This is part 3 of our five-part ‘Risk to Resilience’ blog series that explores key practices in process safety management (PSM), and how organizations can address key challenges, improve PSM performance, and build safer working environments.
Those who work in manufacturing, oil and gas, chemicals, or any high-risk industry, know how critical PSM is to the safety and success of an organization. But managing with spreadsheets, binders, and disconnected systems is both inefficient and risky. Let’s break down five key benefits of moving to a digital PSM software system, and how it can improve your organization’s safety and business performance.
Centralizing information
Centralizing information makes it easily accessible and improves decision-making. Digitization brings all process safety data into one centralized platform. This could include data on procedures, equipment integrity, or risk assessments. By digitizing and centralizing information, teams no longer waste time hunting down paper documents stored in different locations. Information becomes ubiquitous, and readily available.
Everyone, from frontline operators to safety managers, gains real-time access to the same up-to-date information. And accessibility is key when a safety decision needs to be made quickly.
Automated tracking of regulatory requirements
Keeping up with ever-changing regulations can be overwhelming. A digital PSM system that provides automated tracking of regulatory requirements – whether that’s OSHA PSM, EPA RMP, or local standards – alerts you to upcoming audits, overdue actions, or expiring permits.
Digitizing PSM eliminates reliance on spreadsheets or tribal knowledge. Risks of non-compliance are reduced and the penalties that come with it are avoided. And digital PSM systems collect and analyze data in real-time. Dashboards and performance indicators give safety leaders a real-time view of how systems function, which helps them determine whether safety critical maintenance tasks are overdue or if recommendations from hazard reviews are being closed out on time. Such proactive insight helps prevent incidents before they happen.
Support for advanced risk assessment tools
Support for advanced risk assessment tools such as HAZOP, LOPA, and bowtie analysis are foundational to good risk management. But traditionally, they have been paper-heavy and siloed.
By contrast, digital platforms drive these methodologies interactively, allowing you to link risk scenarios to controls, monitor safeguards in real time, and visualize potential failure pathways. The result is more efficient and timely risk communication across all levels of your organization.
Real-time insights
You can’t fix what you can’t see. Digitized PSM platforms help operators reveal what may be an impending future incident through continuous, real-time monitoring of equipment, processes, and environmental conditions.
Operational managers gain a proactive understanding of workplace hazards and risks through PSM software’s ability to centralize real-time data, automate hazard identification, and provide advanced analytics and visualizations. And digital systems enhance situational awareness and support more effective risk mitigation strategies by streamlining communication and providing timely access to critical safety insights.
Improved incident response and learning
When an incident occurs, the speed and quality of your response is paramount. Digital PSM tools streamline incident reporting, root-cause analysis, and action tracking, and allow for better cross-site learning.
Imagine identifying trends from incidents across multiple facilities, using artificial intelligence (AI) to recognize patterns, and pushing out lessons learned company wide. It’s the kind of learning that saves lives.
Digitizing PSM creates safer, smarter, and resilient operations. Centralizing data, automating compliance, creating real-time visibility, improving risk analysis, and faster learning, help build a culture of operational excellence.
Looking for help or more information? Please reach out to us.
Stay tuned for the fourth post in our Risk to Resilience blog series next week.
Wolters Kluwer Enablon Process Safety Management software and safety management tools let you implement a digitized PSM framework that identifies, evaluates and controls hazards related to processes using hazardous chemicals.
