Audits should be executed at regular intervals to find out any inadequacies in the process, equipment and maintenance of the plant. This will improve the short comings in up keeping and safeguarding the plant. Safety audits generally relate to an exhaustive inspection of mechanical, electrical, process, hydrant system, instrumentation, storage etc. Such an audit will include the following aspects:
Identification of potential fire/ explosion risks in the areas under reference.
Identification of unsafe conditions relating to fire / explosion risks.
Review of fire protection / prevention system based on the above identified risks.

• Risk improvement suggestions based on the above analysis.
• Compliance of major statutory regulations relating to fire and explosion risks
• Procedural review of
• In-plant storage, chemical addition, vessel cleanup, log maintenance
• Preventive and predictive maintenance of mechanical/ electrical/ instrument.
• Planned maintenance compliance
• Risk appreciation of management and workers, their training details
• Emergency procedures in each plant
• Plant modification procedures
• Safety committee meetings, internal safety audits, compliance
• Accident investigation and near misses
• Work Permit System

Risk can be expressed as a product of probability of an event occurring and its consequence. While quantifying probability precisely is a difficult proposition, the consequences can be mathematically modelled and solved using sophisticated software. APRMS performs consequence analysis of any plant facility using software called PHAST Professional. PHAST is a globally recognized and accepted software tool used by governments, industry leaders and safety consultants. The software contains all type of discharges, dispersions, effects and models to accurately assess all major hazards and associated risks. The following features and aspects describe the use of consequence analysis.
Radiation profiles and contours from a range of fire scenarios which includes pool fires, flash fires and jet fires.
Vapour cloud explosion modeling using industry standard models.Overpressure contours from Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosions (BLEVE).Graphs of toxic concentration profile, dose prediction exposure time for gas leaks during transportation of gas cylinders.All of these features will play an important role in plant layout and during future expansions as well.The software assists in compliance and validation with Indian safety regulations.Improves the plant’s understanding of potential hazards and hazard perception of the personnel.Enables in validating the effectiveness of the fire protection system.Enables better planning of an emergency response.

QRA is a risk assessment approach that is driven by mathematical models. As with any risk assessment exercise it will start with Hazard Identification. Identification of potential hazardous scenarios pertaining to fire, explosion and toxic release will be based on our expertise, case studies and / or relative ranking using Dow's fire & explosion and toxicity index. A Consequence Analysis for each of the above identified scenario will be carried out, using DNV's Phast Professional (Version 6.7) to estimate the probable zone of impact (or effect zone) with respect to people, property and environment. The consequence analysis is followed by a Frequency Assessment in which the frequencies / probability of occurrence of the identified scenarios / accidents is assigned using generic probabilities (from authentic sources) and an event tree methodology. The final step of this exercise is Risk Estimation. Here, the output of consequence analysis and frequency assessment is combined mathematically to derive the risk. The risk due to all the hazardous scenarios are combined and expressed in terms of both individual risk and societal risk. Societal risk will be represented in the form of F-N curve (fatalities versus frequency of occurrence). The individual risk will be represented in terms of risk contours on the plot plan. A risk ranking will also be done. Risk Mitigation / Risk reduction measures will also be suggested whenever possible.

Disaster Management is a precondition for a successful long term business continuity for an organization. It aims at protecting people, property, profit and environment. An emergency preparedness plan requires identification of loss scenarios, available resources to prevent occurrence of such losses and build adequate resources to deal with accidents to reduce loss to the organization. This needs to be followed up with manpower training for an effective response during an incident and a detailed recovery plan once the disaster is over, to establish production back to the pre-incident level.

Training on Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) study
Training is a basic requirement for safety awareness in the process plant. APRMS have highly experienced personnel to conduct safety training for various industries. Personnel have participated in seminars as guest lecturers in India. The following training modules are offered as a part/whole:

• Introduction to process plant safety.
• Static electric hazards.
• Basics of Fire.
• Fires and Explosions.
• Safety aspects during plant layout.
• Vents and relieves.
• Inerting and Purging.
• Lightning protection
• Fire protection systems
• Learning from case studies

The risk based insurance study addresses the present insurance cover and their inadequacies, premium ratings and its rationalization. This helps in buying proper insurance policies with conditions and warranties. This often results in reduction in premium. The study further addresses adequacy in valuation / sum insured in both material damage and loss of profit. APRMS offers the following service in the insurance sector:

• Loss estimate studies
• Risk analysis inspection
• Consequence analysis wrt Insurance
• Root cause analysis for claim validation

To control the magnitude of fires and explosions, the key element in plant designing is a robust fire protection system. An effective fire protection system can not only fight fire but also prevent fires assuming dangerous proportions. Several codes and standards exist for such hazardous industries. Judicious application of these codes and standards call for experience in understanding the risks.
APRMS and its associates have extensive experience in carrying out designing of fire protection system for chemical processing industry and other major industrial complexes. This includes early warning systems such as detectors, manual call points, fire hydrant systems and auto spray systems for the existing plants APRMS is called by the industries to carryout fire audits to evaluate its adequacy and upkeep.

In spite of designing process plants as per codes, several major accidents have occurred due to lack of safeguards in the instrumentation which leads to hazards and operability problems. To address this ICI introduced the concept of HAZOP.
The purpose of a HAZOP study is to identify the risk that may manifest while operating the plant when a deviation in the intended process parameters occurs. HAZOP is therefore carried out by a group of specialist engineers on the Piping and Instrumentation diagrams (P & ID) of the existing and the proposed plants by using certain guide words which will bring about the likely deviations and its consequences.
The risk levels that such consequences can impose on the plant is represented as a risk matrix to prioritize the action to be taken as 'critical', 'semi critical' and 'non critical'. Such a study is presently extensively carried out not only at the behest of statutory personnel but also to ensure business continuity and to keep a healthy bottom line. In general HAZOP is carried out during any of the following stages:

• At the blue print stage before freezing the P&ID of the facility
• Periodical review of the facility whenever new processes are introduced in a batch system.
• Whenever engineering modifications are carried out in the existing facility.

Corporates having manufacturing processes involving flammable materials have utilized the services of APRMS in arriving at hazardous area classification to provide appropriate electrical installations that would prevent fire / explosion due to electricity as a source of ignition.

Plant layout study will cover safety aspects of the layout, compliance with codes and regulations, high level fire hydrant system adequacy review, ease of fire fighting etc. and recommendation on changes in layout, if any. If consequence analysis has been carried out then its output can also be considered while studying the layout.