Technical BlogFrom an Auditor’s Perspective: Common Mechanical Integrity Gaps in PSM Audits After participating numerous Process Safety Management (PSM) and Risk Management Program (RMP) compliance audits, you start to notice that Mechanical Integrity (MI) findings tend to look very similar from site to site. It doesn’t usually matter whether the facility is large or small,…
Technical BlogRethinking EAC and HAC: Why Ventilation Design Matters I was recently auditing a midstream facility up North. The weather was great compared to the heat and humidity that dominate Houston most of the year. I and the other audit participants inevitably talked about the weather and the differences between operating a facility in the…
Technical BlogPutting the Rational in Alarm Rationalization Alarm Rationalization is the process of reviewing the process control system alarms in a unit, deciding which are necessary and how to prioritize them. While this is a simple exercise, it can be very time-consuming. Most clients have a clear understanding of their objectives – alarms should be…
Technical BlogBridging the Gap Between Cause & Effect-Based Trips and IPLs in PHAsInsights from our Latest Poll At Cognascents, we’re always curious about how process safety practices play out in the real world. In a recent Question of the Week (QOTW), we asked our network a timely question: What percentage of cause & effect-based trips…
Technical BlogIntegrity Operating Windows: 10 Questions Every Engineer Should Be Able to Answer In the world of process safety and asset integrity, managing risk is an ongoing endeavor. Many operators rely on Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) programs to manage mechanical integrity, using assessments for likelihood and consequence of failure risk results to prioritize inspections. However, RBI…
Technical Blog“This Far, and No Further”: Why Safe Operating Limits Matter More Than You Think In facilities with robust control systems, reliable alarms, and experienced operators, it’s easy to assume you already have everything in place to run safely and efficiently. So, when the topic of Safe Operating Limits (SOLs) comes up, the reaction is…
Technical BlogDeveloping a Robust PSM Program: A Practical Roadmap Implementing a comprehensive Process Safety Management (PSM) program can be a complex task—especially for organizations starting from scratch. Whether driven by regulatory requirements or a proactive safety culture, building a program that is both effective and sustainable takes planning, collaboration, and technical discipline. In this blog,…
Technical BlogDon’t Lose Sight of Your Process Safety Targets: The Critical Role of Pressure Relief Devices Pressure relief devices (PRDs) serve as the last line of defense in protecting industrial assets from catastrophic failures. Their effectiveness relies on rigorous inspection, testing, and maintenance to ensure they function as intended under all operating conditions. Neglecting these…
Technical BlogKnown Hazards, Unknown Risks: Closing the Gap in Process Safety In the world of process safety, we often find ourselves dealing with hazardous situations that are often discussed and well-documented yet still lead to unexpected incidents. The challenge isn’t necessarily in agreeing that certain situations contain hazards but rather in sifting through the myriad…
Technical BlogThe Importance of Flare Studies: Addressing Key Challenges & Optimizing Safety Flare systems play a vital role in industrial safety, particularly in the oil, gas, and chemical sectors, not only by handling relief fluids from overpressure events but also by managing excess gas during process upsets, depressurizing events, and specific modes of operation such…
