Three must-dos for improving turnaround safety

When it comes to going into production in order to inspect, test, repair, or upgrade equipment (known as turnaround or restart), health and safety managers, site supervisors, process control operators, turnkey service providers, and turnaround personnel face a big dilemma:

How do you successfully achieve the end goal of safely completing the turnaround on a tight schedule?

The answer? Methodical preparation and planning in order to minimize risk and ensure the safety and reliability of both the plant and its personnel.

Inherent hazards

Turnarounds are not something that happen every day. As such, they are disruptive, complex, and potentially more hazardous than ordinary, everyday plant operations.

Here are a few reasons why:

• Corresponding shutdowns may last anywhere from one to four weeks.
• They may involve large numbers of employees, contractors, and temporary workers.
• Workers may be required to perform multiple, and often simultaneous, inspection and maintenance tasks in order to lessen the time offline.
• Contractors may need to be brought in to speed up the process.
• Contractors may be inherently disadvantaged simply because they may be unfamiliar with plant personnel, procedures, and operations.

In the turnaround or restart, the fast-paced nature of the project, combined with an unusual workforce situation, can help risks and increase the potential for incident or accident.

Which is all the more reason to be at-the-ready with a proper and detailed safety plan.

Safety planning essentials

Successful turnarounds require the safe completion of all tasks – which means that safety has to be everyone’s responsibility.

To ensure total commitment to safe turnarounds, every process and safety team member should be involved in every phase, from planning to scheduling to completion.

Here are three must-do things that may help bring the plant back online to peak efficiency swiftly, while also reducing the likelihood of an incident.

1. Speak out, speak often

Because much needs to be accomplished in a short time during a turnaround or restart, contractors (and the specialized work that they do) are an absolute necessity.

Difficulties with planning or logistics, coupled with temporary workers’ lack of familiarity with operations, can increase the likelihood that a turnaround or restart may involve an incident.

To prevent such a thing, you must ensure clear, consistent, and ongoing communication, including:

• Orientation
• Plant familiarization
• Equipment training
• Expectations and outcomes
• Safety guidelines

Make sure you’re continually providing definition and clarity. That means reiterating instructions, information, and guidelines. It also means not being afraid to overcommunicate. In fact, when it comes to issues of safety, there is no such thing as over-communication.

2. Ready the team

Consult safety experts at each and every stage.

Involve all relevant personnel, too, from the moment planning starts – that includes those who are contract employees or temporary workers.

Here are some best practice tips for keeping contractors and other personnel safer:

• Develop and distribute an organizational chart.
• Use a checklist to keep track of steps and tasks.
• Pair new contractors with employee-mentors who have turnaround, equipment, and plant expertise.
• Assign peer observers.
• Mandate the use of spotters.
• Stress the importance of reporting all safety incidents and close calls.

3. Prepare the Equipment

The tasks of a turnaround simply cannot get done without the proper equipment. That’s why safety managers must first determine whether the plant has the appropriate types of portable gas detectors, respirators, and fall protection – as well as have them in sufficient quantity – to support plant employees and contractors.

Next, be sure to test, repair, and replace equipment as necessary, including:

• Inspecting fixed combustible gas detectors;
• Evaluating flame-monitoring systems;
• Checking portable gas detectors;
• Reviewing breathing apparatuses; and
• Inventorying fall protection equipment.

Lastly, train, train, train. Employees and contractors must know how to use and maintain their personal protective equipment – especially when operating conditions are unusual, as they are during a turnaround.

Start safety here

Smart and solid planning is the key to a successful turnaround or restart. Let MSA’s highly trained team of safety experts help.

With more than 100 years of experience protecting petrochemical and other types industrial workers, MSA’s complete selection of process control safety instruments and personal protective equipment can help you have a safer, more efficient turnaround.

To learn more, contact MSA at 1-800-672-2222or info.us@msasafety.com.