Sphera, a provider of integrated risk management (IRM) software and information services, has released the latest results of its annual process safety management/operational risk management survey
Part One, released in August, identified the executive-level priority for their organisation, but the survey revealed that they admit to not doing enough to proactively manage process safety consistently. Eighty-four per cent of industry leaders surveyed said they believe that safety is part of corporate value structures and supported by senior management.
Part Two confirmed digitalisation has become the new norm, but despite good intentions, improvements in industry regulation and investment in technology, these risks can only be addressed if systems are integrated, which produces a holistic view of a company’s risk profile.
In line with last year’s responses, only 40 per cent agreed that organisations proactively manage process safety, while 73 per cent say companies are not actively managing risk or driving PSM through the planning process. Perhaps most surprisingly, respondents revealed that, on average, only 66 per cent of monthly safety-critical maintenance is achieved and only one-quarter (23 per cent) believed that full plan attainment is possible.
“If companies routinely only complete two-thirds of their planned safety-critical tasks, companies leave themselves exposed to risk,” said Simon Jones, Sphera’s director of the Digital Solutions Group for Operational Risk. “Planning and scheduling rarely take into account the full risk picture for asset health and associated maintenance activities. To increase attainment and deliver safe outcomes, companies need to get smarter in the way they manage and maintain the critical barriers and safeguards on their assets.”
