Process safety data - The cornerstone of PSM and often it's undermining

Excellence in process safety performance requires an integrated approach to addressing programs, culture and competency. One important aspect of competency is having the right information available, and accessible, to support and underpin the overarching safety management system. This includes both asset information such as P&ID's, equipment specifications, instrumentation, piping and physical equipment inventory, safety systems, safety instrumented functions, etc and process information such as batch manufacturing records, quality/IPC procedures, raw material information, material safety data, process safety data, etc. Whilst the requirements for asset information and most process information is reasonably prescriptive - and hence can be reliably audited and assured - the specification of required process safety data is far from prescriptive. This often leads to ineffective or inefficient systems and can completely undermine otherwise excellent process safety management systems.