Process Safety

Process safety management comprises the systematic use of standardized instructions, practices, and specifications to achieve and maintain safe and reliable production. The fundamental components of this include our organization, resources, management processes, people and equipment performance, the prevailing safety culture, and documented regulations and practices. It covers the management of hazards associated with the chemical and physical properties of the substances we handle in our oil, gas, and chemical activities. OMV and Borealis process large quantities of flammable and/or toxic materials at high pressures and temperatures that, if not properly handled, could potentially lead to serious process safety incidents. In a worst-case scenario, leaks, fires, or explosions could also cause fatalities. Further consequences include a substantial disruption to the supply to customers, along with additional costs. The OMV Group’s Process Safety Management Standard serves as a framework and reference for the implementation and maintenance of effective process safety regulations.

Management and Due Diligence Processes

OMV has implemented comprehensive measures to ensure process safety, as detailed below.

Risk Assessments

Process safety risks are systematically assessed through a variety of process hazard assessments such as HAZOP studies, QRAs (Quantitative Risk Assessments), and risk assessments according to the Seveso Directive, which is the main EU regulation dealing with the control of onshore major accident hazards involving dangerous substances.

Recommendations from process hazard analyses (PHAs), audits, reviews, and incident investigations addressing process safety risks are centrally recorded and prioritized systematically in the OMV Group Integrated Risk Register. This is linked to the mid-term planning process to ensure there is budget available to address the recommendations.

Prior to the start-up of a new facility, after major modifications, or following a turnaround, we conduct an independent pre-start-up safety review to ensure that the facility is safe for start-up and operations.

Emergency Management Plans

Process safety incidents could at times affect communities in the vicinity of our operations. For this reason, we have robust emergency management plans in place that are coordinated with the surrounding communities.

Different levels of emergency management plans outline roles and responsibilities, structures, communications, and the interfaces required for emergency and incident management teams. Emergency response plans include specific emergency procedures and alerting and notification requirements to ensure that an emergency response is managed in a coordinated manner.

Inspection and Maintenance

Comprehensive inspection and maintenance programs are carried out by dedicated departments for inspection, maintenance, and plant integrity. They conduct regular inspections of process equipment, pipelines, tanks, and more, and manage safety equipment testing plus plant maintenance and turnarounds.

Investigations and Audits

All incidents are identified and reported in an appropriate and timely manner. Work-related incidents with potential consequences for people, the environment, assets, or our reputation are investigated in a suitable manner to determine direct causes, root causes, and systemic causes so we can learn from them and prevent the recurrence of similar incidents. Tier 1 and Tier 2 process safety events¹ Tier 1 and Tier 2 process safety events classified according to API RP 754 are measured each year for a consistent overview of the OMV Group’s process safety performance. In addition to Tier 1 and 2 process safety incidents, we monitor Tier 3 process safety events for a better assessment of the critical barriers. The monitoring and reporting of Tier 3 events provides an overview of the challenges to safety systems so that weaknesses within the barriers can be identified and corrected at facility level.

Training

Employee competence in the field of process safety is ensured by a well-defined training plan, as well as continuous communication of process safety topics and the sharing of lessons learned and other relevant process safety information. Scenario-based emergency drills involving the site emergency management team are conducted periodically in the refineries in addition to regular drills carried out by the fire service.

We have set up an OMV Group Process Safety Network and created an online collaboration platform that includes a reference library, discussion board, and other features. We host regular virtual sessions to exchange process safety knowledge across the Group, with participants coming from a variety of OMV countries and working in different fields of expertise. This helps foster continuous learning. Top management participation in these online sessions sends a clear message that process safety is important and demonstrates process safety leadership and commitment.

2023 Actions

In 2023, the number of Tier 1 and Tier 2 process safety events increased slightly. The following key activities were carried out across the Group in 2023:

Process Safety Events, Tier 1 and Tier 2

Number of events

• A register containing risk reduction measures identified in various process hazard analyses (PHAs), assessments, and safety studies was established in each operated production unit and was populated with data, including from Borealis sites. This provides a consolidated overview to support prioritization and further development of risk reduction plans.
• The key process safety performance indicators (PSPI) were updated for the OMV Group, and a dashboard was developed to inform management.
• The Advanced Risk Assessment (ARA) software, a cloud-based tool for process hazard analyses, recommendation tracking, and workflows, was rolled out at OMV.
• A process safety management (PSM) assessment was carried out offshore in OMV’s Energy business segment.
• A safety deep dive on pre-start-up safety review (PSSR) and pressure testing hazard control in the Schwechat refinery was conducted.
• Periodic Group Process Safety Committee meetings with Executive Board member involvement took place, where process safety performance, achievements, and challenges were on the agenda.
• The Group-wide process safety knowledge- and experience-sharing platform was continued, with quarterly half-day events where up to 200 individuals participate in virtual meetings and presentations, including contributions from senior management. The yearly Process Safety Day, a full-day event of sharing experiences and learning, was also held.
• The OMV Energy segment completed a digital Maintenance and Integrity Dashboard that provides an overview of compliance with safety-critical equipment maintenance while also displaying up-to-date maintenance statistics.
• The OMV Energy segment has been utilizing the newest technologies on the market to inspect pipelines that are usually difficult to access.
• Tier 1 and 2 analyses were performed at Borealis. The results were presented to the Borealis Process Safety Committee and key focus areas were identified based on the analysis.
• Borealis carried out a quantitative risk assessment (QRA) in Beringen, and the results were communicated to the local management team (LLT). An action plan is being developed.
• At Borealis, “blue audits” were conducted as planned at the following sites: Burghausen (Germany), Antwerp (Belgium), Stenungsund HC & PO (Sweden), and Itatiba (Brazil). The results will be presented to the local management teams and the Operation Assurance Committee.
• Borealis started the rollout of a Process Safety Roadmap, which is a five-year plan of critical Process Safety activities needed to close identified gaps in process safety management, in a structured way across all locations, followed by training.
• Borealis continued to develop the Group’s process safety competency by conducting Process Safety in Design and Hazard Study Leader training and following up with Process Safety Basics e-learning, which the OMV Group shared with Borealis.

Outlook

To continue to improve our process safety performance, we will take the following actions in the coming years:

• We will continue to thoroughly analyze and learn from process safety events and promote the sharing of knowledge across all our divisions.
• We aim to reduce the number of process safety events at all our sites across the globe. Our continued efforts will focus on process hazard analyses (PHAs), the implementation of technical risk reduction measures identified in those PHAs, audits, and other process safety assessments, while maintaining and monitoring the performance of existing safeguards.
• We will continue to develop and follow process safety roadmaps, i.e., five-year plans with activities in the area of process safety, at facility level, and to define and plan necessary process safety activities for upcoming years. Process safety roadmaps help to ensure that key aspects of the process safety management system are delivered.
• We will enhance our tools to identify and assess hazards more effectively and address these risks in a systematic way.
• We will continually improve our training provision and will emphasize process safety content to build process safety competence and culture in the workforce and increase risk awareness.
• Borealis will continue process safety event (PSE) Tier 1 and Tier 2 analysis and expand it to Tier 3 events, including an impact assessment to identify the greatest opportunities for risk reduction and develop an action plan.
• The Borealis HSSE group will perform internal health checks on process safety-related elements and a process safety review as part of the Borealis blue audits.
• Borealis will conduct Quantitative Risk Analysis (QRA) in Stenungsund, Sweden, to evaluate all possible release scenarios in terms of probability and consequences, and to identify risk profiles at various locations inside and outside the site, with the aim of reducing the overall exposure of employees and contractors.

Target 2025 and 2030

• Maintain leading position in Process Safety Event Rate

Status 2023

• 0.23² Process Safety Event Rate: number of Tier 1 and Tier 2 PSEs per 1 mn hours worked. Work hours from the corporate functions General Management (OMV)/Executive Office (OMV, OMV Petrom, Borealis), and Corporate Finance (OMV)/Finance Office (OMV, OMV Petrom, Borealis) are excluded.

Most relevant SDG

SDG target:
3.9 By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination