Search

The Importance of Management of Change: Ensuring Safety and Efficiency in Plant, Process, and People

The Importance of Management of Change: Ensuring Safety and Efficiency in Plant, Process, and People

In the rapidly evolving landscape of UK industry, the need to adapt and evolve is constant. Whether driven by technological advancements, regulatory changes, or operational demands, organisations constantly face the challenges that changes to their plant, processes and people brings about. The importance of having a robust Management of Change (MoC) process in place is an important barrier in accident prevention and ensuring that changes in the workplace are managed effectively and do not compromise safety.

Posted

17.09.2024

Written by

Richard Bowen

At Finch Consulting, we understand the intricacies of implementing effective MoC systems, and with our consulting model built around Plant (Asset Management), Process (Process Safety Management) and People (Health & Safety), our expertise is structured in a way that spans the entire application of MoC, ensuring that our clients are equipped to manage changes comprehensively and confidently. With that in mind, let’s look at these applications in more detail

Plant: Managing Changes to Physical Assets

‘Plant’ refers to the physical infrastructure, machinery, and equipment crucial to operations. Changes to plant—such as upgrades, modifications, or relocations—are often necessary to maintain competitiveness and operational efficiency. However, these changes can introduce new risks, and without a robust MoC process, they can lead to significant safety failures, as was seen in 2000 at the INEOS Refinery in Grangemouth, where several fires, a benzene release, and an explosion highlighted critical failures in safety management, particularly in Management of Change (MoC). Important changes that were not effectively managed included modifications to the Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit (FCCU), where a failed pressure safety valve led to an explosion. Changes were poorly documented, with insufficient communication across departments and inadequate training for staff, ultimately contributing to the unsafe conditions.

HSE’s HSG65: Managing for Health and Safety and the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations provides a clear requirement to manage such changes, emphasising the need for systematic risk assessment and robust documentation processes. For instance, when a refinery decides to upgrade its equipment, MoC procedures ensure that the new machinery is compatible with existing systems, that employees are adequately trained, and that any potential safety risks are mitigated. This meticulous approach to managing physical and procedural changes is essential in maintaining safe and reliable operations.

Other industry standards such as ISO 45001:2018 (Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems) and BS EN 61511 (Functional Safety – Safety Instrumented Systems for the Process Industry Sector) provide further guidance on implementing MoC procedures for plant changes. These standards advocate for a systematic approach that includes risk assessments, documentation, and formal approval processes before any changes are made.

Process: Safeguarding Operations

‘Process’ refers to the methods, procedures, and workflows used to achieve operational objectives. Process changes, whether due to new technologies, evolving production requirements, or regulatory updates, can have significant implications for safety and efficiency.

Without proper MoC, these changes can disrupt operations, introduce new hazards, and lead to accidents.

The investigation into the Buncefield oil depot explosion in 2005, highlighted ongoing issues with process safety management across the UK’s oil and gas sector. A key finding was that changes to operational processes, such as those involving fuel storage and transfer procedures, were not always subject to adequate risk assessments or MoC protocols. This resulted in a renewed focus on the importance of thorough process management and the implementation of MoC systems to prevent similar incidents in the future.

In the UK, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR) and the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations require organisations to manage changes safely through a robust Management of Change (MoC) process that involves conducting thorough risk assessments to identify potential hazards associated with any proposed changes, whether technical, organisational, or procedural. COMAH mandates that changes must be formally documented, with clear communication to all affected personnel, ensuring they are aware of the implications and any new safety procedures. Additionally, the regulations require that changes are approved by competent authorities before implementation, and that staff receive appropriate training to manage the new conditions safely. Regular reviews and audits must be conducted post-change to ensure ongoing safety compliance.

People: Addressing Human Factors in Change Management

People are central to any organisation’s success, and changes affecting personnel, such as role changes, organisational restructuring, or the introduction of new employees, can have a profound impact on safety and operational effectiveness. Human factors are a critical consideration in MoC, as changes involving people can lead to communication breakdowns, increased stress, and errors. Yet while MoC is rigorously applied to plant and process changes, it is often less rigorously applied to changes involving people and organisational structures. This is a critical oversight because changes in staffing, shift patterns, or management structures can have profound impacts on safety and operational outcomes.

Why is MoC often overlooked when it comes to People changes?

Some of the reasons why MoC is less frequently applied to people-related changes, can include:

  • Perception of Complexity: Changes in personnel or organisational structures are often seen as complex, multi-faceted, and less tangible compared to physical changes in equipment or processes. This complexity can lead to a reluctance to apply MoC processes, which are perceived as more suited to physical changes.
  • Underestimation of Impact: The impact of people-related changes is often underestimated. For example, the introduction of new shift patterns may seem like a minor administrative adjustment, but it can have significant implications for worker fatigue, morale, and overall safety.
  • Lack of Awareness: There is often a lack of awareness about the importance of applying MoC to people-related changes. Organisations may not fully recognise the risks associated with these changes or may assume that existing management practices are sufficient to address them.

Changes to staffing and organisational structures can introduce unforeseen risks that are just as significant as those posed by changes to plant and process.

Consider a manufacturing plant that decides to change its shift patterns from a standard 8-hour day shift to a rotating 12-hour shift. While this change may be intended to increase productivity, it also introduces new risks, such as increased fatigue and reduced alertness. If MoC is not applied to evaluate and mitigate these risks, the change could have serious safety implications.

Additionally, organisational changes, such as restructuring or changes in leadership, can affect communication, decision-making, and overall organisational culture. These changes can create uncertainty, reduce morale, and lead to a breakdown in safety practices if not properly managed. This was the case with the Crossrail project (2019 – 2023), one of the largest infrastructure projects in Europe, which faced significant delays and safety concerns partly due to poor management of change, particularly in the realm of personnel and organisational structure, such as changes in leadership, project teams, and contractors. The project experienced multiple safety incidents, which was partly attributed to failing to fully integrate people and organisational changes into the project’s change management practices.

To truly safeguard operations, organisations must adopt a holistic approach to MoC that includes not only plant and process changes but also people and organisational changes. This means recognising the significance of changes in staffing, shift patterns, and management structures and applying the same rigorous evaluation and risk management processes that are used for physical changes.

How Finch can help ..

  • Documentation: Reviewing your MoC documentation and ensuring it is fit for purpose. We will not only identify potential improvements but also work with you to implement them.
  • Stakeholder Involvement: We will assess how your MoC system is deployed and which stakeholders should be involved. By gathering input from those who will be directly impacted by the changes, we can ensure that their concerns are addressed.
  • Training and Communication: Finch can assess how effective your MoC training is, and help to build a more robust MoC training plan that ensures that all employees are adequately trained in your MoC processes and are clear about their role. Clear communication is essential to prevent misunderstandings and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
  • Monitoring and Review: Monitoring changes post-implementation is where many MoC processes fall down. After implementing a change, it is critical that your MoC process is able to continue to monitor the impact of that change closely, with all learning fed back into the MoC system to grow your operational knowledge. Finch can provide a framework to regularly review the effectiveness of any changes so you can make any adjustments as necessary to address any emerging issues.

Effective management of change is essential for maintaining safety, compliance, and operational efficiency in any organisation. The examples of the Grangemouth refinery incident, Buncefield aftermath, and Crossrail project delays all demonstrate the potentially devastating consequences of poorly managed change. These incidents serve as stark reminders of the need for rigorous MoC procedures across plant, process, and people.

Finch can assist you with designing and embedding MoC into your organisational culture and giving you the peace of mind that all changes are carefully evaluated and managed. At Finch we understand that the key to successful MoC lies in not only recognising that change is a technical challenge but also a human one, requiring the involvement, understanding, and commitment of everyone in the organisation.

Written by

The Importance of Management of Change: Ensuring Safety and Efficiency in Plant, Process, and People

Richard Bowen

Principal Consultant

View profile

Related insights

Workplace Transport Safety in the UK Food, Drink, and Agriculture Sectors

09.09.2024 Richard Bowen

The ‘4D’s’ and how they can support meaningful process safety discussions.

14.08.2024 Richard Bowen

Hydrogen – A fundamental component of the manufacturing process?

26.01.2023 Multiple authors
Further insights

We give you the confidence to be a better business.

Let's talk
Finch Consulting
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.