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KU Leuven Ghent Technology Campus
Gebroeders De Smetstraat 1, 9000 Gent
Session Abstract
Functionary
MSc. Jan Luyts, Lead Functionary Project, essenscia, BASF
MSc. Geert Boogaerts, essenscia, KU Leuven
Functional safety (FS) – an essential cornerstone in the process safety (PS) of chemical processes – is often approached as a purely risk-based challenge although this has several shortcomings:
There is a lack of understanding of crucial safety parameters and how they affect one another. Furthermore, although having a major impact on the classification and performance of FS, risk assessments and quantitative failure rates are often subjectively determined through external stakeholders.
The primary goal of a safety instrumented system (SIS) is to ensure safety, which often conflicts with cybersecurity standards and guidelines. It is essential to implement robust cybersecurity measures in the process industry to (cyber)secure the safety systems.
A significant uncertainty on cost-determining factors throughout the plant’s safety lifecycle is often observed, resulting in the general trend of mismatching the goals and the means of FS.
In process industry, safety departments have traditionally focused on random failures even though systematic failures are significantly more common, and even dominant in the total number of dangerous failures. Systematic failures, which are associated with human and organizational factors (HOFs), can lead to unacceptable scenarios that can no longer be mitigated. However, they are researched only to a limited extent to date.
This strategic project aims to tackle these shortcomings by developing an integral methodology to FS design based on an enriched performance- and technology-based approach that will shift the industry-wide paradigm. This new method will even further improve the safety of production units at a lower cost but without tolerating compromises on the overall PS. A more rational and efficient approach will be essential to safeguard the license to operate (LTO) and boost the competitiveness of the Flemish chemical industry.
