May 17, 2012
Nexen has adapted a framework for process safety management designed by the Center for Chemical Process Safety called Risk Based Process Safety (RBPS). The goal of the framework is to reduce the likelihood and consequences of incidents involving unplanned or sudden hazardous releases of materials from our operations.
Nexen’s framework was developed in 2008 and we immediately began integrating the 20 elements of RBPS company-wide. We’ve made steady progress; our current focus is integrating six key elements including Management of Change (MOC) – a standardized approach to managing change activities across each operating area. Nexen tracks the progress of Process Safety Management (PSM) implementation using a PSM scorecard. Every quarter the maturity level of the six key elements is reported for each division and presented to senior management and the Board of Directors for review.
In 2011, we introduced the eMOC application, a tool that electronically captures changes to our operating facilities, procedures and organization. It’s gained rapid uptake because employees find it accessible, user-friendly and flexible. The eMOC application is now in use in our conventional businesses in Canada and U.S. and is planned to be rolled out to our oil sands and UK divisions in 2012
Management of Change (MOC) is a fundamental element of our environment, health and safety and process safety management systems. “If we don’t effectively manage changes in our operations, we could introduce hazards that result in increased risk to people, the environment and our assets,” says David Guss, Manager, Process Safety. “The eMOC application was developed as a tool to help us ensure the Management of Change process is followed effectively and efficiently.”