A consistently high level of human performance is a critical aspect of any process safety program. As the complexity of operational activities increases, there must be a commensurate increase in the formality of operations to ensure safe, reliable, and consistent performance of critical tasks.

Workers are initially and periodically trained in the organization's policies, procedures, and practices. Conduct of operations addresses the day-to-day implementation of that training so that operational and management tasks will be executed in a deliberate and structured manner. Workers at every level are expected to perform their duties with alertness, due thought, full knowledge, sound judgment, and a proper sense of pride and accountability.

The Center for Chemical Process Safety created Risk-based Process Safety as the framework for the next generation of process safety management. Conduct of operations is a new element in that framework. This paper describes how it will serve as the “glue” that connects excellence in training to excellence in operational performance from a safety, environmental, and economic perspective.