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Critical friend for Syngas manufacturer

Critical friend for Syngas manufacturer

A client operating a pilot research facility using pyrolysis to produce syngas faced challenges in meeting Health and Safety, Process Safety, and Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR) obligations amid a dynamic research environment aiming to commercialise the technology. They engaged Finch as a critical partner to provide independent oversight through health checks, mock audits, and HAZOP design reviews.

Sector

Energy

Capabilities

Process Safety Management

Service

Consulting

The before:

A client operating a pilot research facility using pyrolysis to generate syngas required support in meeting their Health and Safety, Process Safety, and Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR) obligations, in a continuously changing research site, attempting to commercialise pyrolysis. They sought a critical friend to provide independent oversight through general health checks, mock audits, and HAZOP design reviews of proposed modifications. Finch was engaged to provide this expert support and guidance.

The during:

As part of the engagement, Finch worked closely with the client’s operations, engineering and leadership team to verify the safety of designs and to implement and verify Safe Systems of Work (SSoW) and ensure that all relevant policies, procedures, and documentation were in place to support full compliance with Process Safety and Health and Safety legislation.

Key activities included:

  • Reviews of design changes to site to ensure that the design was inherently safe and was documented appropriately
  • HAZOP studies for design changes to verify that modifications would not introduce new risks and that existing safeguards were appropriate.
  • Review of key policies and procedures such as workplace transport, asbestos management, work at height and Lock out tag out/ permit procedures.
  • A full DSEAR assessment, which included:
    • Comprehensive risk assessments
    • Development of Hazardous Area Classification (HAC) drawings
    • A detailed review of installed equipment to confirm ATEX certification and suitability for use in zoned areas
  • Mock HSE audits using ex-HSE inspectors.

Finch’s collaborative approach ensured the client was not only informed of compliance requirements but also actively supported in embedding safety into their operational culture.

The result:

Finch successfully developed and implemented a suite of process safety policies and procedures tailored to the client’s operations. The outcomes included:

  • Clear, actionable outputs from the HAZOP studies, ensuring that any residual risks in the design were addressed to reduce them to As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP)
  • Updated and verified Hazardous Area Classification drawings, reflecting current equipment and zoning arrangements.
  • Confirmation that all installed equipment was suitable for its zoned environment under DSEAR.
  • The establishment of a sustainable Safe System of Work, integrated with process safety procedures.

The project not only brought the site in line with modern compliance standards but also enhanced its long-term operational safety. The partnership between Finch and the client resulted in a robust safety culture, enabling efficient project delivery while protecting people, assets, and the environment.

This allowed for the success of the pilot site, and the roll out of the technology to Estonia and Finland, where Finch were involved with the large scale implementation of the technology.

Associated People

Critical friend for Syngas manufacturer

Nick Freer

Senior Consultant

View profile

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