NEBOSH PSM case studies
NEBOSH PSM · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The NEBOSH Process Safety Management (PSM) qualification is designed for professionals who need to understand and manage process safety risks in high-hazard industries. It is relevant to managers, supervisors, engineers, and safety practitioners working in sectors such as oil and gas, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. The NEBOSH PSM case studies are 5 cases and about 2,901 words.
1The Night Shift Alarm Flood at Ammonia Storage
At a fertiliser plant, the anhydrous ammonia storage area has a tank with a high-level alarm and a high-high level trip to the transfer pump. Over three weeks the control room logged 412 high-level alarms, of which operators acknowledged most within 30 seconds without leaving their seats; the high-high trip has not operated in 14 months.
567 words, about 3 min2Hot Work Beside a Hydrocarbon Drum Farm
A contractor is to weld a support bracket on a pipe rack 6 m above a drum storage area holding 40 drums of used lubricating oil and 6 drums of a flammable solvent (flash point 12 °C). The permit was raised by the contractor supervisor and signed by a production technician; no gas test was recorded on the permit.
593 words, about 3 min3A Relief System Change During a Debottlenecking Project
An engineering project team proposes to increase a reactor's batch size by 20% to meet demand. The reactor has a rupture disc and relief valve routed to a scrubber.
599 words, about 3 min4Competence and Fatigue on a Two-Person Control Room
A continuous process unit is run from a control room staffed by two operators on 12-hour rotating shifts (two days, two nights, four off). One operator has 18 months' experience; the other is a 30-year veteran due to retire in four months.
580 words, about 3 min5The Repeated Small Release and the Investigation That Wasn't
A chemical site has had three small releases of a corrosive liquid from a pump seal over eight months. Each was cleaned up by the shift team, logged as a maintenance defect, and repaired.
562 words, about 3 min