What is a Pre-Start Up Safety Review?
A critical milestone in the commissioning process is the hazard study and/or pre-start safety review, which must be completed prior to the introduction of hazardous chemicals into a system under commissioning. There are several types of Hazard Studies that can be used, however, the most commonly used study in the chemicals and process industries is known as the Pre-Start Up Safety Review (PSSR). A PSSR is a systematic, guideword-driven checklist that is often required under Occupational Health and Safety legislation as well as Environmental regulations. These regulations often mandate by law that companies operating major hazard facilities conduct a PSSR to ensure any new, or modified process equipment is confirmed to meet the original design and operating intent, prior to the introduction of any hydrocarbon or hazardous material.
Depending on the company, the pre-start-up safety review can be carried out using a system or group of systems approach, with the studies containing the checks required to ensure that all relevant documentation, as well as the plant build in general, are suitable and fit-for-purpose prior to introducing hazardous material. The PSSR is generally facilitated and owned by the Commissioning Manager, however, it is not uncommon for the Operations/Owner organisation to manage the PSSR as an additional assurance step prior to handover.
The PSSR Team
A successful PSSR requires a diligent, multi-discipline review, and will often include design, commissioning, and operations personnel such as:
- PSSR Lead/Project Manager/Commissioning Manager
- Operations Manager
- Commissioning Engineers
- Process Engineer
- Instrument & Control Engineer
- Mechanical Engineer
- Piping Engineer
- Electrical Engineer
- Operations personnel
- Health, Safety & Environment personnel
Generally, each company will develop its own process-specific PSSR checklists, however, these checklists will typically cover items such as:
- Operations-related checks such as valve line-up checks, bypass removals, operating procedure updates, control philosophy changes, operator routine duties, access, and escape requirements, etc.
- Maintenance readiness spares check, preservation, and integrity requirements.
- Commissioning checks such as completions closeout, leak testing checks, isolation requirements
- Engineering checks – detailed multi-discipline readiness checks for Process, Mechanical (Static & Rotating), I&C, Electrical, and Rotating Equipment disciplines
- Environmental screening checklists including regulatory requirements
At the completion of each discipline’s PSSR sign-off, the Operations Manager or Commissioning Manager reviews the sign-offs and formally acknowledges that the system is now ready to receive hazardous material.