TYSON GLASS
The growing need for accurate P&ID drawings, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) requires a robust process to ultimately drive safety and reliability. A seamless process is needed to link these areas into a common unit. Challenges to this include: failure to update P&IDs with equipment and process changes, inexperienced field personnel updating SOPs and P&IDs, updates only made to SOPs (not P&IDs and the CMMS), inadequate training of operators to SOPs, and confirmation the CMMS or process equipment list (PEL) updates reflect all P&IDs changes.
Implementing a closed-loop system to ensure safe and reliable technical documentation is a decision to carefully consider. While there is a wealth of literature describing some of these requirements, the oil and gas industry must carefully analyze and choose an accurate and robust maintenance documentation process. Even more important is how this structure and its functions are communicated to internal audiences.
Lost-time accidents take an enormous financial toll and affect employee morale and motivation. Despite initial cost, payback is substantial to companies that heavily invest in safety. What specific tasks require critical safety documents? A good safety program maintains accurate records for critical documentation.
Reliability is the probability a system or component will perform its intended function, either at any particular instant when required or for a planned length of time, and under specified conditions. To achieve optimal reliability, equipment repairs, modifications, etc., must be updated.
What is your process for updating P&IDs, SOPs and your CMMS? Are they accurate and updated? Having a critical link among these three establishes improved safety and reliability.
- Failure to update P&IDs. Some operators believe only their experience is needed to justify changes to process, safety systems, equipment and components. The Management of Change (MOC) process is designed to prevent the installation of systems, equipment and components that are noncompliant to safety, production and the environment. The MOC process must be strictly followed. All changes to safety systems, equipment and components are required to be on the P&IDs. Here are some examples:
- An inadvertent actuation of a system process resulting from using an outdated P&ID to line up and start-up the system without a recently installed bypass shown.
- Critical equipment failure from lack of preventive maintenance (PM) records.
- A critical pump installed in a remote location was not included on the P&ID. The reliability engineer (RE) reviewed the P&ID to identify changes to critical equipment and did not see the pump on the drawing. PM activities were not applied to the pump, and the pump ran to failure.
- Inexperienced personnel. Inexperienced personnel performing updates to SOPs and P&IDs may result in inaccurate updates and problems in the field. In the same respect, SOPs will be inaccurately updated if the personnel are inexperienced.
- Updating only SOPs. SOPs reference the same equipment on the P&IDs and the CMMS. If the equipment in the SOPs does not match the P&IDs and/or CMMS, there is a risk of improperly performing system lineup during the performance of the SOP, especially when the P&ID is used. Safety is a big concern until all match.
- Example: PM activities are performed on critical equipment in the CMMS. A proper PM cannot be performed and asset performance cannot be properly measured when the CMMS and P&ID are not updated after equipment in an SOP is revised.
- Inadequate training. An inadequately trained operator is the same as an inexperienced one. Operators not properly trained to perform SOPs will act in an unsafe manner and not know proper protocol in an emergency.
- Confirm CMMS PEL reflects P&ID. PM activities are performed on assets in the site's CMMS. A process to confirm the CMMS is updated when systems, structures and components are updated on a P&ID ensures the RE has accurate tools to review PM requirements, thus increasing equipment reliability and availability.
For more information, contact Tyson Glass at (864) 517-3313 or tyson.glass@fluor.com or David Hicks at (832) 331-6316 or david.hicks@stork.com.
