Cheddar or Swiss? How Strong Are Your Barriers?

Following publication of the findings of the Independent Panel safety review of BP's U.S. Refineries, the executive leadership reviewed the company's approach to process safety and operational excellence. This evaluation has led to significant changes designed to promote safe and reliable operations, not just at the U.S. refineries, but across the BP group worldwide.

These changes go beyond adoption of the Independent Panel's recommendations, and the paper discusses the application of Process Safety Performance Indicators as part of an integrated and comprehensive process safety management system. BP's thinking on the selection and use of leading and lagging process safety metrics at corporate and operating site levels within the company, and their contribution to verifying the robustness of key barriers designed to prevent, control and mitigate process safety incidents, are discussed.