(60c) Sustainable Productivity & Zero Harm in Practice

ABSTRACT – Rao Akula 2016 Paper for the AIChE/GCPS/CCPS
Conference at Houston TX

Paper Title: Sustainable Productivity & Zero
Harm in Practice

Author: Rao Akula

Conference Details:  AIChE/CCPS 12^th
Global Congress on Process Safety, Houston TX, April 10-13, 2016

Potential Forum for the Presentation:  

T1 GLOBAL CONGRESS ON PROCESS SAFETY (T1D100: The Day PSM Hit Home:
From The Veteran's Perspective)

Abstract Text: 

With each passing generation, the world seems to become a
better place to live in.  What seemed to be an unimaginable goal/impossible
task yesterday, appears to have become more feasible today, with a very real
possibility to turn into a reality by tomorrow!  How? Why?

For example, back in 1930s when the Golden Gate Bridge at
San Francisco California was just a project, there was an industry perception
that for each million dollars spent in a project of that nature, it would be
reasonable/ pragmatic to expect one fatality at work.  At the end of that
project, there were 11 fatalities (10 in one fall, one in a scaffold collapse) after
having spent 37 million dollars.  Also, 19 lives were saved by some unique safety
innovations instigated and implemented by the very passionate project manager
(Joseph B. Strauss).  He decided to achieve unheard of safety performance,
distinguish himself from his contemporaries, find a new “point of view” and
care for his workers. He made everyone in the project wear a hard hat (!), and
installed safety nets to catch falling workers since the highest safety
exposure area was possible injury due to fall from heights.  If he had done
nothing, 30 would have died, and the project would still have been considered
successful by the standards/expectations of the day.  The 19 grateful survivors
formed a “Halfway to Hell Club”. 

Another example – Video phones were unimaginable 50 years
ago.  They are commonplace today!

Today, we have companies aspiring for, and even
accomplishing injury free operations, and execution of projects and
operations! Unfortunately zero harm outcomes along with sustainable
productivities are not commonplace, today.

There still is a wide-spread belief/informed concern in the
oil and gas industry that no one can actually prevent all injuries, and aspire
for an outcome like “zero injuries” in a sustainable manner, considering the
nature and risks of the industry and the complexities of the projects/operations
undertaken across the planet.  Some experts of today even firmly (and
privately) think or feel concerned that the world of (oil & gas and energy)
operations/projects have the realities of productivity targets, profit and loss
objectives, which may limit (or even contradict) the efforts to prevent
injuries. 

So the natural question to ask ourselves is “Is it
possible to accomplish Sustainable Productivity and Zero Harm
outcomes in Practice” in our operations/projects?

I think the answer is yes! What follows is philosophical
perspective, based on an actual accomplishment, experience driven narration of facts
& logic, and a passionate/optimistic vision of the future, and some
“out-of-the-box” thinking, where these outcomes could become realities and
commonplace.  Let us get started, and systematically think through, to our
future vision!! The Agenda for the Presentation is given below:

·        
Introduction

·        
Safety Management in the Past

·        
Conventional Safety (usually under Health, Safety, and Environmental
or HSE) Management Today (in the Hydrocarbons Processing Industry)

·        
Physical Energy Sources/Hazards & Mitigations

·        
Some Controls Beyond Physical (Behavioral, etc.)

·        
Common Safety/HSE Exposure Areas & Work Practices – An
Example

·        
Explanations For Impediments and Solutions for Sustainable
Outcomes

·        
Conventional Safety Management Tomorrow (Supplemental to Today's,
and the Emerging Practices)

·        
Familiar Methods Beyond Physical/Behavioral

·        
New (Proposed) Solutions Beyond Physical/Behavioral for
Sustainable Outcomes

·        
Philosophy of Peace and Happiness

·        
Group Culture

·        
Tips for Sustainable Productivity & Zero Harm

·        
An Epidemic of Peace – The Symptoms

·        
Questions & Answers