Process Safety Management Expert System (PSMES)

Unexpected releases of toxic, reactive, or flammable liquids and gases in processes
involving highly hazardous chemicals have been reported for many years in various
industries that use chemicals with such properties. Regardless of the industry that uses
these highly hazardous chemicals, there is a potential for an accidental release any time
they are not properly controlled, creating the possibility of disaster.
To help ensure safe and healthful workplaces, OSHA has issued the Process Safety
Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals standard (29 CFR 1910.119), which
contains requirements for the management of hazards associated with processes using
highly hazardous chemicals. The objective of this project is to develop Process Safety
Management Expert System (PSMES) (1). PSMES treats seven out of total of fourteen
elements of Process Safety Management. PSMES is intended to serve as a tool to assist
employers and employees in complying with the safety requirements. The tool is built
using Visual Basic 2005 (Vb. net programming language). The project begin with the
literature search on PSM. An expert system is software that attempts to provide an
answer to a problem, or clarify uncertainties where normally one or more human experts
would need to be consulted (2). This expert system will be a solution to the current
Process Safety Management (PSM) weak point which its elements are treated separately,
inconsistent, disintegrated and uncorrelated between one element to another. Early stage
of the developing this tool starts with preparation of framework of each elements that are
covered in scope of the project and to prepare all documents needed under each PSM
elements to comply with OSHA requirements. The module is relevant to the current
industry needs because it create a systematic approach to manage PSM in controlling
the process hazards in the workplace especially in oil and gas industry like PETRONAS.
The field test for this expert system is Natural Gas Dehydration Unit of Universiti
Teknologi PETRONAS. This tool will be at its best fit for use, conformance to
requirements and will able to satisfy the PSM implied needs. The expected outcome of
this Process Safety Management Expert System (PSMES) is to replace the `paper based'
conventional way in managing the PSM