As a general principle, operations that are safe when performed correctly can have catastrophic consequences when performed incorrectly.

The global processing industries generally have a very disciplined approach to design and operating principles and practices, governed largely by well recognised international standards and enforced by safety authorities. The general public, on the other hand, has little understanding of these matters and sees only the result when these disciplines break down and an incident occurs. In such an eventuality a public investigation of the circumstances is usually carried out, and, depending on the severity, often results in further regulation or restrictions within the industries.

While good engineering practice begins with good design, both are inevitably hostage to the “human error factor”. An abundance of statistics and case studies exist to confirm this, demonstrated through investigations consistently highlighting the prevalence of incidents where the “human error factor” contributed to, or directly caused, accidents.

You can read the full white paper in next month’s Platform Energy and Renewable Technology Review.

To find out more about ENEX Group, please visit: www.enex-group.com.