Safety Critical Elements (SCEs) and “Soft” Controls are those parts of your plant that prevent a major incident or that mitigate its consequences. These typically include devices such as emergency trips, pressure relief valves, critical operating alarms, safety instrumented systems and critical management systems such as emergency response procedures or permit to work. For safe operations, you need to be sure that all of these devices are being cared for and monitored so that they are suitable throughout the life of the facility. Control verification is a critical part of a facilities risk assurance program.

All controls must undergo both design/suitability verification and in-situ verification.

Initial Suitability Verification
Safety assessment Hazard identification, risk assessment, identification of safety functions
Safety Design Protection layers, C&E, protection functions, SCEs, barriers, P&ID, performance standards
Engineering Design Device selection, SIS design, detail design
Fabrication Manufacture, assembly, FAT
Installation Construction, SAT, commissioning, handover

 

In-Situ Verification
Operating tests Routine tests, periodic exercises
Maintenance Planned and corrective maintenance
Impairment Planned response to failure of a control measure
Modification Management of change,
initial suitability of changes
Safety Management System Performance monitoring, audit, review

Safety Solutions can perform an independent verification assessment of your critical controls as part of your risk assurance program.

Contact us to discuss any control verification requirements you may have.

Other useful links

SCE workflow Control Verification