Multiple companies operating process plants at a single site has become increasingly common as aging facilities are sold and re-purposed, but this scenario creates unique challenges for effective Process Safety Management (PSM).
The PSM responsibilities of the owner/operator of a plant located within a shared facility will be explored in this article using a case study of a fertilizer company and a specialty chemicals company operating at a shared site that started as a single plant over half a century ago. This paper will examine the responsibilities of the owner/operator of each facility at the site in the context of the Risk Based Process Safety (RBPS) approach to PSM developed by CCPS.
Specifically, the RBPS elements of “Stakeholder Outreach” and “Conduct of Operations” will be examined in detail, emphasizing the concerns that may arise when more than one entity is responsible for the operation of processes within the fence line. Additionally, the element of “Emergency Response” will be analyzed through discussion of an incident in the case study where a contract employee working on behalf of the specialty chemical company was allegedly exposed to a hazardous chemical originating from the fertilizer plant. This article will provide guidance for effective PSM practices at process facilities that contain more than one owner/operator.