Digitization of Process Safety Management: a Chat with Enablon's Paul Tours

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Enablon and reflects their views, opinions, and insights.

As predictive analytics and AI continue to advance, the technologies associated with these areas can be applied to create platforms that more accurately evaluate risks throughout an organization’s processes. These platforms will allow different individuals and teams within an organization to better understand the actions they can take to reduce risk. I had a chance to catch up with Enablon’s Principle EHS Solutions Consultant for Wolters Kluwer (Europe), Paul Tours, to discuss how new technologies will help to improve risk management processes.

Paul will be presenting on the advantages of integrating PHAs, Bowties and Barrier Managements systems at the AIChE Spring Meeting & Global Congress on Process Safety. The workshop will take place on Tuesday, March 14. You can learn more about the workshop here. There’s still time to register for the AIChE Spring Meeting & Global Congress on Process Safety, which will take place in Houston, from March 12–16.

How long has Enablon been in the PSM digitization business?

Enablon has been helping our clients digitize their operational risk, process and people safety, environmental, health and quality processes for over 22 years. Our clients include most of the Global 500 energy, chemical, pharmaceutical, mining and manufacturing companies. Like our clients, we are a global organization with major offices in North America, Europe, and Asia. As a part of Wolters Kluwer, a $5.4 billion company, we are constantly improving and investing in helping our clients keep their people and their operations safe.  

What does Enablon offer in the way of PSM functions?

Enablon’s integrated platform gives companies the ability to improve and digitize all of the elements of their PSM functions including, Incident Management, Permit Management, Management of Change, Contractor Management, PHA and PSSR. Enablon engages employees by providing easy-to-use tools that clearly communicate up-to-the-minute information on critical equipment, barriers, and emergency/contingency plans.  

What makes Enablon different from their competition?

There are many characteristics to the Enablon platform and client experience that make us unique and a leader in the market. The primary areas our clients value most include:

• A single platform approach with a unified user experience and an integrated database that makes the platform easy to navigate and improves data quality and integrity.  
• A platform that incorporates Best Practice Templates speeding the implementation of the solution and improving user adoption.
• A proven solution that has driven measurable results in some of the most complex industrial environments.
• A history of innovation and enhancements through consistent client engagement that drives value and improvements in process safety over the long term.

Enablon’s Vision platform has been selected by more Fortune 100 companies than any other: 100% of the largest oil and gas companies, 80% of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies, 50% of the largest chemical companies, 70% of the world’s largest aerospace & defense companies, 65% of the world’s largest food & beverage companies, 70% of the top 10 world technology giants.

What new functionality is Enablon rolling out?

We are making several key enhancements to our platform over the next 12 months. Two of the most exciting areas of enhancement are with our Process Hazard Analysis solution and improvements to the visualization of our location diagrams.  

• With the further enhancement to our PHA solution, it will become the only true enterprise/global PHA solution in the marketplace. This will enable global sharing and reporting on PHAs versus the point solution approach. Enablon’s PHA solution will enable the documentation of Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA) as well as have out-of-the box integration with the Management of Change and Incident Management modules. Finally, we are integrating the output with our industry leading BowTieXP tool, seamlessly creating bowtie diagrams from the PHA process.  
• The enhancements to our digital plot plans and plant location diagrams will further improve the richness of the digital image and the data associated with it. This enhancement will improve safety insights using real time job and barrier information that can be used by both employees and contractors.  

What are clients most excited about today?

What our clients are most excited about today is the integration between our process hazard analysis tool, our bowtie tool, and our barrier management tool. This unique capability allows clients to create a PHA and an associated bowtie dynamically. In turn, our bowtie tool is integrated with our Barrier Management tool. These integrations enable clients to document their risk with the PHA tool, visualize their risk using bowties and understand the status of the barriers, safeguards and controls that are being relied upon to manage risk. No other solution provider can do this. 

Learn more about the 2023 AIChE Spring Meeting & Global Congress on Process Safety and register today.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Enablon and reflects their views, opinions, and insights.