — loss of containment — in the centre, consequence identification on the right, preventive barriers on threat pathways, and mitigating barriers on consequence pathways)

• Barrier characteristics and degradation including (barrier specificity, reliability, independence, auditability, and the concept of barrier degradation through deferred maintenance, bypassing, and competency gaps)

• The Swiss Cheese Model of accident causation including (latent conditions and active failures, holes in barriers aligning to create an accident pathway, and the management system implications for hole prevention)

• Escalation factors in Bow-Tie analysis including (factors that defeat barriers — corrosion defeating containment, fatigue defeating structural integrity — and controls for escalation factor management)

4.2 Layer of Protection Analysis

• Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA) methodology including (initiating event identification and frequency, consequence severity classification, independent protection layer — IPL — identification and credit assignment, and risk tolerance criteria application)

• IPL qualification criteria including (specificity — responds to the specific hazard, independence — no common cause failure with initiating event, reliability — minimum PFD of 0.1, and auditability — testable and verifiable)

• LOPA outcome and SIL determination including (residual risk calculation after IPL credits, comparison against risk tolerance criteria, and determination of required Safety Integrity Level — SIL — for Safety Instrumented Functions)

• Management of Change — MOC for barrier modifications including (MOC trigger criteria for IPL changes, technical review requirements, and revalidation obligations)

• Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) per API 581 as a risk management tool for mechanical integrity including (PoF and CoF assessment, RBI risk matrix positioning, and inspection interval optimization)

Day 4 — Element 3: Process Safety Hazard Control

5. Asset Integrity and Mechanical Integrity

5.1 Safety Critical Elements

• Safety Critical Element — SCE identification including (pressure relief devices, emergency shutdown systems, fire and gas detection systems, blowdown systems, and structural integrity elements — and their role in the major accident hazard barrier model)

• Performance Standards for SCEs including (defining function, availability, reliability, and survivability requirements for each SCE — and the assurance process for verifying ongoing performance standard compliance)

• Mechanical integrity program requirements under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.119 including (equipment covered, inspection and testing requirements, quality assurance for installation and repair, and maintenance procedure documentation)

• Asset integrity management framework per API 581 and ISO 55001 including (lifecycle planning, inspection strategy, corrosion management, and remaining life assessment integration)

5.2 Safety Instrumented Systems

• Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) and IEC 61511: Functional Safety — Safety Instrumented Systems for the Process Industry including (SIS architecture — sensor, logic solver, and final element — and the SIS lifecycle)

• Safety Integrity Level — SIL requirements including (SIL 1 through SIL 3 — demand rate and probability of failure on demand, hardware fault tolerance, and systematic capability requirements)

• SIS bypass and override management including (the process safety risk of bypassing SIS during operation, compensatory measures required when SIS is defeated, and bypass authorization and duration limits)

• SIS testing and proof test requirements including (proof test interval determination from SIL requirements, partial stroke testing for final elements, and documenting proof test results as mechanical integrity records)

6. Control of Work and Safe Systems of Work

6.1 Permit-to-Work and Isolation

• Shift handover in processssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss safety management including (formal handover content — opersating status, abnormal conditions, active permits, and pending alarms — and the consequence of inadequate handover on process safety)

• Process isolation for maintenance including (positive isolation by blind or spade, double block and bleed valve isolation, isolation register and verification, and the prohibition on breaking containment without confirmed isolation)

• Energy isolation and Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) in process environments including (multi-energy isolation for complex process equipment, lock box management for multi-craft maintenance, and zero-energy state verification)

• Shift handover in process safety management including (formal handover content — operating status, abnormal conditions, active permits, and pending alarms — and the consequence of inadequate handover on process safety)

6.2 Inherent Safety and Containment

• Inherently safer design principles including (Minimize — reduce inventory, Substitute — less hazardous material, Moderate — lower pressure and temperature, and Simplify — fewer components and less complexity)

• Containment as a primary process safety control including (primary containment — vessel and pipe wall integrity, secondary containment — bunding and drainage, and tertiary containment — site boundary and environmental barrier)

• Overpressure protection design including (relief system sizing for credible overpressure scenarios, flare and vent system capacity, and the consequence of inadequate relief system design)

• Bulk storage safety including (overfill prevention systems, high level alarms and shutdowns, bund design and capacity, and thermal runaway prevention for reactive chemical storage)

Day 5 — Element 4: Fire and Explosion Protection on Process Plant

7. Fire Hazards and Protection on Process Plant

7.1 Fire Hazard Identification and Assessment

• Fire triangle and fire tetrahedron principles applied to process plant fire scenarios including (fuel — flammable hydrocarbons and chemicals, oxidizer — air and process oxygen, and ignition — hot work, electrical, and static discharge)

• Flammable material properties and their process safety significance including (flash point, auto-ignition temperature, Lower Explosive Limit — LEL, Upper Explosive Limit — UEL, and vapor density relative to air)

• Pool fire and jet fire scenarios on process plant including (pool fire radiation intensity, jet fire impingement on pressurized vessels — BLEVE risk, and safe evacuation distances from jet fire scenarios)

• Fire risk assessment for process facilities including (hazardous area classification per IEC 60079: Explosive Atmospheres, ignition source control, and fire load assessment for passive fire protection design)

7.2 Fire Detection and Suppression

• Fire and gas detection systems including (flame detectors — UV, IR, and UVIR, heat detectors — point and line type, smoke detectors, and gas detectors — catalytic bead and infrared for flammable gas, electrochemical for toxic gas)

• Passive fire protection including (fireproofing of structural steelwork, fire-rated cladding, firewalls and blast walls, and fireproofing of vessel skirts for BLEVE prevention)

• Active fire suppression systems including (deluge systems for vessel cooling, fixed foam systems for tank fires, gaseous suppression systems for electrical rooms and control rooms, and dry chemical systems for specific hazards)

• Emergency depressurization — blowdown systems including (emergency blowdown valve activation, flare system capacity for blowdown load, and the role of blowdown in preventing BLEVE during fire scenarios)

8. Explosion Hazards and Dust Explosion Protection

8.1 Vapour Cloud Explosions

• Vapour Cloud Explosion — VCE hazard including (flammable gas cloud formation from large-scale release, ignition delay effects on explosion severity, and deflagration versus detonation transition)

• Explosion overpressure effects including (overpressure damage thresholds for structures, equipment, and personnel — and the consequence of plant layout that allows VCE escalation)

• Plant layout and spacing for explosion risk management including (separation distances between ignition sources and flammable inventories, blast wall design, and congestion reduction to limit flame acceleration)

• VCE consequence modelling including (TNT equivalency method, multi-energy method, and their application in quantitative risk assessment for major hazard facility siting)

8.2 Dust Explosion Hazards

• Dust explosion pentagon including (fuel — combustible dust, oxygen, ignition source, dispersion, and confinement — and the additional dispersion and confinement requirements versus flammable gas explosions)

• Dust explosion characteristics and hazard assessment including (Kst value — explosion severity, Pmax — maximum explosion pressure, and MIE — minimum ignition energy — and their use in dust explosion risk assessment)

• Dust explosion prevention and mitigation including (dust generation and accumulation control, inert gas blanketing, explosion venting design, explosion suppression systems, and isolation to prevent secondary explosions)

Day 6 — Emergency Response, Incident Investigation, Case Studies, and Exam Preparation

9. Toxic Release Hazards and Emergency Response

9.1 Toxic Release Hazard Management

• Toxic release scenarios on process plant including (catastrophic containment failure — large inventory release, small hole leak — chronic low-level exposure, and reactive chemical release — secondary toxic generation)

• Toxic material properties and their emergency response significance including (Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health — IDLH values, ERPG — Emergency Response Planning Guidelines, and vapor density effects on dispersion behavior)

• Toxic gas detection and alarm systems including (fixed toxic gas detector coverage design, detector calibration and maintenance, alarm set point at appropriate percentage of IDLH, and evacuation alarm activation)

• Shelter-in-place versus evacuation decision-making including (criteria for shelter-in-place — short duration toxic release with low vapor density — versus full site evacuation — sustained release or vapor density requiring evacuation — and muster point management)

9.2 Emergency Response Planning

• On-site emergency response plan requirements under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.119 and COMAH including (emergency response organization, communication cascade, resource requirements, and mutual aid arrangements)

• Off-site emergency planning interface including (notification of local civil defense and emergency services, public information requirements for major hazard facilities, and off-site consequence assessment)

• Emergency response exercise program including (tabletop exercises, functional drills, and full-scale emergency response exercises — frequency, evaluation methodology, and corrective action follow-up)

• Business continuity and process safety including (emergency shutdown and safe state management, business continuity planning for critical process operations, and recovery planning after a major accident event)

10. Incident Investigation and Process Safety Improvement

• Process safety incident investigation requirements under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.119 including (investigation team composition, investigation initiation within 48 hours, root cause analysis methodology, and corrective action tracking)

• Root Cause Analysis methodologies for process safety incidents including (Bow-Tie barrier failure analysis, 5-Why technique, fault tree-based causal analysis, and CCPS — Center for Chemical Process Safety — incident investigation guidelines)

• Near-miss and process safety event reporting including (Tier 1 and Tier 2 process safety event classification per API RP 754, reporting culture development, and near-miss investigation as a leading indicator of major hazard risk)

• Learning from major process safety incidents including (Bhopal — management system failure, Texas City — normalization of deviation, Piper Alpha — permit-to-work failure, and Deepwater Horizon — barrier management failure) and lessons applied to contemporary PSM systems

• Process safety performance monitoring and continual improvement including (PSM audit program, KPI dashboard development, management review of process safety performance, and PDCA application to PSM system improvement)

11. HSE, Quality Integration, and PSM System Assessment

• Integration of process safety within the organizational Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) management system including (PSM as a specialized sub-system within ISO 45001, interface with environmental management under ISO 14001, and regulatory authority compliance audit readiness)

• Quality management in PSM including (document and record control for PSM program documentation, non-conformance management for PSM element deficiencies, and corrective action closure verification per ISO 9001)

• PSM compliance audit methodology including (PSM audit scope and frequency, audit team qualification, finding classification — critical, major, and minor — and action tracking to closure)

• Process safety management in contractor-operated and joint venture facilities in the Middle East including (PSM responsibility allocation between operator and contractor, ADNOC and Saudi Aramco PSM compliance expectations, and PSM bridging document requirements)

12. Case Studies, Group Discussions, and Exam Preparation

• In-depth case study analysis of major process safety incidents in Middle East and global process industry environments including (Buncefield — overfill and VCE, Piper Alpha — permit-to-work failure and fire escalation, Texas City — normalization of deviation and process safety culture failure, and regional petrochemical incidents involving loss of containment and fire) and the importance of comprehensive PSM training in preventing recurrence

• Group discussion on process safety management challenges in regional industrial environments including (maintaining process safety culture under production pressure in GCC oil and gas operations, implementing LOPA and SIL requirements in aging plant without original design documentation, and aligning OSHA PSM and COMAH requirements with ADNOC and Saudi Aramco engineering standards)

• Integrated PSM scenario workshop including (teams receive a presented process plant scenario with an imminent major hazard event — applying HAZOP, Bow-Tie barrier analysis, LOPA, and emergency response principles to develop a comprehensive process safety risk management response — presented for peer and facilitator review)

• Unit PSM1 Examination Preparation including (structured review of all four NEBOSH PSM syllabus elements, multiple-choice question technique — eliminating distractors and identifying key terminology — timed practice questions across all element topics, and individual performance gap identification for targeted final revision)