Overview

Immediately prior to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil blowout, four VIPs carried out a management visibility tour. The purpose was to emphasise the importance of safety. Yet tragically multiple warning signs that all was not well with the drilling operations were missed.

The (OEUK/PSLG) Process Safety Leadership Principles recognise the importance of board level visibility, promotion of process safety management, and engaging and involving the workforce in managing safety. In support of these, many major accident hazard operators encourage regular visits to their sites by senior leaders. The format is typically to meet with staff, see the facilities first hand, and to talk about process safety. But how should leaders go about this? What should they talk about? What should they look at? What works, and what doesn’t?

The presentation will examine the key aspects of an effective leadership visit, and present practical guidance on how to prepare for and deliver impactful site engagements.

Speaker

Ashley Hynds, Senior Principal Consultant, DNV

Ashley is an IChemE Fellow and Professional Process Safety Engineer, working as a consultant within major accident hazard industries. He has extensive practical experience helping clients with process safety leadership, permit to work and safe isolation and reinstatement of plant systems, competence, management of change, and auditing and assurance.

Prior to joining DNV as a Senior Principal Consultant, Ashley worked for 25 years in the chemicals and oil and gas sectors within ICI, INEOS and the HSE.

As Principal Inspector with HSE’s Energy Division – Offshore until 2021, Ashley held lead responsibility for process engineering, operations and process safety. As well as multiple offshore inspections, investigations, and safety case assessments, he contributed to many industry workgroups, and helped shape HSE’s policies. He was instrumental in initiating and shaping OEUK’s major HCR prevention plan, including its commitment to the Offshore Process Safety Leadership Principles, and helped define HSE’s Process Safety Leadership Intervention programme.

In 2022, he was joint winner of the IChemE Lees Medal for his paper on safe reinstatement of offshore process plant. He will be speaking at IChemE’s HAZARDS 33 conference in November on best practice for Process Safety Leadership Site Visits.

The material presented in this webinar has not been peer-reviewed. Any opinions are the presenter's own and do not necessarily represent those of IChemE or the Aberdeen Members Group. The information is given in good faith but without any liability on the part of IChemE.

Webinar archive

This webinar is free of charge and open to all to attend. If you wish to access the recording to replay on demand, you will need to be a member of the Aberdeen Members Group.