Oil Gas Questions

at 3 posting(s) in 2 days
Question time January 3rd 2017

by Keith Walters - Tuesday, 3 January 2017, 7:51 AM

Hello students,
Here is this weeks practice exam question.
You can either anwer on this forum or directly to me at

keith.walters@sheilds.org.
Pipelines are used in the oil and gas industry to transport hydrocarbons over
long distances.
(a) Identify typical causes of incidents with pipelines across land (4)
(b) Outline control measures that protect pipelines across land (4)
Best regards,
Keith Walters
(Oil and gas support tutor)

Reply
Re: Question time January 3rd 2017

by Siboniso Dlamini - Monday, 9 January 2017, 4:29 PM

(a) vehicles driving into and onto pipelines , leaking and corroded pipelines
resulting in spillages, boiling liquid from exposure to heat, vapour cloud build
up from leaking pipline pressure release. routine preventative maintenance not
being done accordingly.

(b) man made barriers eg: ballards , bund walls , some pipelines are laid into
the ground covered with river sand , protective coating eg grease tape , signage
and driving area restrictions , leake detectors , gas detectors.

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Re: Question time January 3rd 2017

by Keith Walters - Tuesday, 10 January 2017, 9:55 AM

Hi Siboniso,
For part (a) you would have gained marks for Corrosion (internal and external)
and vehicle impact with th pipeline, but not for "vapour cloud build up" (this is
an "effect", not a "cause"). Aditional marks could have been gained for leaking
flanges; construction or weld defects; external contact (such as excavators);
illegal tapping.
For part (b) you would have gained marks for marking/signage and physical
barriers/frncing. Additional marks could have been gained for busy to a safe
depth; corrosion protection such as protective coating or cathodic protection
(you said "protective coating grease tape - but didn't say what for); permit to
work for any excavation work if pipe below ground; good maintenance
procedures;periodic monitoring - such as "walking" the pipe line; operational
monitoring of flows for leakage.
Regards, Keith Walters.
Past Exam Question for December Candidates - 5

by Will Taylor - Tuesday, 22 November 2016, 10:54 AM

Dear Students,
Here is this week's question. I look forward to your answers.

A quantitative risk assessment is to be used instead of a qualitative risk
assessment on a project to expand an existing oil and gas installation.
a) Outline the meaning of a qualitative risk assessment. (4)
b) Outline how a quantitative risk assessment differs from a qualitative risk

assessment. (2)
Best regards,
Will Taylor
Student Support Tutor

Reply
Re: Past Exam Question for December Candidates - 5

by Christopher Cummins - Tuesday, 22 November 2016, 6:20 PM

(a) Risk = liklihood/severity, A qualitative risk assessment is one that is based
on the individual's(or can be a team) expertise and experience to assess the
risk of a particular task, to asses if control measures are in place and they
are reducing the risk to as low as reasonably practicable, it is a subjective
technique, the risks are not given a figure. It has advantages and
disadvantages,
Advantages 1 cheaper as expertise is often founed within the organisation.
2 quicker as it does not require computer software to do.
3 Can be used for low and high risk situations.
Disadvantages 1 Only as good as the people that are doing the ra.
2 Does not put a figure on the risk.
3 It is somebody's opinion so these can vary

(b) A quantitative RA differs from qualitative RA in the respect that, quantitative
is objective and qualitative is subjective, With quantitative RA the risks are given
a figure, this can then be then used in a risk matrix to quantify and give the
task a risk rating, qualitative does not do this.
Quantitative is more accurate and detailed than qualitative and can be used in
conjunction with computer software to assess trends .

Show parent | Reply

by bode Bode - Wednesday, 23 November 2016, 6:28 PM

Qualitative risk assessment is a process of prioritizing risk for further analysis
by assessing and combing their probability of occurances and impact. it
enables project team to reduces the level of uncertainty and to focus on high
priority risks.
Differences between qualitative and quantitative risk are:
1. qualitative risk assessment look at individual risks descriptively

while quantitative risk assessment predicts likely project
outcomes based on combined effects of risks
2. qualitative risk assessment examine the discreet probability of
occurances and impact on objective if it does occur while
quantitative uses probability distributions to characterizes the
risk probability and impact
3. qualitative risk assessment leads to quantitative risk analysis
while quantitative risk assessment identifies risk with the
greatest effect on overall project risk.
4. an example of qualitative risk assessment: prolong winter
season might cause delay in project deliverable validation while
an example of quantitative risk assessment: there is 60%
probability that project will be completed in 100,000 USD
5. quantitative risk assessment make use of project models such
as schedules, cost estimate.
6. quantitative risk assessment estimate the likehood of meeting
target and contigency needed to achieve desired level of
comfort.

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by TANO YANNICK - Wednesday, 23 November 2016, 3:36 PM

a)
o qualitative risk assessment is a subject approach as it is based on

conclusion reached by the assessors using their knowledge and
experince.
o This broad category is used to identify both likelihood and
concequences.
o it is relatively simple tool to use,requiring minimal training.
o Due to its subjective nature, there is usually disagreement on what
the risk level is and what control measures to follow.
o This technique of risk assessment allow the assessor to identify the
hazards ,to understand the risks involved . This allow them to
prioritise the risks.
b)
o Quantitative risk assessment requires the use of expertise to be carry

out,thus more expensive than qualitative technique.
o Quantitative risk assessment is subjective.It rely on realistic and
quantifiable data and tested mathematical models.

Show parent | Reply
by Paul Lambert - Thursday, 24 November 2016, 12:53 AM

A;
A Qualitative risk assessment is based on the knowledge & expertise of the

assessor or supervisor doing the job to decide if the control measures arer
adequate and as low as reasonably possible. This type of risk assessment can
be used for low of high risk industries, using the 5 steps of risk assessment
technique. This is a good form of risk assessment as the knowledge is first
hand for the risks of the jobs.
B;
The difference between quantitative & qualitative is that a QRA uses software,
past data of operations, modelling scenarios. Its approach is the higher the risk
assessed the more effort is needed for risk assessment. QRA is key in the
design, construction & operation phases to control major hazards. QRa's are
more expensive to run than qualitative risk assessments.

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by Will Taylor - Monday, 28 November 2016, 3:21 PM

Hello everyone,
Thanks very much for the answers you've submitted.
a) Good answers from most of you. It is a 4 mark question, and there is lots to
say on this. Bode Bode, you will need to provide at least 4 different points in
your answer to get full marks.
- It is a subjective technique, conclusions are based on the knowledge and

experience of the assessor.
- It can be used for both high and low risk industries.
- Identifies hazards, and prioritises the necessary control measures.
- Uses broad categories of classification for likelihood and severity to get a

broad classification of risk.
b) Again, this is a 4 mark question and there is lots to say. Some of you did not
provide a full 4 points to get the full 4 marks.
- Quantitative RA is based on data, statistics, and consequence modelling,

whereas Qualitative RA is based on experience. Therefore one is objective, the
other is subjective.
- Quant RA can provide objective probabilities of certain events occurring. Qual

RA merely provides a guideline on how likely they are.
- Quant RA requires significant expertise to carry out, and sophisticated

software. Most everyday risk assessments are Qual.
- Quant RA relies on available data. Limited data will affect the reliability of the
risk assessment. But Qual RA can be carried out even without the data.
- Qual RA is relatively cheap, but Quant RA will involve significant cost.
Best regards,
Will Taylor
Q: A contractor is to be chosen for a large and complex task.
Identify documents that could be used to decide whether the contractor is

competent to carry out the task safely. (8)
Here is this week's question:

During the construction of a new oil and gas installation many welds are used
to join pipework to vessels and pipework to pipework.
(a) Outline reasons why a weld may be defective. (4)
(b) Identify techniques used for inspecting welds. (4)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply

by TANO YANNICK - Tuesday, 29 November 2016, 5:27 PM

a)
o over load.when a storage vessel or pipe is over loaded,this may cause

internal forces of the vessel to react to the applied load.If the inernal
forces(stress) outweighs the applied load, this may lead to failre of
the vessel.
o design of the weld joint.A welded joint must be designed in such a
way that the welder can be able to manipulate the electrode.deep
and narrow welds and wide shallow welds are victims of this defect.
o welding method.it is important to maintain a constant gap between
the material and the electrode ,and to move along the path at a
constant speed so that the welding can penetrate to the required
depth and width.If the weld movement is too fast or the gap is
inconsistent, this will results in defective weld beads.
o weld defect. This can be attributed to the in ability of the operator to
manipulate and set up welding apparatus.
b)
o visual inspection.
o magnetic particle inspection.
o ultrasonic inspection.
o radiographic inspection.
o eddy-current testing.
o dye/liquid penetrant inspection.
o pressure and leak testing.
ast Exam Question for December Candidates - 4


Dear Students,
Here is this week's question.
a) Identify the information which should be found on a permit-to-work form.

(6)
b) Outline the functions of a permit-to-work. (2)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply

by Christopher Cummins - Tuesday, 15 November 2016, 7:10 PM

1. Type of work to be done.
2. Performing authoritie.
3. Precautions that need to be taken during task.

4. The period for which the permit is valid and instructions and procedure of
how to extend the permit.
5. Authorisation 's required for work to commence.
6. Procedures to be taken in case of emergency.
7. List any conflicting workparties that need to be informed of this permit.
8. List any isolations.
1. To ensure there is no conflict with any other work parties that may be in the
area.
2. To list all the hazards that may be involved in the task and to ensure the
work is documented and left in a safe state, all nesassery authorisation have
been obtained for the task.

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by TANO YANNICK - Wednesday, 16 November 2016, 3:20 PM

a)
o hazards identication.
o precautions in put in place to control the risks associated with
the hazards.
o date and duration of the permit.
o permit issue, signed by the issueing authority certifying that all
necessary precautions have been taken.
o permit acceptance ,signed by the performing authority certifying
that the hazards are well understood and also awareness of
control measures to follow.
o hand-back procedures.Signed by the performing authority that
the work has been completed.
o permit cancellation to certify that all tests have been carried out
and plant satisfactorily dicomissioned.
o description of the location of the installation and the tools to be
used.
b) Permits to work systems are used to ensure that non-routine, particularly
hazardous activities are assessed, planned,authorized and carried out in such a
way as to ensure the health and safety of the workers .Also ,consideration must
given to the risks and this must be dealt with before the work commence, and
through out the entire duration of the work. Equally important is controlling the
completetion of the work.

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by Ibanda Buekamba - Thursday, 17 November 2016, 6:54 AM

a) Most of permit to work form the contained information is almost similar,
also depending a lot on the company permit to work procedure: The basic
information we can found are-area were the work will be done,Date,work to be
done,Valid From-Valid To,Company,Man in Charge,No of Men involved,Safety
precautions, signuture of permit raiser,Aproval of supervisor, safety
equipments to be used,closing signature( Employee,Supervisor) method to
extend the validit of the permit if required,action to be taken in case of an
emergency.
b) In a normal answer it will be a permit given to alow the work to proceed ;but
this can also be considered a management system used to ensure that work is
done safely and efficiently and most importatly deconflict task to be carried out
by frontline worker.

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Dear Students,
Thank you for your answers to this question.
Christopher Cummins, in this case it is very obvious which sub-questions you

are answering, but it is best if you "label" your answers a) and b), so the
examiner is 100% certain. If they're uncertain they can't mark it.
a) Generally good answers for this question. But just one thing to bear in mind,
there is only one mark available for taking about handback and cancellation.
Things I would have mentioned were:
- Scope of work, details of activity
- Location and date of work
- Duration of the permit (expiry time)
- Hazards of job
- Controls to be adhered to
- Details of isolations
- Details of gas testing before and during task
- Name/signature of permit issuer
- Name/signature of permit receiver
- Provision for cancellation and handback

That's enough for an 8 mark question, so should easily get full marks for a 6
mark question.
b) Answers to this question were mixed. There are some key things you can
say, all of which would get a mark.
- PTW is a formally documented process
- Which controls high risk activities
- It requires authorisation from management before the high risk activity can
start
Saying those 3 things will guarantee the full 2 marks available.
Hope that helps.
Best regards,
Will Taylor
Past Exam Question for December Candidates - 3

by Will Taylor - Friday, 4 November 2016, 1:42 PM

Dear Students,
Here is this week's past exam question. Please submit your answers to me for
review.
Outline fire precautions that may be included in a hot work permit. (8)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply
by Paul Lambert - Saturday, 5 November 2016, 1:52 AM

Fire Pre-cautions on a Hot PTW would be the type of safety equipment needed,
like fire blanket. Is a fire watcher needed & has the fire watch checklist been
completed. Competent person with correct training. A completed gas test
before work commences & then continuous checks whilst performing hot work.
The correct typed of fire extinguishers needed. Before any hot work commences
the area must be checked for possible material or debris that could catch fire.
Barriers for the area & if more than 1 firewatcher is needed, i.e sparks falling to
another area.

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by TANO YANNICK - Saturday, 5 November 2016, 3:42 PM

1. pre-use check of equipment(welding valve,pipework,fall arrestors
etc).
2. removing all flammables and combustibles within the hot work area
and thermal insulation or shielding of vulnerable equipment from the
effect of heat.
3. Testing the atmosphere for any build up of flammable
vapours/gases.
4. Inerting of storage tanks/vessels to smoother any risk of fire.
5. The person to carry out the work must be competent and well trained
on how to operate the tools.
6. Provision of appropriate fire within the vicinity where the work is to
be perform.
7. The operator must have knowledge on how to raise an alarm and
means of escape in any event of fire outbreak.
8. Deactivation of fire detection to prevent falls alarm.
9. Fire watch during and after completion of the work avoid sudden fire
outbreak from any smouldering materials around.
10. thourough cleaning of the site and prohibition of smoking or gas
lighters around during the work.

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by Marlon Ahrens - Saturday, 12 November 2016, 5:47 PM

1) Gas testing, to check for LEL of explosive gases like H2S, to check the
amount of oxygen in the atmosphere.
2) Availability of fire protection eg fire extinguisher/fire monitor/fire hose to

ensure that the fire can be extinguished
3) Availability of fire watch, to alert in the event of danger
4) Method of checking if the system/equipment is properly isolated and locked

out, to prevent somebody unintentionally switching it on
5) Ensure that all sewers are covered that are in close proximity to the area, to
avoid contact with H2S
6) Ensuring that the potential for releasing flammable liquids and gases been
controlled, to prevent ignition source during hot work coming into contact with
flammable liquids/gases
7) Checking that the system / equipment is depressurized, drained and / or

purged before hot work to prevent fire / explosion when hot work generate
ignition source
8) Checking that the fire watch has firefighting equipment readily available and
knows how to use the equipment so that he can react in the event of a fire

Show parent | Reply


Dear Students,
Thank you for your answers.
TANO YANNICK, great answer!
Marlon Ahren, also good answer. Perhaps too much focus on fire watchers?
Paul Lambert, good answer also, but not enough points made to get full marks.
The training point is too vague (training in what specifically), and there is some
duplication of fire equipment (blanket, extinsguisher, only one mark available
for this). You could talk about deactivating the fire detection system during the
work, inerting pipework, informing workers how to raise the alarm, isolating
the supply of flammables etc.
Best regards,
Will Taylor
Past Exam Question for December Exam Candidates - 2

by Will Taylor - Tuesday, 25 October 2016, 1:38 PM

Dear Students,
Here is this week's past exam question. Please post your response directly on
the forum or to me.
a) Give the meaning of 'safe operating envelope' (2)
b) Identify operating parameters that are part of a safe operating envelope

within an oil and gas plant (4)
c) Outline the failure mode 'creep' (2)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply
Re: Past Exam Question for December Exam Candidates -

2
by TANO YANNICK - Wednesday, 26 October 2016, 3:55 PM

a) Modern facilities rely heavily on alarm and safety instrumented systems to
maintain operations within a so called safe operating envelop(SOE).The SOE
refers to set of limits ,that if respected, ensures safe operation of the process
and enquipment.
b)-flow
-pressure.
-temperature.
-corrosion rate.
c) creep refers to the slow movement of a solid material or the permanent

derformation of the material under the influence of stress. It occurs as a result
of long term exposure to high levels of stresses that are below the yield
strength of the material.

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2
by Andres Vera - Wednesday, 26 October 2016, 10:13 PM

-Soe: limits that must be respected to ensure safe operation of the equipment
or process, these limits may refer to design and may be temporarily or
permanently
- pressure, temperature, flow, level and corrosion rates
- creep: tendency of a solid material to move slowly through long term

exposure or permanently deform under stress.

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2
by Will Taylor - Friday, 4 November 2016, 12:43 PM

Dear Students,
Thank you for your answers to these questions. Good answers from both.
Andres Vera, please make sure you "label" your answers at the exam, like a) b)
c) etc. If the examiner is not certain which sub-question you are answering then
they cannot give you marks.
a)
- SOE is a set of process limits
- that, if respected ensure the safe operation of equipment and process.
b) Good answers from both.
c)
- Creep is the tendency of a solid material to move slowly or deform
permanently under the influence of stress.
- It occurs as a result of long term exposure to high levels of stress that are
below the yield strength of the material. This second point about yield strength
is often missed by students.
Best regards,
Will Taylor
Past Exam Question for December Exam Candidates - 1

by Will Taylor - Wednesday, 19 October 2016, 1:19 PM

Dear Students,
There are now 7 weeks until the December exam. If you have registered for this
then it is time to start preparing your exam technique, familiarising yourself
with how the exam and questions work, and generally moving from the
"studying" phase to the "revision" phase.
Please remember that NEBOSH recommend a total of 54 study hours for this
course. To have a reasonable chance of passing you should ensure you have
invested this amount of time into your studies.
If you have not already seen these, there are some very useful exam technique
guidance documents in the resources section of the elearning site. Please make
sure you study these to learn how the exams work and how best to succeed.
http://sheilds-elearning.com/mod/folder/view.php?id=2623
I will now begin to ask a weekly past exam question. I invite you to submit your
practice answers directly into the forum, or directly to me by
email will.taylor@sheilds.org
Here is your first exam question:

a) Give the meaning of the following terms:
i) Incident (2)
ii) Near miss (2)
b) Explain reasons for investigating near misses. (4)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply

1
by Mohammad Reyazur Rahman - Wednesday, 19 October 2016, 4:33 PM

Ans: (a) i) An incident is referred to as an unplanned or unwanted work-related event(s) that
results in injury or ill health (regardless of severity) or fatality, damage to plant or equipment
occurred or could have occurred. An incident can be either an accident or a near-miss. ii) An
unplanned, unwanted event which did not result in injury, illness, or property damage – but had
the potential to do so. (b) Reasons for investigating near miss include: The causes of accidents
are often same as the causes for near misses. It is believed that all accidents are preventable. An
important tool in accident prevention is to learn from those accidents that have occurred, and
through this learning process, to initiate corrective actions to prevent similar accidents occurring
again in the future. In addition, learning from accidents and near miss situations helps people to
react in a similar situation later. A near miss should be regarded and treated as an important
warning that an accident could well occur. In an uncertain situation, for example a situation with
a huge potential risk, people tend to find a solution from memory, from past experience and
knowledge.

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1
by Paul Lambert - Wednesday, 19 October 2016, 8:19 PM

A: i: An incident is a work related failure that resulted in an injury to personnel,
damage to the asset or equipment and any environmental accidents coursing
damage to the environment like a spill to the sea. An incident can range from
small, low impact to large scale major impact even death.
ii: A near miss is an incident that has resulted in no damage or injury to

personnel or the environment. But could have had serious consequences if the
result was different. All near misses have the potential to course greater harm.
B: Near misses should be investigated so that lessons learnt can be recorded

through the company and even the industry. The results found help
management improve and implement new policies to assist future work tasks.
They can be used by all as training aids of past failures in the industry. It helps
to improve standards in the work place.

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1
by Andres Vera - Wednesday, 19 October 2016, 9:10 PM

i) incident: all undesired circunstances and near misses which could cause
accidentes.
ii) near miss: an unplanned, unwanted event that had the potencial to cause
injury, ill health, damage to plant or equipment or some other loss.
Iii) reasons for investigating near misses:
to identify potencial root causes of accidents
to learn lessons and comunícate these
to demonstrate concern to workforce

to enable safety management systems to be improved

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1
by JOHN ROBERT JAY PASION - Thursday, 20 October 2016, 6:22 AM

Hi All,
a)i) Indident is an unplanned, unwanted event that may or may not result any
harm, Ill-health and damage to properties and/or environmental damage.
a)ii) Near Miss is an unwanted, unplanned event that did not cause any harm,
ill-health or damage to properties and/or environmental damage.
b)The reasons for investigating near misses are the following: Firstly, to identify
immediate,underlying and root causes of the incident even though it did not
cause any harm or damage, and so that control measures should be improved
and applied thus, can prevent or significantly reduce the likelihood of the near
miss happening again. ; Secondly, Because it is a Management system's
requirement and at the same time it might be a legal requirement to investigate
near misses so every reported near misses should immediately be investigated
as it is like accident or treated like one, that cause harm or loss to the
company. ; Thirdly, because investigating Near misses clearly demonstrates the
commitment of the organisations to the safety and health of the workers, thus
showing concern to them and can improve their morale and can lead to a more
safer workplace.; and Finaly; because investigating Near misses can benefit
both parties, improving their relationship, improving the health and safety
culture of the workforce and most importantly improving preventing any
catastrophies/fatality and or injury and damage/loss to the organisation and
improving its health and safety management system.

Best Regards,
JRJ B. Pasion

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1
by TANO YANNICK - Thursday, 20 October 2016, 3:22 PM

a)
i)An incident is an unplanned or unwanted event that can cause injury,ill health
or damage to plant .
ii) A near miss is an unplanned or unwanted event that has the potential to
cause injury,ill-health or damage to plant,but did not in actual fact do so.
b)- To identy the immediate and root causes of the near miss so that corrective
actions can be taken to prevent a recurrence.
-For legal reasons.Incident investigation can be used as an implicit legal duty

imposed on the employer.
-For staff morale.Non incident investigation of near misses have a detrimental

effect of staff morale and safety culture as employees may think that their
haelth and safety is important to the organisation.
-To record the incident.Human beings do not have good memories ,thus
incident investigation report can be used to as evidence in the future.
-To learn lessons and communicate these internally or across the entire
industry.
-To improve the health and safety standard and the ultimate safety
management system of the organisation.

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1

Hello students,
It is interesting how many of you define incident slightly differently.
a) Incidents include both accidents and near misses. Therefore they are an
unwanted, unplanned event, that caused (or could had the potential to cause)
injury, ill-health, or damage to property. Or something like that! Exact words
are not needed!
b) Near misses are unwanted, unplanned events that had the potential to cause
injury, ill-health, or damage to property. But did not!
c) Reasons could include:
- To identify the immediate and root causes, with a view to preventing

recurrence of the near miss.
- To learn lessons, and communicate these throughout the organisation and

industry.
- To determine potential economic loss, to justify further expense on

improvements.
- To identify weaknesses in the health and safety management system, to make

improvements.
- To collect data and identify trends of near misses / root causes etc.
- To demonstrate commitment to safety and a concern for the workers, which

in turn improves morale.
- Requirement of various stakeholders or parties, for example insurance
companies may require you to investigate, and it is sometimes also a legal
requirement to investigate.
Best regards,
Will Taylor
Student revision exam question IOG March 2013

by Kai Young - Tuesday, 23 August 2016, 3:47 PM

Question 2
(a) Identify FOUR properties of hydrogen. (4)
(b) Outline FOUR hazards associated with hydrogen. (4)
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH

Reply
Re: Student revision exam question IOG March 2013

by Christopher Cummins - Wednesday, 24 August 2016, 6:29 PM

a. Hydrogen is nontoxic,odourless colourless gas that is highly explosive.
b. can enbrittle metal, highly explosive, low energy ignition required to ignite,
friction static electricity, can be ignited at very low levels, 4% of air.
can cause frosbite.

Show parent | Reply
by Kai Young - Thursday, 25 August 2016, 1:29 PM

Hi Christopher
Good answer to the question.
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH

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by David Barwick - Wednesday, 24 August 2016, 10:27 PM

A. Four properties of Hydrogen are
1. It is extreemly cold.
2. It is an asphyxiant in its pure form.
3 . It is highly flamable over a wide range of concentrations 4% to 75%.
4 . A hydrogen fire is almost invisible and extremly hot.
B . Four hazards associated with Hydrogen are;
1 . It can ignite very easily.
2 . It is colourless, odourless, tasteless and the lightest of all gases so dificult

to detect.
3 . It can cause metals to become brittle and break easily ( hydrogen

embrittlement).
4 . It expands rapidly from liquid form to gas when leaking taking up 850
volumes more as a gas.

Show parent | Reply


Well done Dave.
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH

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by Siboniso Dlamini - Tuesday, 30 August 2016, 7:37 AM

(a) can ivapourate , condesne in different tempratures, oudourless , non toxi,
tasteless
(b)Highly flammable, fire hazards can burn, can cause frost bites, skin burns,
can cause one to collapse.

Show parent | Reply

by Kai Young - Wednesday, 31 August 2016, 12:08 PM

Hello Siboniso
More work is need for part b.
The question is asking for an outline and not a list in part b.
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH

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by Paul Lambert - Sunday, 11 September 2016, 3:49 PM

A; In liquid form it is extremely cold, can create embrittlement in certain piping
materials, highly flammable, a hydrogen fire is very hot and almost invisble.
B; Carbon steel metals or piping become brittle & leak due to hydrogen
embrittlement.
If leaks occur, it can asphyxiate people in its pure oxygen free form.
Asa hydrogen fire is almost invisble this means contact could happen as unable
to see.
In liquid form if leak occurs or you come into contact with spill, can cause
frostbite & cold burns.
Student Revision Exam Question IOG Certificate

by Kai Young - Friday, 8 July 2016, 12:39 PM

Question 6
Within an oil and gas production platform, effective shift handovers can
prevent incidents.
Outline practical operational issues that should be communicated at shift
handover. (8)
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH

Reply
Re: Student Revision Exam Question IOG Certificate

by Paul Lambert - Saturday, 9 July 2016, 8:27 AM

Handover should include ;
The condition of the process during the past shift and any problems incurred.
Isolations or PTWs that have been completed or are still ongoing.
Main emphasis on isolations that a still in place, what areas they are in and who
is responsible for the work.
Details of personnel sick or not working.
Operations going on round the plant and goals set for the next shift. Process
volume and intsrument functions.
Details of safety interlocks out of service and special measures until they are
reactivated.
Any problems with instrumentation and alternative methods of monitoring the

process.
Details of any critical safety systems which are out of service, such as fire
deluges or gas detection systems, and the temporary controls that are in place.
This should be highlighted when all the PTWs are reviewed before shift
handover.

Show parent | Reply

by Kai Young - Tuesday, 19 July 2016, 9:45 AM

Hi Paul
Well done.
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH

Show parent | Reply

by TANO YANNICK - Saturday, 9 July 2016, 7:34 PM

o details about the status of the process plant/equipment for the

previous shifts and past few days.
o details of ongoing maintenance work.
o details of permits to work which are still open or suspended.
o problems with instrumentation and alternatives method of
monitoring the process.
o details of safety interlocks that are out of service and measures taken
to ensure that they are reactivated back to service.
o physical demonstration of all isolation equipment.
o details of process trials and correct safe operating procudure to
follow.
o details of safety critical systems which are out of service.
o situations where deviation from normal working conditions such as
lacking of spares ,repairs,replacement, etc.
o details of safety critical systems which are on override .eg fire deluge
being switch to manual, and alternative means of controlling the
process.
o events(drills ,exercise ) planned during the oncoming shift.
o details of incidents/accidents which led to injurie(s) during the shift.

Show parent | Reply

by Kai Young - Tuesday, 19 July 2016, 9:47 AM

Hi Tano
Well done.
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH

Show parent | Reply

by Siboniso Dlamini - Monday, 11 July 2016, 6:42 PM

electrical isolations and validity certificates , mechanical isolations points and
valid tags. discuss scaffold if safe to use as well as process equipment. discuss
Simops in operation, discuss location of tools and equipment and inspection
findings on non conforming tools. discuss near misses and potential Hazards
on site. Discuss SWP for tools and tasks. discuss method statement and risk
asssessment.
also include the the status of emergency equipment eg: fire extinguishers that
have been used or need servicing , location of first aid box assembly
point ,emergency contact numbers , evacuation route.
work permits content wheather its a hot or cold work permit see if scope of
work is in line and continues to be in line with what ids documented on the
method statement in the means of communicating the task at hand, intervals of
gas testing and issuing of gase free certificates.
verify competency certificates of incoming shift to handle issuing and receiving

of the permit by.
lastly do a site walk about to clear point out what is documented on paper
physical on site.

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by Kai Young - Monday, 18 July 2016, 10:18 AM

Hi Siboniso
Good answer.
well done.
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH

Show parent | Reply

by David Barwick - Saturday, 13 August 2016, 5:37 PM

An effective hand over at the end of a shift should be held face to face giving
plenty of time to discuss matters and ensure information has been confirmed
regarding any work that has been done by the offgoing shift and any remaining
work to be completed, also any safety drills or events that have occured and the
outcomes, any isolations left in place and any conflicting work that may be
going on also any safety inhibits that might be on so the status of the plant is
fully understood and the intended workscope of the on coming shift including
tools and equipment availability ie; Nightshift stores may need a key keeper.
This should be done in line with the permit acceptance and controlled by a
checklist or some other management tool.

Show parent | Reply


Hi Dave
Good attempt at this question please continue to study the course material on
this subject area and have another go at answering the question.
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH

by Kai Young - Wednesday, 10 August 2016, 9:38 AM

Question 1Sept 2012
A crude oil storage tank needs to be taken out of service for an internal
inspection. Although tank inspection is hazardous establishing suitable
control measures should prevent injury. With reference to the description
above:
(a) outline risks associated with internal inspection; (4)
(b) identify THREE items of equipment, associated with the normal

tank operation, that would need electrical isolation prior to the
inspection; (3)
(c) identify THREE ignition sources, associated with the preparation

of the tank, that would need to be considered; (3)
(d) outline control measures, other than control of ignition sources,

that should be in place before allowing internal inspection of the
tank; (8)
(e) identify TWO physical hazards the inspector would be looking

for within the tank. (2)
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH

Reply

by Paul Lambert - Friday, 12 August 2016, 7:56 AM

A; tank inspection risks would be, confined space entry, a possible build up of
toxic or combustible vapours, lack of ventilation in the tank. Rescue from the
tank as the openings are small, any obstructions or moving parts such as
agitators in the tank that may course harm. risk of fluids entering the tank if
valves and pumps are not isolated. There may be a build up of H2S and so the
tank would need to be well ventilated prior to entry.
B; pumps for fluid transfer between tanks, agitators inside the tank, sensors or
alarm systems when the tank is open, hatch sensors would need to be isolated.
C; a build up of combustible vapours inside the tank, any residue from the oil
left on the tank walls or at the bottom of the tank, electric lighting for
inspection of the tank.
D; The tank must be well ventilated prior to entry, gas checks must be carried
out before entry and continuously checked, a PTW must be in place with the
correct certificates for entry and risk assessment. MSDS information should be
in hand so all is familiar with the oil and its hazards, what actions to take incase
of injury. Only trained personnel and competent in tank entry must be allowed
to enter, all parties must communicate with the control room on the number of
personnel in the tank so any rescue team know who is in there. All equipment
for rescue must be at the tank entrance before the job may start. All PPE must
be worn for coming into contact with the oil as residue will still be in the tank.
All isolation a of loading valves or unloading valves must be in place so no fluid
may enter the tank whilst personnel are inside, all pumps isolated.
E; The ladder entering the tank maybe slippery due to the oil residue. The
confined spaces inside the tank, lack of room the move around. Not enough
oxygen inside the tank to breath without support from BA set.

Show parent | Reply

by Kai Young - Tuesday, 23 August 2016, 10:18 AM

Hello Paul
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH

Show parent | Reply

by David Barwick - Saturday, 13 August 2016, 9:54 AM

A. Risks associated with tank inspection.
This would be classed as confined space entry even though the vessel may be
very large and the risks include- Fire and explosion from flamable vapours
and spark potential, slips trips and falls from internal conditions rope access or
ladders, Asphyxiation or breathing in dangerous fumes (H2s) from the
disturbance of sludge or ventilation problems, Radiation exposure from LSA
scale or pyrophoric scale disturbance and dropped objects.
B. Three items that may be associated with the normal operation of a crude oil
storage tank
1 Pumps connected to the tank.
2 Water wash systems.
3 Innerting gas systems.
C. Three ignition sources associated with tank preparation are
1 static spark potential.
2 Lighting equipment used internally or for the inspection.
3 Lightening potential the task should not be carried out if electrical storms are
present.
D. The control measures include Planning and preparation, Training of all

personnel involved in the task, Isolation confirmation and Permit for vessel
entry as well as the permits required for any other work involved all cross
referenced and risk assessed, Gas testing and Purging to create the correct
atmosphere for entry, All rescue equipment must be in place and emergency
teams aware of the process.
D. Two physical hazards would be the internal layout obstructions and

openings within the tank and climatic conditions

Show parent | Reply


Hello Dave
Well done.
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH

Show parent | Reply

by Siboniso Dlamini - Saturday, 13 August 2016, 11:10 AM

(a) confined space entry, exclusion of oxygen due to high concentration of
hydrocarbons, heat stress, malfunctioning of breathing aparatus
(b)heat pumps , heat coil or elements , electrics of the level gauge or sensors
eg: overflow sensors
(c) electrical sparks , friction can realease energy intiatinting combustion , static
electric charge when removing the product. inadequate earthing if vessel not
bleeding to the ground.
(d) Design of tank , gas testing and continious monitoring , product upliftment
breathing aparatus, mechanical isolation, properly ventilte the tank before
making entry . training on confined space entry accompanied by medical
cetificates of fitnness to work in confined spaces. continious voice
communication & the issue of a confined space entry register for entry and exit.
appoint a standby person. avail passive and active fire protection systems. eg:
deluge systems , fire extinguishers. ensure correct rools are used eg: copper
hammer, use air pump to drain out excess product from tank. authorised &
trained personnel to enter confined space, availability of a qualified safety
officer to monitor the permit and task being executed in the confined space.
(e) rust and metal corrossion , structural integrity eg:supporting legs , pipe
connection conditions , flanges, punctures and cuts from sharp edges. slipping
from excess product, poor pipe design resulting in tripping
hazards( overlapping, bad spacing pipe lines)

Show parent | Reply


Hello Siboniso
Well done.
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH
Student Revision Exam Question

by Kai Young - Thursday, 28 July 2016, 8:33 AM

Question 2 Sep 2013
A quantitative risk assessment is to be used instead of a qualitative risk
assessment on a project to expand an existing oil and gas installation.
(a) Outline the meaning of a qualitative risk assessment. (4)
(b) Outline how a quantitative risk assessment differs from a

qualitative risk assessment. (2)
(c) Outline the concept of as low as reasonably practicable

(ALARP). (2)
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH

Reply
Re: Student Revision Exam Question

by TANO YANNICK - Friday, 29 July 2016, 2:11 PM

a)Qualitative risk assessment is a method based on conclusions reached by the
assessors using using their expertise, knowledge, and skills.It is a subjective
method of risk assessment.This method of risk assessment is used for low to
medium risk industries.There is no quantification of the risk assessment.The
assessors identified all the hazards associated with and activity the various
risks,these enables them to prioritise control meaures.
b)Quantitative risk assessment is an objective method while qualitative

assessment is a subjective method.Quantitative risk assessment is based on the
use of sophisticated data and softwares while qualitative method relies on
expertise knowledge ,skills and experience.Qualitative risk assessment requires
less training when compared to quantitative assessment.

c) The principle of ALARP is used to ensure that employers put in place control
measures to reduce risks except the cost is grossly disproportionate to the
reduction. When all the risk controls have been put in place,the risks are then to
be to be reduce as low as reasonable practicable.The principle of ALARP relies
on the fact that infinite time,money and energy is put in to reduce the risks to
zero,but at some point,it becomes impossible to spend money,time and energy
reduce risk. This point is what is called ALARP.

Show parent | Reply


Hi Tano
good answer to the question!
dont forget to include the trouble that an employer has gone through to reduce
the risk to ALARP!
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH

Show parent | Reply

by Christopher Cummins - Sunday, 31 July 2016, 4:07 PM

a, The meaning of a qualitative RA, this is a RA that does not have a figure put
on the risk that is being assessed, it is subjective, usually done by a team of
assessors but can be done by an individual, all the assessors will bring there
expert knowledge and experiences to the assessment, they can be people from
the workplace that have hands on experience of the way things are done in
reality which is of great value to the RA. This can be done on both low and high
risk industries, it allows the assessors to develop an understanding of the risks
and prioritise control measures to reduce the risk, the 5 steps to RA approach
is a typical qualitative technique.
b. Qualitative differs from a quantative in that with a quantative RA the risk has

a figure put on the risk, the probability and consequances of the risk, this will
result in a numerical estimate of the risk, control measure will be put into place
to reduce the figure to an acceptable level.
a quantitative RA will Identify Hazards,give a statistical estimate of the

severity,quantify the liklihood of of the hazard being realised.
c. The concept of ALARP, The cost to reduce the risk in time , money and
effort has to be proportionate to the benefits. ALARP has been reached when
spending extra time money and effort would be disproportionate to the
benefits gained to reduce the risk.
We therefore have to objectively weigh up the balance between cost

(money ,time ,effort) and risk reduction achieved for that cost.

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by Kai Young - Monday, 1 August 2016, 9:02 AM

Hi Christopher
Good answer.
Well done.
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH

Show parent | Reply

by Siboniso Dlamini - Sunday, 31 July 2016, 5:50 PM

(a) Qualitative risk assessment- making a formal judgement on a consequnce
and probability using risk = severity X Likelihood eg: 1.Major ( death) 2.
Serious (injuries or short term disability) 3. Slight ( Minor injuries and illnesses
eg hand bruises and flu)
(b) Qualitative risk assessment is to assisgn fixed numerical probability of an

outcome eg percentage 10% , 30% etc.
Quantitive risk assessment is to represent probability of an outcome using non

numerical labels eg: high , meduim , low
(c) ALARP is the degree of the risk in a particular activity that can be balanced
against time , cost , physical difficulty & environment to avoid the risk (is to
bring the risk as low as reasonbly possible for that activity at hand)

Show parent | Reply


Hi Siboniso
Good attempt at this question please don't forget to include that the principles
of qualitative risk assessments are based on the volume principles of low,
medium, high.
Quantitative risk assessments are assigned with numerical values.

Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH

Show parent | Reply

by Paul Lambert - Tuesday, 2 August 2016, 6:59 PM

A; A qualitative risk assessment is typically a 5 step risk assessment using the
expertise, knowlegde & experience of the assessor or work force using it. If
used correctly this can be a good tool as can be used in low to medium risk
jobs. It relies on the person knowing the risks associated & the measures
needed to control those risks, ALARP. This type of risk assessment is widely
used in our Oil & Gas industry, using two judgements, likelhood & severtity.
B; A Quantitative risk assessment is a more technical & complex form of risk

assessment. Usually for higher risk operations which require further thought &
detail in the planning. The difference between both is that Qualitative can be
done at the site by expert work force, but Quantitative uses high tech software
& modelling to assess risk. And so relying heavily on data inputted. This makes
this type of risk assessment more expensive than the previous.
C; As Low As Resonably Possible is used in our industry as a measure for risk.

We cannot over engineer out all risk as this would incurr great cost. It needs to
be measured against the operation, severity of risk, occurance of the risk
happening.
The management use it to implement controls to reduce risk to an exceptable

level.

Show parent | Reply
by Kai Young - Wednesday, 3 August 2016, 9:58 AM

Hi Paul
Very well answered!
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH

Show parent | Reply

by David Barwick - Saturday, 13 August 2016, 10:56 AM

A. Qualitative risk assessment is an assessment made by someone who has
knowledge of the process and uses their knowledge and judgement to consider
the risks involved and makes a judgement on the severity and the
consequences accordingly and reccomends the precautions needed to make the
risk as low as is reasonably practicable.
an example of a qualitative risk assessment is the HSE's Five step Risk

Assessment.
B. Quantitative assessment differs from a qualitative assessment in that the

person or people involved try to put a figure of reference on the risk or danger
or use charts and information already available from extensive risk evaluation
from teams of people or computer modelling.
The process tries to identify the Hazards and from statistical input give a
calculated value of the risk.
C. The concept of as low as is reasanably practicable comes from evaluating the
costs involved in reducing the risk and the consequences of not managing the
risk at some point the costs become to excessive to be practicable but the
potential of the risk must be covered to an acceptable level before this happens
or the job can not continue this is relative to the situation or industry as a fire
potential in a field does not have the same consequenses as a fire on an oil
platform and the process would not be the same but the risk reduction
requirement is.

Show parent | Reply


Hello Dave
Good answer!
Well done.
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH
Student revision exam question IOG Certificate

by Kai Young - Thursday, 4 August 2016, 10:57 AM

Question 1March 2012
(a) Outline the contents of a typical permit-to-work. (8)
(b) Outline how the contents of a hot work permit are different to a

typical permit-to-work. (4)
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH

Reply
Re: Student revision exam question IOG Certificate

by Paul Lambert - Thursday, 4 August 2016, 9:29 PM

A; PTW's will differ slightly depending on the company using them. Usually you
have 2 types, Cold & Hot work PTWs.
Typically they are broken into sections for Hazards identified, Safety measures
needed to be inplace, the Area in which the PTW is for, the equipment or task to
be done, supplementary paperwork needed to acompany the PTW such as JSA,
Isolations, Entry certifiacte, gas test, checklists. You will usually find that there
must be 3 people to sign the PTW, OIM/PIC - Issuing Authority - Performing
Authority, no job may commence without all parties acknowledging all safety
measures are met & inplace. When completed all parties must sign off to
acknowlegde either the work is complete or not. And so if isolations etc must
remain active.
Depending on the company you may also find that the next shift may counter
sign a PTW to carry on the task, this is dependant on company policy. Usually a
PTW will only last for 12 hours or till the performing authorities shift finishes,
which ever comes sooner.
B; Hot work PTW will have all the same measures as Cold work PTW, but in the
Hazards you will find a box for gas test to be measured & checked before work
can commence. This has to be done by a trained gas tester & signed by
themselves to acknowledge the area is safe and no combustable gas is present
& oxygen levels are 20.8% normal. The safety measures will highlight such
precautions needed as fire blanket, firewatcher, fire extinguishers. A fire
watcher checklist must accompany the Hot PTW.

Show parent | Reply

by Kai Young - Friday, 5 August 2016, 9:09 AM

Hi Paul
Good answer to the question!
Regards
Kai

Show parent | Reply

by Siboniso Dlamini - Friday, 5 August 2016, 9:35 AM

(A) scope of work.
tools & equiopment eg: hand tools n, electrical
specific tye of permit: eg: hot, cold work ,no of staff , duration of work permit
validity date & time
isolation status eg: electrical , mechanical isolation certificates, exact area to be

worked on, method statement , risk assessments toolbox talk and swp,
delegation of duties issuing an d monitoring authorities, type of ppe, simops
with the plant or area of work.
(B) Gas free testing certificate , mechanical isolation in the event of pipline or
vessel repairs.
Specific scope of work eg: welidng, grinding ,fire precautions & controls eg:
face shields , leather gloves fire retardant overalls , temporary deluge systems,
specific signage dispalying high risk activity in progress. delagation of duties
for fire watch, issuing authrities, monitoring authoritiy , first aider , safety
officer
Swp , tool boxtalks task based risk assessment and method statement.

Show parent | Reply

by Kai Young - Friday, 5 August 2016, 9:44 AM

Hi Siboniso
Good answer!
Regards
Kai

Show parent | Reply

by TANO YANNICK - Friday, 5 August 2016, 1:43 PM

a) A typical permit to work contain the following information;
-description of the installation where the work is to be carried out.

-description of tools and equipment to be used during the work
-identification of all actual and residual hazards associated with the work. -
precautions being taken and risk controls to ensure that the risks are reduced
as low as reasonable practicable.
-the duration of the work to be accomplished .
-permit issue.This is signed by the issuing authority,certifying the perfoming

authority is aware of the risks / hazards involved and the control measures to
follow.
-permit acceptance.This is signed by the performing authority to certify that

the workers understand the hazards they are face on site and well trained to
take corrective actions to prevent harm.
-hand-back procedure.This is to ensure that the work has been successfully

completed and all equipment ,machineries are put back into function as before.
-Cancellation.This is to certify that testing have been done plant satisfactorily

recommissioned.
b)The content of a hotwork permit differ from a typical permit to work in the
following aspects;
-hot work should not be carried out in a flammable or combustible

atmosphere.
-the person carrying out the hot work(welding) must be well experinced in
handling and operating the tools.
-cigarette smoking or other sources of ignition should not be allowed around

areas where hot work is being carried out.
-the atmoshpere must be tested for any flammable gases before hotwork
begins.
-fire and heat detection systems should be rendered in active in hotwork areas
to avoid false alarm.
-fire checks during the work and when the work is finished to ensure that there
are no smouldering particles that can cause fire outbreak.

Show parent | Reply


Hi Tano
Good answer!
Regards
Kai
Student Exam Revision Question IOG Certificate


Question 1 (IOG Certificate Sep 2013)
(a) Identify hazards associated with drilling mud. (4)
(b) In your health and safety role you have been asked to compile an
inspection checklist for an area above ground where drilling mud
pits, walkways, stairs and electrically-driven agitators are located.
Outline practical contents of this inspection checklist. (8)
(c) Outline control measures for any entry below ground into the

mud pit. (8)
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH

Reply
Re: Student Exam Revision Question IOG Certificate

by Paul Lambert - Friday, 22 July 2016, 3:44 PM

A; Drilling mud comes in different base fluid forms. You have Water base mud,
Synthetic base mud, Oil base mud, Diesel base mud or Brine (not a drilling mud
though). With all these the hazard is in the chemicals which make up the mud,
they can be harmful if ingested, comes into contact with skin, eyes or inhaled.
There are so many different types and sometime mixing the wrong types also
courses hazards. An example of the dangerous types is Cautic Soda. This is
widely used but if not careful can result in death. This is fact from past
lessoned learnt in our industry.
B; A checklist must include such things as, adequate ventilation, pipework
correctly labelled, pipework & equipment pressure rated, no leaks on system,
mixing hoppers clear of obstructions,Chemical pallets stored only 2 high,
chemical bags not broken creating spills, spill kits on hand in area, MSDS
sheets for all chemicals in area, All PPE needed i.e aprons, goggles, dust masks,
rubber gloves. Are all walkways clearly marked & free of obstructions, do stairs
& walkways have non slip grips on as when mixing chemicals can make area
slippy. Is all equipment functioning correctly, is there sufficient power to run all
equipment.
C; Controlled measures needed for pit entry is PTW & confined space entry
certificate, isolation certificate of agitators must be filled out & signed. The OIM
& Night Toolpusher can sign these PTWs on when they feel all safety & hazard
precautions have been met. Before entering the pit you must do a Gas check by
a competent person and this must be regularly checked whilst work ongoing.
Safety equipment like BA equipment for rescue, tripod to remove injured parties
must all be on site before work can start. Minimum men involved is 3 people i.e
stanby watch who stays ontop of the pit, 2 men to enter as buddy system. All
agitators must be function tested before entry to physically check they are
isolated.
Paul L.

Show parent | Reply


Hi Paul,
Good answer to the question!
Please remember to include the presence of H2S for part A) to the question.
Many thanks
Regards
Kai young CMIOSH

Show parent | Reply

by Siboniso Dlamini - Friday, 22 July 2016, 5:36 PM

(A) Pipe blockages , high pressure build up , high level of noise , constant
vibration machinery & equipment particles.
(B) Sop procedures checklist for pulley system equipment , Inspect shoring
against pit holes, inspect stability of ground , inspect breadth of walkway for
incoming and outgoing workers, inspect handrails on stairs , rust , non slip
strips and paint integrity of stairs. check for debris and sufficient grease on
chains and drive belts on electrically driven machinery, check for mud pit depth.
(C) Safe entry and exit procedures, medicals for persons entering, provide
adequate lighting , ensure gas testing is done accompanied by a certificate ,
make entry with properly secured cage, ensure entry is made with correct PPE
eg: breathing aparatus and mud suits with hard plastic gumboots.

Show parent | Reply


Hi Siboniso
Good answer!
Please include for part A) the presence of H2S gas particals.
Many thanks
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH

Show parent | Reply
by Christopher Cummins - Thursday, 28 July 2016, 7:44 AM

a. There are different types of mud, Synthetic,oil, water, all are harmfull,
Hazards include.
1. Potential explosive content and harfull gases held in the mud, h2s,
hydrocarbons.
2. Harmfull if ingested, correct ppe must be worn to prevent skin contact , face
eyes covered to prevent ingestion,respirators. Use of barrier creams for hands.
3. Possible slip, if mud is not contained, must be contained and not allowed to
to run into drains or the sea.
B. Inspection checklist
Permits to work, isolation,s, PPE , Lighting, housekeeping ,clear exit,escape

route's, correct fire fighting equipment, procedure for raising alarm in case of
incident, perssonnell, have they recieved correct training, any conflicting work
in the area, Inspect any rescue equipment that may be used for pit entry, MSDS
sheets , including rescue procedures,Discuss all of the above with area
authority
C.Control Measures include,
Permits, isolation certs,tool box talks, confined space entry permit,all permits

signed of by relevant authority, isolations proved,rescue procedures and
equipment all on the job and inspected for correct function, trained standby
man with clear defined resposibility and clear contact with control room, Mud
pits, shakers must be well ventillated, correct ppe must be used at all times,
correct gloves,aprons, face shields,high quality face mask with correct filter,to
prevent ingestion, steel toe capped wellington boot, spill, containment, and
clean up kits at work site. Material safety data sheets must be at work site and
read by all perssonell involved

Show parent | Reply


christopher
very well answered to gain sufficient high marks.
well done.
regards
kai young CMIOSH
Student Revision Exam Questions IOG


Reply
Re: Student Revision Exam Questions IOG

by Paul Lambert - Friday, 15 July 2016, 10:14 PM

A; As soon as the Contractors arrive on location, they must go through a full
induction for the facility. This may be in the form of a video, showing hazard
areas, alarms and the various types & sounds, the house rules of the facility,
correct PPE needed for working on site. Emergency muster stations for all
contractors. After this they will be walked round the facility shown their room,
galley, accommodation, sick bay and outside on the worksite.
Inhouse training specific to the company will need to be completed also and its
relevant paperwork, this could be PTW, JSA training, STOP training, isolations.
Company Procedures will be shown.
B; Whilst on the job the Contractors will be audited, paperwork checked, i.e
JSA's for jobs. There will be an Area Supervisor who will constantly check work
progress and that company procedures are being followed. Onsite training may
also be introduced to the Contractors that may not be familiar with the
company procedures. Contractors will be encouraged to participate in the STOP
program, to help identify hazards whilst working and for any individual to stop
the job if not happy with the safety of the operation.
C; Upon completion of the work, Contractors will come together with company
repersentatives to review the job, review any safety points raised, lessons learnt
from the job after completion which may help future operations.

Show parent | Reply
Re: Student Revision Exam Questions IOG


Hi Paul
well done.
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH

by Kai Young - Wednesday, 15 June 2016, 9:50 AM

Question 1
Explain the purpose of and procedures for investigating incidents and how the
lessons learnt can be used to improve health and safety in the oil and gas
industries (20)

Reply

by TANO YANNICK - Friday, 17 June 2016, 12:50 PM

Purpose for conducting an accident/incendent investigation are as follows;
To identify/uncover the immediate/surface and root causes of the

incident.Most accidents/incidents in workplace occur as a result of unsafe and
hazardous conditions ,but most often occur as a result of the underlying and
root causes.Seconly the main reason to conduct investigation is to identify
corrective actions to be implemented to prevent recurrence in similar or more
adverse situation.It should be noted that employers do not conduct
investigation to aportion blame to an employee.Furthermore,accident
investigation can be used to impose an implicit legal duty on the
employer.Also,human being do not have good memories so incedent
inevestigation helps to record the event to give factual evidence in future.If a
complaint is lodge against the employer for compensation,the insurance
company will need the accident report in order to determine liability.Non
incident investigation has detrimental effect on staff morale and safety culture,
as employees may assume their health and safety is noyt important to the
organisation.Incident/accident investigation can be used to identify trends and
patterns,which relies on the collection of quality data.Again ,incident
investigation leads to the improvement of safety management system of the
organisation.Employee safety and health is ultimately improved.
There are four basic procedures to follow when conducting accident/incident

investigation;
When an incident occur,the area is first secured to ensure that the situation do
not get any worse.This include use of warning yellow tapes,cones or emergency
shutdown of processes,systems,isolating electricity etc.When the scene is safe
and secured,casualties are attended to and providing them with required first
aid treatment or medical care needed.At this point ,factual evidence and
information are gathered including taking photos,making sketches and
measurements.Other sources of information include training records,permits to
work,safe system of work ,risk assessment etc.Witnesses are identified and
interviewed.
Next step is to analyse the information gathered to identify the immediate and
root causes of the incident.Unless all the immediate and root causes in
particular, have been uncovered the investigation will still be conducted.Any
investigation that reached the conclusion that a particular employee was at fault
has not reached a final or desired end.
After analysis is identifying suitable control measures.During the analysis risk

control measures that failed must have been identified.An alternative control
measures will then listed and evaluated based on their abilities to prevent
recurrences and whether they can be implemented successfully.Hierachy of
control should be used (elimination,substitution,engineering
controls,administrative controls).
Finally is developing an action plan an implementing them.Action plan for

implementing addtional or improving reccommended control measures is
desired end of a thorough investigation.The plan should have SMART
objectives(specific,measurable,agreed,realistc and time scaled).Implementation
of risk controls should be highly priorittised based on the magnitude of the
risk.There are financial contraints during implementation,but failing to deploy a
risk control measures that contol or reduce an immenent risk is totally
unacceptable.

Lessons leaned from investigation can be shared to other departments
internally to correct their mistakes or across the entire organisation for a long
term correcton of system weaknesses to prevent privious repeatition.

Show parent | Reply

by Kai Young - Friday, 17 June 2016, 2:39 PM

Hi Tano,
Good attempt at this question well done!
Please remember to focus on the purpose for investigating incidents is to

establish the immediate and root underlying causes to prevent a reoccurence
from happening.
The importance of learning lessons from major incidents is required through

understanding of management, cultural and technical failures ECT.
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH

Show parent | Reply

by Paul Lambert - Thursday, 7 July 2016, 11:12 AM

Investigating incidents enables us to learn the root courses of these incidents
and to set rules and regulations that may prevent or minimize future incidents.
The root course does not stop at the initial person or equipment that failed, the
investigation looks into management, reporting of maintenance, maintence of
equipment, recording of documentation. All this information is gathered and
the lessons we learn can then be passed through the industry for all to follow
and use.
We have two types of investigation, simple invertigation which the supervisor at

work will usually oversee, this will give local lessoned learnt for the company
and any corrective actions which will be implemented. Then you have a higher
investigation which will involve management & HSE advisors, these lessons
learnt will usually go out to the industry as may be of serious nature.
The procedure involved is all about gathering as much information as possible,

examining all the facts in an open fram of mind. No blame culture should be
pushed upon any interviewees. Using the "why" steps helps in setting up a tree
of facts & information to branch together and find the root course. All this
information will come from various sourses like,
witness statements, risk assessments, PTWs, Operating procedures, records,

training records, cctv, photographs of incident.
The main objective is to Learn by the mistakes, follow up on recommedations,

share findings with the industry to improve for the future. Change design plans
with industry learnings.

Show parent | Reply

by Kai Young - Thursday, 7 July 2016, 12:21 PM

Hi Paul
Please don't forget to include learning from lesson learnt previous case studies
such as the Pipa Alpha disaster.
Many thanks
Kai Young CMIOSH
Student Revision Question IOG December 2013

by Kai Young - Thursday, 30 June 2016, 10:50 AM

Question 3 Dec 2013
Identify EIGHT marine hazards associated with all types of floating

production, storage and offloading units (FPSOs). (8)
Regards
Kai YOung CMIOSH

Reply
Re: Student Revision Question IOG December 2013

by David Barwick - Thursday, 30 June 2016, 5:04 PM

Hazards associated with FPSO's include
1. hazards of controling operations over water
2. Hazards from vessels
3. Hazards of supply
4. Hazardsof loading and ofloading materials

5. Hazards of personnel transfer
6. Hazards of mooring
7. Hazards from weather conditions
8 Hazards of loss of containment, spills to sea

Show parent | Reply

by Siboniso Dlamini - Thursday, 30 June 2016, 8:13 PM

Floating production.docx
hi please find the attched document for 2013 quetion paper.

Show parent | Reply


Floating production.docx
hi please find the attched document for 2013 quetion paper.

Show parent | Reply

by Kai Young - Friday, 1 July 2016, 8:12 AM

Gents,
Some good answers to the question but for some you need to be more specific
such as Fire explosion, H2S Gas, Faulty pipe work corrosion, Dynamic
Possitioning failure, Exessive noise levels ECT, Vessel mooring ops.
Please continue to review the course materials on the subject area.
Many thanks
Kai Young CMIOSH

Show parent | Reply

by Kai Young - Monday, 4 July 2016, 12:24 PM

Hi Siboniso
Some good answers to the question to gain marks.
Please continue to revise on the subject area.
Many thanks
Kai Young CMIOSH

Show parent | Reply

by TANO YANNICK - Sunday, 3 July 2016, 5:37 PM

o -anchorage failures.
o collision with other structures such as rig platforms.
o extreme weather conditions (rain,snow,rough sea etc) possibly
leading to capsize of the FPSOs.
o accelerated level of collision due to salt water.
o dynamic load movement leading to the build up of static charges on
the platform.
o potential for spillages during product transfer operations.
o hazards associated with storage or handling of materials such
flammablility,toxicity,corrosiveness etc.
o potential for leakages through lines and valves.
o falls during personnel transfer from one basket to another or
different barges.
o capsizing of the FPSO,s during transfer operation if the ballast is not
carefully handled .

Show parent | Reply


Hi Tano
Some very good answer to the question to gain high marks from the examiner.
Well done.
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH


International Oil & Gas Technical Certificate Revision Exam Question 1
Explain the role and purpose of a permit-to-work system.

Reply


its a formal recorded process used to control work which is identified to be
potentialy hazardous its also a means of communication between
site/installation management recordes, also defines scope of work thats to be
executed either cold work, hotwork)

Show parent | Reply

by Kai Young - Friday, 24 June 2016, 8:28 AM

Hi Siboniso,
Good attempt at this question.
Please continue to study the relevant course materials on this subject.
Many thanks
Kai Young CMIOSH

Show parent | Reply

by Paul Lambert - Thursday, 23 June 2016, 9:44 PM

PTW is a formal record of hazardous work or operations at the facility, it
enables further thought of accessing the risk and checking to see if any
conflicting operations may be ongoing. It enables management or supervisors
to control tasks, highlight key safety issues and safety measures that must be
in place before the job may proceed. Various tasks which would come under a
PTW are, overside work, manriding, hot work welding. Isolations working on
machinery or electrical equipment.
PTW are only valid fr a set period of time usually 12hours.
Usually you will have 3 seperate individuals signing the PTW to acknowledge
risks have been highlighted and safety measures are in place. These people are
usually the OIM or PIC, the performing authority who does the task and the
issuing authority who is the supervisor of the area that work is to commence.

Show parent | Reply

by Kai Young - Friday, 24 June 2016, 8:32 AM

Hi Paul,
Good explaination answer to the question to score good marks.
Well done.
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH

Show parent | Reply

by TANO YANNICK - Friday, 24 June 2016, 2:36 PM

Permits to work are used to ensure that non-routine,usually hazardous work
are assessed,planned,authorized,and executed in such a way as to ensure the
health and safety of the workers and others arround the work area.Also it
requires that proper consideration to the risks involved ,and that these risks are
properly delt with before beginning the work and during the entire duration of
the work.Equally impotant is controlling the completion of the work.Different
kind of work requires different types of permit.For example work at height,work
over water,confined space work, high voltage work etc.
A typical permit to work contain description of the location of the work

area,procedures to accomplish the work and tools,equipmement to be used.All
potential and actual hazards associated with the work must be identified in the
permit.The permit issuer must sign confirming that all necessary controls and
precautions are in place to reduce workers exposures to hazards.The duration
of the work is also stated in the permit.The performing authority must sign
confirming that all the hazards have been understood,and ready to comply with
specific control measures.After completion the work ,there is cancellation of the
permit certifying all testings have been carried out and the plant/equipment
satisfactorily decommissioned.

Show parent | Reply

by Kai Young - Friday, 24 June 2016, 3:05 PM

Hi Tano
Good answer to the question to score good marks.
Please remember to add a space in between your answer to allow easily reading
for the examiners.
Many thanks
Kai Young CMIOSH
IOG Certificate Weekly Exam Revision Question

by Kai Young - Wednesday, 8 June 2016, 12:50 PM

Question 1
Risk management tools and techniques are used to minimise hazardous events
associated with oil and gas exploration and production activities.
a) Identify risk management tools and techniques (6)
b) Identify the steps of risk management And Outline each of the steps

identified (8)
c) Identify project phases where risk management applies (6)
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH

Reply
Re: IOG Certificate Weekly Exam Revision Question

by Mark Egyir Arthur - Wednesday, 8 June 2016, 5:54 PM

a) Risk management tools and techniques include
1. Hazard identification studies(HAZID)

2. Hazard operability studies(HAZOP)
3. Failure mode and Effects Analysis(FMEA)
4. Hazard checklist
5. Barier Modelling
6. Consequence Modelling
b) Identify the Hazard: identify what in the work has the potential to cause harm
to the people, damage to plant and the environment
Assess the risk: understand the nature of the risk caused by the task. who is
likely to be affected, and what are the consequences. Knowledge of this is
essential to to come up with the suitable control measure
Control the risk: implement control measures that reduce the risk to as low as
reasonably practicable
Moniter and Review: Moniter the effectiveness of controls and review if

neccessary
c)project faces where risk mangement applies are:
concept development stage, design stage, startup, operation, shutdown,

maintenance and decommisioning

Show parent | Reply


Hello Mark
Firstly, very good answer well done! for part (A) (C).
Please dont forget to include HSE Management system in line with 18001
standards in particular, such as Policies, Risk assessment, JSA's, PTW system,
Safe working procedures and emergency response provision! for part (B).
Many thanks
Kai YOung CMIOSH

Show parent | Reply

by Paul Lambert - Tuesday, 14 June 2016, 6:06 PM

A; Our goal in O&G industry is to reduce risk whenever possible, we use ALARP
(As low as is reasonably practicable) because the risks can never be 100%
eliminated. We use;
HAZID-hazard identification studies.
HAZOP-hazard and operability studies.
FMEA-failure modes and effective criticality analysis
Hazard checklists- a cheap option which can be done by one person, prevent
recurrence of previous incidents.
We also use past experience & lesson learnt from major incidents, using design
technology and computer aided tests, to plan safer work places. Having set
standards to follow allows for risks to be controlled and managed.
B; 4 steps are;
Identifying hazards; that can course harm to people, environment, or facility.
Assessing risks; understanding the hazard & potential harm, likelihood &
severity.
Controlling risks; Implementing control measures that are ALARP with relation
to the job. Equipment or plans needed for control measures.
Reviewing; Regular checks to see if the controls in place as adaquate. Learning
from past plans & recording for the future plans.
These 4 are similar to the 5 steps of risk assessment, where review & record are
seperate.
C; Its through the lifecycle of all the jobs, from designing out hazards, startup
hazards identified, operations ongoing, shutdowns, maintenance and
decommissioning. All should risks have to be ALARP.
Paul Lambert

Show parent | Reply

by Kai Young - Wednesday, 15 June 2016, 8:56 AM

Hi Paul
Firstly, good answer to the question!
Please also remeber to include in your answer the use of a suitable and
sufficient HSE Management systems in line with OHSAS 18001 standards
including risk assessments, method statements, job safety analysis, PTW
system, safety case studies ECT.
Regards
Kai Young CMIOSH

Past Exam Question for June Candidates - 4
by Will Taylor - Monday, 16 May 2016, 1:26 PM

Dear Students,
Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) vessels are liable to catch fire and explode.
Outline how a Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion (BLEVE) can be

generated in such vessels. (8)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply
Re: Past Exam Question for June Candidates - 4

by TANO YANNICK - Monday, 16 May 2016, 2:40 PM

Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion(BLEVE) occur when a vessel
containing pressurised liquid and vapour( such as propane or
butane),catastrophically fails as a result of an external fire affecting the walls of
the vessel.
Initially the liquid absorbs heat,but the vapour pressure within the vessel
increases.The pressure relief valve open,allowing pressurised vapours to
escape.As a result of the decrese in the level of liquid within the vessel,the
flames impinge on the wall of the vessel above the liquid.This part of the vessel
heats up rapidly as it cannot be protected by the cold liquid in the vessel.The
walls become widened and suddenly tears,leading to catastrophic failure of the
vessel.
The drop in pressure within the vessel causes the liquid to boil
rapidly,evaporating large amounts of vapour.On mixing with air and finding
contact with an ignition source,the vapour explode violently generating a
significant ball of fire,and also projecting large fragments of the vessel to
significant distances.In addtion,there is also the generation of massive thermal
radiation and high atmospheric over pressure/blast waves.The flying debris and
heat radiation can cause a chain reaction if other LPG vessels or any other
equipment is near by.

Show parent | Reply

by Fernao Patricio Gameiro Vieira Franco - Monday, 16 May 2016, 4:29 PM

In the event of an external fire close to the vessel, the structurure will inevitably
heat up causing an increase in pressure and vapourizes the liquid inside the
vessel, the preassure relief valves may open and consequently let some of the
excess pressure out (will not likely help enough). The vessel walls will rupture
(causing catastrophic failure), most likely near a valve, and as the vapour mixed
with air (oxygen) gets in contact with an ignition source it will turn up into a
Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Exploson (BLEVE). A shot storm, with
significant ball of fire and projecting large fragments of debrie.

Show parent | Reply

by Mark Egyir Arthur - Monday, 16 May 2016, 8:42 PM

LPG vessels contain pressurised flammable liquid and vapour. In the event of an
external fire,
the liquid contents of the vessel absorb the heat that causes an increase in
pressure. Excess pressure is released through the pressure relief valve allowing
vapour to escape. As the level of liquid decrease in the vessel, flame impinges
on the vessel wall above the liqid level.Since this part of wall impinged by
flames is not protected by cold liquid inside the tank, it rapidly heats up,
weaking the wall, and the tears up leading to a catastrophic vessel failure.
As pressure drops, rapid evaporation occurs due to increased boiling of liquid.

Evaporated vapour forms a vapour cloud which mixes with oxygen and ignites
when it finds an igition source. The result is a violent explosion, generating
fireballs and causing large fragments of vessel to be projected over significant
distances. In addition, it generates massive thermal radiation and blast waves.
The debris and thermal radiation can also lead to chain effect if there are other
nearby storage tanks.

Show parent | Reply

by Godwin Agama - Thursday, 19 May 2016, 6:38 PM

Hi Will,
Following the question you posted earlier, below is my answer:
Mostly, a BLEVE starts when a vessel containing Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) is
held above its normal atmospheric-pressure boiling temperature which may
fails in a disastrous manner. This is typically as a result of an external fire
affecting the vessel's walls. The heat which is initially absorbed by the liquid
causes the pressure within the vessel to increase, which in turn causes the relief
valve to open allowing the pressurised vapour to escape. As the liquid level in
the vessel decreases, the flames make an impact on the vessel wall above the
liquid level. This part of the wall rapidly heats up because it is not protected by
the cold liquid inside the tank. The wall weakens and then tears, resulting in a
sudden catastrophic failure of the vessel.
This causes a rapid boiling of the liquid as a result of the pressure drop, which
then releases large amounts of vapour. On mixing with the air, and finding
contact with an ignition source, the vapour cloud will explode violently,
generating a significant fireball, and causing large fragments of the vessel to be
projected significant distances including massive thermal radiation and blast
waves. Chain reaction may occur if there are nearby storage tanks as a result of
the debris and thermal radiation.
Kind regards,
Godwin Agama

Show parent | Reply

by Lindsay McCracken - Friday, 20 May 2016, 8:42 AM

A BLEVE can be generated in such vessels through the following process,
An external fire acts on the vessel increasing the temperature within the vessel
and this in turn increases the pressure within the vessel due to vapor build up.
As the fire continues and the temperature rises, the internal pressure of the
vessel reaches a point where it activates the pressure relief valve and vents off
the vapor to atmosphere.
This venting is likely to ignite and this event is often heard as an increase in
noise (roar) during the event.

As the vapor is vented off the liquid level within the tank drops as the fluid
evaporates and is continuously vented off via the pressure relief valve.
The liquid which has better cooling properties than the vapor drops to a point
where the flames contact the vessel above the liquid point and this intense
increase in temperature on the vessel causes the vessel to rupture. This
rupturing of the vessel and the subsequent drop in pressure allows the liquid to
boil rapidly and releases a large vapor cloud that ignites in a violent manner
causing a significantly large ball of fire/explosion where the vessel itself (or
parts of) can be blown a considerable distance.

Show parent | Reply

by David Barwick - Thursday, 2 June 2016, 5:03 PM

Hi Will
I have read through the replies and found them interesting and varied is it
possible for you to say if any of the answers are better placed as the type of
answer required for an outline description for this and other questions on the
forum once you have a selection of replies.
Regards
Dave
Hi Will I see you do this already ;-)
Past Exam Questions for June Candidates - 2

by Will Taylor - Tuesday, 19 April 2016, 2:15 PM

Hello students,
Here is this week's question. Please send me your answers.
Within an oil and gas production platform, effective shift handovers can prevent
incidents.
Outline practical operational issues that should be communicated at shift

handover. (8)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply
Re: Past Exam Questions for June Candidates - 2

by Kumitha Reddy - Wednesday, 20 April 2016, 8:24 AM

(q) Outline practical operational issues that should be communicated a shift
handover.
o Present operational status.

o Clearance of permit to work.
o Emergencies occurred during the shift.
o Operational issues that will occur in the on coming shift.
o Situations where safety systems have been over ridden.
o (.e.g. fire deluge system switched to manual operation).
o Deviation from normal working such as breakdowns, lack of spare
parts replacement equipment.
o Incidents or injuries following accident during the shift.
o Events (drill or exercises) planned during the on-coming shift.
o Handover of permits to work is open
o Maintenance completed
o Maintenance still ongoing
o Up dating PTW closed out or still open
o Any events that happened during the outgoing
shift,emergencis,incidents,accidents,breakdowns,plant over
rides.
o Situations where safety systems have been overridden e.g fire
deluge system switched to manual operation.
o Planned for any events like drills exercises
o Operational issues that will occur during the on-coming shift.
o Change in plant parameters.

Show parent | Reply

by TANO YANNICK - Wednesday, 20 April 2016, 3:03 PM

practical operational issues that should be communicated at shift handover
include;
1. operational status of the process plant or installation.

2. maintenance operations started and completed.
3. maintenance issues started,but not finished.
4. clearance of permits to work.
5. handover of permit to work which is still open.
6. situations where the safty critical systems have been overriden (fire
deluge system switched to manual).
7. deviation from normal working conditions such as lack of
spares,repairs,replacement of equipment etc.
8. emergency situations which occur during the shift.
9. incidents/accidents which results to an injury during the shift.
10. maintenance operations planned during the incomig shift.
11. events(drills /exercises )planned during the incoming shift.

Show parent | Reply
by Will Taylor - Friday, 22 April 2016, 12:53 PM

Hello,
Not a bad answer from both students.
Tano Yannick, perhaps a bit more focus on the technical/plant related issues?
There is also some repetition of maintenance/permit to work issues. There will
only be one mark for each of these.
Here are some suggested answers:
- The condition of the process during the past shift and the past few days,
including any process upsets or problems.
- Any ongoing corrective actions in place to manage any process upsets.
- Details of maintenance work in progress, the responsibility for this needs

handing over.
- Details of ongoing permits which are still open or suspended.
- Details of safety interlocks out of service and special measures until they are
reactivated.
- Problems with instrumentation and alternative methods of monitoring the

process.
- Physical demonstration of plant isolations.
- Details on plant and equipment that is out of service.
- Details of ongoing process trials and the operating procedure to be followed.
- Details of any critical safety systems which are out of service, such as fire
deluges or gas detection systems, and the temporary controls that are in place.
Best regards,
Will Taylor
Assistant Manager Tutor Support

Show parent | Reply

by Mark Egyir Arthur - Monday, 16 May 2016, 9:25 PM

Practical operational issues that may be communicated during shift handover
includes
1. The status of the plant. This must cover all aspects of operation and
maintenance and must involve the current state of the plant,
information on any temporary operations,existing abnormal
situations and any maintenance in progress.
2. Any upsets and excursions that occured during operations should be
described and the corrective actions that were taken.
3. If any corrective actions are in progress, the departing shift should
explain the need for it and any emergency response actions activated
4. Maintenance work permits in progress. The accountability of any
maintenance works should be transfered over to the incoming
maintence work team.
5. Maintence needs that should be addressed by incoming shift should
be communicated
6. Any safety interlocks out of service, the reason for their being out of
service and the maintenance status should be communicated
7. Any incidents that occured should be communicated.
8. Any problems with instrumentation, controls or utilities should be
communicated

Show parent | Reply
by Lindsay McCracken - Wednesday, 18 May 2016, 8:13 PM

The practical operational issues that should be comunicated at shift handover
are outlined below.
Detail any ongoing maintenance that is still in progress, including any lock out
tag outs in place and open PTW, which will need to be transferred to the new
oncoming crew.
PTW status should be discussed, whether opened, suspended or closed during

shift.
Explain any process upsets or abnormalities that have occured during the
departing crew's shift and detail any corrective actions that are in place.
Any incidents or event that occured during the departing crew's shift should be
discussed
Any maintenance requirements that will be anticipated during the oncoming

crew's shift will be communicated and agreed
Problems with controls, instruments or machinery that have been experienced

during the shift need to be communicated
Any safety interlocks that are out of service should be communicated, this
includes the reason they are out of service, the maintenance status of these
interlocks and any special procedures or control measures that are required
while the safery interlock are out of service.
Past Exam Questions for June Candidates - 3

by Will Taylor - Friday, 22 April 2016, 1:04 PM

Hello students,
Here is this week's question.

I will be away on training until Tuesday 4th May. So I will post some comments
and a new question when I return.
The diagram below shows a typical arrangement for receiving a pipeline

inspection gauge (PIG). A pressure gauge (P) and a PIG detector (D) exist with
the receiver/trap. The detector (D) confirms that the PIG has been received in
the trap, having earlier been launched upstream at high pressure.

by Will Taylor - Monday, 11 April 2016, 10:01 AM

Dear Students who have registered for the June exam,
From this week onwards I will be posting one past exam question each week.
Please submit to me your best answers, and I will review these. This will give
me the opportunity to give you feedback and advice on how to improve your
exam performance.
The first advice I will give you is to read all of the available exam technique
guidance which is in this
folder: http://sheilds-elearning.com/mod/folder/view.php?id=2623
Here is your question for this week:
(a) Give the meaning of the term ‘standard operating procedure’. (2)
(b) Outline the benefits of a standard operating procedure. (4)
(c) Describe the style in which a standard operating procedure should be

written to aid understanding. (2)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply
by Godwin Agama - Friday, 15 April 2016, 4:36 PM

Hi Will,
Following the questions you posted earlier, below are my answers:
(a) Standard Operating Procedure is a set standard method of working that

controls the quality, safety, cost and delivery of operations in a work
environment. It is also known as standardised work.
(b) The benefits of Standard Operating Procedure includes:
o Helps to ensures consistency in processes.

o Assist organisations to main their process safety and quality control.
o It also ensures compliance with government regulations.
(c) Standard Operating Procedure should be kept short and simple, written in
an easy to read language and should include visual aids such as charts and
pictures in order to aid understanding.
Kind regards,
Godwin Agama

Show parent | Reply

by TANO YANNICK - Friday, 15 April 2016, 5:05 PM

(a)Standard operating procedure(SOP) is a safe method of work which enable
good control of safety,quality,cost and delivery to be achieved when performing
an activity or carrying out an installation.
(b)-SOPs are a way of ensuring consistency.They should be regarded as a
foundation on which any improvement can be developed on.
-SOPs are intended to be specific to the organisation or facility whose functions

are to be described,and also assist the organistion to achieve good process
satety control,quality and compliance with the governmental regulations.
-SOPs form the basis for training of staff.
-SOPs which uses visual aids such as charts and photos makes it easier for
workers to perform their fuctions effectively.
(c)-SOPs should be reviewed regularly and reinforced by the

management,preferably the direct supervisor.Current SOPs copies should be
readily accessible in the areas of work where the workers are performing the
particular activity ,either hard copy or computerised form,other SOPs will have
little or no importance.

Show parent | Reply

by Suresh Mungroo - Saturday, 16 April 2016, 9:37 PM

The purpose of a Standard operating procedure is to outline step by step
instructions for operating plant and equipment. The standard operating
procedure would have gone through many functional reviews by
technicians/operators as initiators, process or technical engineers for review
then operations/maintenance managers for approvals.
The standard operating procedure is intended to provide a safe, accepted and

approved means of conducting many site specific tasks such as diesel or
potable water bunkering. This procedure ensures the safe and efficient
operation of whatever process is being controlled and ensures that jobs are
completed the same way no matter who executes them. The standard operating
procedure should also have a mandatory review date e.g. every two years to
which any changes to plant via MoC, brownfield or greenfield projects will be
captured and the proper procedure will be developed to operate this
equipment/process with this new mode of operation.
Standard operating procedures should be written simply, with step by step

instructions inclusive of a check box to show when the particular step is
completed. It should also have diagrams, PIDs and C&E to illustrate the process
being manipulated and the effect of manipulating said process. It may even
include photographs of equipment or an interactive video content via
multimedia.
Regards,
Suresh Mungroo

Show parent | Reply


Hello everyone,
Thank you to those who attempted the question.
a) An SOP is a written document with a sequence of instructions on how to

complete a task. All workers who do the task would have access to this. Good
answer from Suresh Mungroo. Others are off track I'm afraid.
b) You could say that workers are more likely to do tasks in the same way,
thereby reducing variation. The organisation is more likely to comply with legal
requirements and codes of practices. Documented SOPs are part of a quality
management system, so it would encourage the use of this. They can be used
for the training and instruction of employees, ensuring they all receive the same
message. They can also be used for audit purposes, where the auditor checks
the work is being carried out as per the SOP. Good answers from Godwin
Agama and Tano Yannick.
c) You could say that they should be written clearly and be easy to understand,
not use technical jargon, include visual photos or diagrams, be written in the
language of the workers, follow an identical format to help people become
familiar with them. Good answers from Godwin Agama and Suresh Mungroo.
Best regards,
Will Taylor


exam performance.

Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply


Hi Will,


Kind regards,
Godwin Agama

Show parent | Reply






Show parent | Reply



multimedia.
Regards,
Suresh Mungroo

Show parent | Reply


Hello everyone,

Best regards,
Will Taylor


exam performance.


Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply


Hi Will,


Kind regards,
Godwin Agama

Show parent | Reply






Show parent | Reply




multimedia.
Regards,
Suresh Mungroo

Show parent | Reply


Hello everyone,

Best regards,
Will Taylor


exam performance.

Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply


Hi Will,


Kind regards,
Godwin Agama

Show parent | Reply






Show parent | Reply



multimedia.
Regards,
Suresh Mungroo

Show parent | Reply


Hello everyone,

Best regards,
Will Taylor


exam performance.

Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply


Hi Will,


Kind regards,
Godwin Agama

Show parent | Reply






Show parent | Reply




multimedia.
Regards,
Suresh Mungroo

Show parent | Reply

Hello everyone,

Best regards,
Will Taylor


exam performance.

Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply


Hi Will,


Kind regards,
Godwin Agama

Show parent | Reply






Show parent | Reply




multimedia.
Regards,
Suresh Mungroo

Show parent | Reply


Hello everyone,

Best regards,
Will Taylor

a) Outline the functions of a PIG. (4)
b) Using the information and diagram above:
i) Identify valves that must be closed before removing the PIG from the door. (2)
ii) Identify valves that must be open before removing the PIG from the door. (2)

Reply

by TANO YANNICK - Monday, 25 April 2016, 9:26 AM

a)the PIG is used to carry out the following functions;
o cleaning of the pipeline in bwtween different batches of products to

avoid cross contamination.
o inspection of the pipeline using technology to measure pipe
thickness.
o dectect leakage within the pipeline.
o push contaminants through and out of the other end of the pipeline.
b)i isolating valve B and by-pass valve C.
ii)main line isolating valve A,vent valve E and Drain valve D.
b)i isolating valve B and by-pass valve C.
ii)main line isolating valve A,vent valve E and Drain valve D.

Show parent | Reply

by Godwin Agama - Monday, 25 April 2016, 9:27 PM

Hi Will,
a) The PIG stands for Pipeline Inspection Gauge and has the following functions:
o It is used during inspection of pipelines for the purpose of

preventing leaks that can be explosive and dangerous to the
environment.
o It can be used to separate different products in a multiproduct
pipeline.
o It is also used for cleaning of pipelines to avoid cross contamination
and to empty the pipes into product tanks.
o During hydro-testing of a pipeline, PIG is used to fill used to fill the
line with water and subsequently to dewater the line after the
successful test.
b) The PIG receiver isolating valve B and bypass valve C needs to be closed in
order to remove the PIG from the door.
c) The main line isolating valve A, vent valve E and brain valve D needs to be
opened before removing the PIG from the door.
Kind regards,
Godwin Agama

Show parent | Reply

by Suresh Mungroo - Tuesday, 26 April 2016, 3:48 PM

Good day
Functions of a PIG (pipeline inspection gauge):
1. Cleaning of pipeline - to remove grease and other materials which can get
stuck in export lines while servicing of valves occur.
2. Inspection of pipeline - Intelligent PIGs have sensors which measure wall

loss, look for dents as well as measure distance. This data collected can give an
pipeline engineer data for which he/she can gauge how healthy the pipeline is.
3. Sweep liquids from line - de-watering. This is done to reduce drag in

pipelines e.g natural gas pipelines where liquids can create higher back
pressure which can lower export rates.
4. Help keep pipelines evenly treated with corrosion inhibitor and to spread
chemicals throughout pipeline run.
Identify valves that must be closed before removing the PIG from the door
Valves B, C, D and E must be closed. This is so because there is inherent

process risk by leaving vent valves lined up (espicially if the vent is piped to the
Vent Scrubber). By leaving the vent open you can have gas being returned to the
open door of the PIG receiver thereby causing a gas release. The drain line must
also be closed due to this piping leading to a HP/LP interface. Usually, these
types of valves are interlocked and closed when removing a PIG from the trap
due to possible gas release also from the drain system (espicially if the Closed
drain has blanket gas at higher pressure than atmosphere).
Identify valves that must be open before removing the PIG from the door.
Valves A, D and E must be open before removing the PIG from the trap. Valve A
due to routing the process to export instead of to the receiver. However, best
practice shows that these valves must be closed after confirming that the PIG
receiver is fully depressurized and drained. Only then should the PIG be
removed from the trap by opening the door.

Show parent | Reply

by Paul Lambert - Thursday, 28 April 2016, 11:37 AM

a; The Pipeline Inspection Gauge (PIG). Has many functions depending on
whether you use a smart PIG or a dumb PIG. Both PIGs are used for maintenance
purposes on the pipeline without stopping production through the line. They
are used to clean and inspect the line removing hydrates, wax or foreign
objects. This is done by pushing them down the pipeline with liquid or gas to
the PIG catcher. This saves on extensive line flushing or cleaning fluids.
The smart PIG is used to measure corrosion and pipe thickness along the hole
pipeline.
b i; Valves that must be closed before removing the PIG are, PIG receiver
isolating valve B, By-pass valve C, Drain valve D & vent valve E. This will allow
the main flow to be diverted to the main flow line, no uncontrolled release of
gases or liquids.
b ii; The Main Line isolating valve A must be open so flow is diverted, Drain
valve D open to release any fluids, Vent valve E for any pressure build up to
release.

Show parent | Reply

by Lindsay McCracken - Tuesday, 3 May 2016, 7:28 PM

A PIG is utilized for the following maintenance reasons and in most cases this
operation can be conducted without the stopping of the ongoing process.
Cleaning pipelines
Launched isolation pig to prevent cross contamination of products
Empty pipelines of product
Smart Pigs are also used to inspect pipelines with Inline Inspection tools. These
can monitor and record geometric data of the pipeline which could provide
engineering with an indication of damage, wear or potential leaks within the
pipeline system.
These pigs are launched from the pig launcher and retrieved from the pig
catcher, a system of isolation valves allows the installation and recovery of the
pig in a safe and controlled manner. Pressure gauges should be monitored to
confirm when the system is isolated and depressurised to allow the safe
installation and retrieval of the pig
Prior to the pig being retrieved from the door, valves C and D must be closed
and valve A confirmed as open to allow product flow as per diagram. At this
time valves E and D should be in the closed position. Both Valves E and D must
be opened to confirm the line is free from pressure and drained of product.
After confirming the line is depressurised and drained the pig can be retrieved.

Show parent | Reply

by Will Taylor - Monday, 16 May 2016, 1:13 PM

Dear Students,
Apologies for the delay in feeding back on your answers.
Lindsay, make sure you label your answers to sub-questions with a) b) c) etc.
Otherwise the Examiner may struggle to award you with marks.
a) Good answers from most students. Lindsay, whilst correct "cleaning
pipelines" is not a full outline and therefore you would not get a mark for this.
Contract this with Tano Yannick's answer, "cleaning of the pipeline in bwtween
different batches of products to avoid cross contamination." Can you see how
this answer shows greater understanding?
The functions of a PIG include (only 4 marks available, but here are 6 possible
answers):
- Cleaning of the pipeline to prevent cross contamination between products.
- Inspection of the pipeline to determine thickness of the pipe walls and lining.
- To detect leakage within the pipeline.
- To push contaminants out through the pipeline.
- Used for hydrotesting purposes by blocking the pipeline and filling it with
water, and forcing air out as the pig moves forward.
- Can be used to apply coatings to the interior of the pipeline.
b) i) Nearly everyone got this wrong. It is also interesting to read that most
students seem to think that D and E should both be open and closed when
removing the PIG. Clearly that is impossible!
Only valves B and C should be closed. This is to ensure that the hydrocarbons
cannot flow from the pipeline into the PIG launcher when the door is open.
D and E must be OPEN before opening the door, or you could end up with a
flying PIG or hydrocarbon being released. I imagine that anyone who said B, C,
D, and E must be closed would probably get zero marks for this question.
b) ii) Everyone got this right. D and E must be open as explained above. A 3rd
option is valve A, which needs to bypass the flow.
Best regards,
Will Taylor


exam performance.

Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply


Hi Will,


Kind regards,
Godwin Agama

Show parent | Reply






Show parent | Reply




multimedia.
Regards,
Suresh Mungroo

Show parent | Reply


Hello everyone,

Best regards,
Will Taylor
Past Exam Questions for March Candidates - 5

by Will Taylor - Monday, 22 February 2016, 10:28 AM

Hello students,
Here is this week's past exam question. Please send me your attempts.
(a) Petroleum storage tank fires have been substantially reduced by using
floating roofs but a fire risk may still exist.
(i) Outline how a fire risk may still exist with floating roof tanks. (4)
(ii) Identify examples of a fire protection system used on floating roof tanks. (2)
(b) Process modules in an oil and gas installation often contain computer rooms
that require fire protection.
Identify examples of fire extinguishing media that could be used in a computer

room. (2)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply
Re: Past Exam Questions for March Candidates - 5

by Arif Shah - Monday, 22 February 2016, 5:41 PM

a)
I) The fire risk may still exist with floating roof tanks due to following
1. Failure or leakage of rim seal leading to leakage of inflamable vapour from

tank which may pose a safety threat.
2. Sinking of floating roof due to heavy rain water accumuation or snow

accumulation due to poor drainage.
3. Fire which may rise due to lightening.
4. Loss of Containment due to poor maintenence and inspection.
5. Loss of Containment due to poor tank design or poor workmanship.
ii) Fire protection system used for floating roof are
1. Rim seal protection for avoiding escape of vapour from the tank.
2. Fixed foam generators or foam pourer system.
3. Construction of bund around the tank to contain leaked product (Passive fire
protection).
B) fire extinguishing media that could be used in a computer room are as

follows
1. Argonite Fire Extinguishers
2. Carbon dioxide Fire extinguishers
3. FM 200
4. Inert gas fire extinguishers

Show parent | Reply

by Aamir Mahmood - Tuesday, 23 February 2016, 4:59 PM

a) A major disadvantage from the external floating roof tank is the danger from
lightning, which can cause ignition at the rim around the roof seal, causing
major tank fires.
b) Following can be used as fire portection on floating roof tank,
1. Fixed foam installation which spread foam around the rim seal.
2. Monitor or water deluge cooling sparay can also be used.
c) Fire extinguishing media that can be used in a computer room are as follow.
1. Carbon dioxide or argonite
2. FM 200

Show parent | Reply


Hello Students,
Finally exam week has arrived. I hope your studies and revision have gone well.
Here are some final tips for you:
- Read all of the exam technique guidance we have available: http://sheilds-

elearning.com/mod/folder/view.php?id=2623
- Manage your time. Allows yourselves 1 minute for every mark. When your
time for a question runs out, then move on to the next question.
- Write more than you think is necessary. Many students lose marks because
they do not write enough detail.
And here is my review of the answer.
a) i) You could outline the following points:
- Rain/snow may land on the roof and due to inadequate drainage can cause it
to slump and allow vapours to escape.
- The roof may be hit by lightning, which could ignite vapours, particularly
around the rim of the seal.
- Overfilling the tank will force the roof to the top and allow liquid to break
through the seal and leak on top of the roof, eventually causing it to sink. The
liquid and vapour can then be ignited.
- When empty the roof will land on legs, and this will create a large vapour
space to be present inside the tank.
- Failure of the annual seal, allowing vapour to escape.
- The movement of liquid and the roof can cause the buildup of static
electricity.
ii) Over the top systems, foam pourers, and chemical systems such as DuPont
FE36.
b) CO2, FM200, inergen, argonite etc.
Best of luck to those sitting the exam!
Will Taylor
Past Exam Questions for March Candidates - 4

by Will Taylor - Thursday, 11 February 2016, 11:43 AM

Dear Students,
Here is this week's past exam question. As usual you can reply directly to the forum or
send me an email with your answer.
An operator is draining a flammable liquid from process pipe work to a metal

container. The supervisor is concerned about the possibility of an electrostatic charge
forming and stops this operation until a risk assessment is undertaken.
During this work activity:
(a) identify factors that influence the generation of the electrostatic charge; (4)
(b) outline practical ways of minimising the formation of an electrostatic charge. (4)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply

by Imo Sampson - Thursday, 11 February 2016, 11:03 PM

Factors that influences the generation of electrostatic charge include
1.means of generating an electrostatic charge
2. Means of accumulating electrostartic charge capable of producing an incidendiary

spark
3.a spark gap for the energy to jump across
4. An ignitable fuel to air mixture in the spark gap.

(b) the practical ways of minimizing the formation of an electrostatic charge includes
1. Bonding and earthing of all stationary conductive equipment to facilited free flow of
charge between conductive equipment (container) and the ground.
2. Increasing the conductivity of the floor, foot wears and tyres to ensure firm
connection between the ground and the container
3. Increasing the conductivity of the non-conductors to by incorporating it with

conductive additives .eg the humidifovation of the atmosphere.
4. avoiding huge friction between two metal work surfaces to reduced the level of
electrostatic charge generated eg not generating the capacity above what the earth can
absorbed.

Show parent | Reply

by Arif Shah - Friday, 12 February 2016, 4:57 AM

ANSWER: A) The factors that influence the generation of the electrostatic charge are
1. Abrupt closing or opening of the valve may generate static charge as by doing so we
are abruptly continuing or discontinuing the flow of hydrocarbon.
2. The pipeline from which the product is drained should be having proper bonding
and earthing so that if any static electricity is generated its gets dissipated.
3. The metal container in which the product is drained should be properly earthed to
dissipate the static charge.
4. The flow of draining should not be turbulent as it may generate static charge.
5. If the operator has worn synthetic or nylon clothes ,it may lead to static charge
generation.
B )The methods by which we can reduce the formation of electrostatic charge are
1. The draining of hydrocarbon should be done in a smooth way , valve should be
smoothly closed or opened so that the there is no abrupt stop or flow of hydrocarbon.
2. The draining pipeline and the metal containers in which the hydrocarbon are being
drained should be properly bonded and earthed so that in case of charge generation, it
is dissipated immediately. 3. 3. 3. The flow of liquid should be smooth so that the rate
of generation of static charge is less than the rate of charge dissipation.
4. If the operator should wear antistatic shoes and clothes while doing draining
activity.
5. By increasing the conductivity of non conductive substances by adding additives,

like humidification of air.
6. By avoiding striking of metals

Show parent | Reply

by Aamir Mahmood - Friday, 12 February 2016, 11:09 AM

a)
1. Movement of liquid in relation to the process pipework.
2. Splashing of liquid as it falls into the metal container.
3. Possible low conductivity of the liquid
4. Turbulent contact of dissimilar substances in the liquid.
b)
1, Using a method of drianing the pipe which minimises the turbulence i.e not pouring
or splashing.
2. Using a low transfer velocity.

3. Earthing the pipework to bleed away the charge resulting from the separation of the
liquid.
4. Earthing the metal container or ensuring it has good contact with the ground.
5. Add a conductivity additive to the liquid to increase its conductivity.

Show parent | Reply


Hello all students,
Thank you for your answers. Unfortunately there are still too few students attempting
these past questions. There are over 50 students registered for the March exam, but I
am only received 3 to 4 answers each time. Please remember that students who
practise past exam questions and get feedback from me on their knowledge and
technique are much more likely to pass the exam. Most students who fail and ask me
why they have failed have never participated in the weekly questions.
As for this static electricity question. It is clear that most students are familiar with the
course materials on this subject.
If you take Aamir Mahmood's answer, you will see it is mostly correct, albeit very basic
even for an outline question. I would recommend a little more elaboration to guarantee
you get the marks.
1. Movement of liquid in relation to the process pipework as it circulates through the

pipework.
2. Splashing of liquid as it falls into the metal container.
3. Possible low conductivity of the liquid, not allowing the static to conduct into the
metal container.
4. Separation of the liquid with the pipework as it is drained from the pipe.
5. Possibility of the metal container being placed on a non-conductive surface or not
grounded, not allowing the static electricity to discharge into the earth.
A major mistake to avoid in part a) is suggesting control measures. This is actually

asked in part b). By putting the information in part a) you will get no marks for this.
Arif Shah, you made this mistake so please work on how you read the question.
Imo Sampson, your answer to part a) is too theoretical.
In part a), Imo Sampson's answer is again not particularly relevant. There are mentions
of "tyres" even though there are no vehicles in this question. Also there is no contact of
two metal surfaces, so this would not get a mark either. The answer must be specific
to the scenario you have been given.
Arif Shah's answer in this case is very good and specific to the scenario. Aamir
Mahmood is also correct, but again quite basic and might not get full marks. More
information is needed!
Best regards,
Will Taylor
Past Exam Question for March Candidates - 2

by Will Taylor - Thursday, 28 January 2016, 2:50 PM

Hello Students,
Here is this week's question. As usual please email your replies to me or respond
directly to this forum message by clicking on Reply.
Following an annual shutdown of a process plant outline the operational control

measures that could minimise the risk of an incident before filling equipment in
preparation for start-up. (8)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply
Re: Past Exam Question for March Candidates - 2

by Arif Shah - Friday, 29 January 2016, 10:47 AM

Start-up of Operations after a maintenence shutdown is of great importance. In Oil &
gas industry particularly, it has got devastating repurcussions if not delt with care and
standard operating procedure.The various control measures and checks which we need
to take before filling equipment is prepared for start up are as follows
1. It should be checked and confimed whether all the works are completed and all the
related work permits (PTW) have been closed. (e.g. In case of Piper Alpha accident
1988, there was a work permit which was not closed , and the pump which was under
maintenence was started.It lead to leakage to hydrocarbon and ultimately a devastating
fire which blowed out the entire Piper Alpha Platform.
2. It should be checked and confirmed that all the blinds and spades have been
removed from the pipeline.Also it should be checked that all the valves and allied
equipments are in open condition so that the movement of fluid through the pipeline is
smooth without any blockage or hurdle.
3. It should be checked and confirmed whether all the drain and vents valves/points
have been closed.In case of any such valve in open condition ,it may lead to leakge of
hydrocarbon.
4. It should be ensured that all the instrumentation has been calibrated so that all the
reading are correct.
5. It should be checked and confirmed that all the machines have been de-isolated and
LOTO has been completed and closed.
6. It should be checked and confirmed that all the safety devices including ESD , gas or
smoke detection system, fire fighting system has been restored back to normal and is
maintaining the safety integrity of the Plant.
7. It should be ensured that the emergency response plan in ready.

Show parent | Reply

by Aamir Mahmood - Monday, 1 February 2016, 3:31 PM

The Operational Control measures are as follow.
1. Ensure all permits are colsed out and the equipment is ready for startup.
2.Ensure de-isolation of equipment is completed as required in the de-isolation plan.
3. Ensure no simultaneous operation interfers with the startup operation.
4. Ensure spades and blankes are removed as stated in the plan to ensure free flow of
Process fluids.
5.Ensure vents or bleed points and drains are close and or spaded where required to
prevent leaks.
6. Ensure all measuring instrument are claiberated so they record accurate date or
parameters.
7. Ensure all alrams and fire and gas detection systems are tested and working fine.
8. Ensure all ESDs systems, relief valves and deluge systems are tested and should
work on demand.

Show parent | Reply

by David Willetts - Tuesday, 2 February 2016, 1:06 AM

I would add the following points to the earlier comments:
o Conduct multi-discipline pre-start up safety review and/or risk

assessment.
o Physical checks on correct position of valves, blinds etc should include
walk through of plant to be recommissioned and mark up of P&IDs.

Show parent | Reply

by Will Taylor - Thursday, 4 February 2016, 4:49 PM

Hello all,
Great answer from all students. The answer to this question is discussed explicitly in
element 2.
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Show parent | Reply

by Jason Spurrell - Saturday, 13 February 2016, 11:07 PM

Answer:
1. Ensure all Permits to Work are closed.
2. Throughly trace all lines and confirm that all spades and blanks have been
removed.
3. Ensure all epuipment is no longer isolated (reverse LOTO).

4. All valves in the correct position, as well vents and drains closed to prevent leaks.
5. All instruments are calibrated and accurate.
6. Pressure and leak testing has been completed.
7. Gas detection systems and alarms have been tested and are operational.
8. Emergency shut down systems are working and plans in place in case of

emergency.
Past Exam Question for March Candidates - 1

by Will Taylor - Wednesday, 20 January 2016, 2:58 PM

Dear Students,
If you have registered for the March exams now is time to begin practising past exam
questions to develop and perfect your exam technique.
For the past two exams we have done the weekly questions by email only to registered
students. Overall we received many more responses than we did on the forums so we
consider this to be a success. However, I have had some requests to try it again on the
forums and, since we do our best to listen to student feedback, we have agreed. We
will review after the exam whether this change has been positive.
Between now and the exam I will post one past exam question once a week in this
forum. You are welcome to post an answer in reply, or to email me your answer
directly to will.taylor@sheilds.org
In preparation for your exam I recommend you read all of the exam technique
guidance in this folder: http://sheilds-elearning.com/mod/folder/view.php?id=2623
Here is your first question. We will start with Element 1.
Many major oil / gas incidents have occurred in recent years.
(a) Outline reasons why such incidents should be investigated by employers. (4)
(b) Identify parties, other than the employer, who may want to investigate these types
of incident. (4)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply

by Mohammad Reyazur Rahman - Wednesday, 20 January 2016, 6:27 PM

(a) Reasons why such incident should be investigated by employers: Establish chain of
events Establish reason of incident Establish root cause Establish process failure
Establish lessons learnt to prevent similar occurrences (b) Other than the employer,
who may want to investigate these types of incidents: Authorities Insurance companies
Manufactures Suppliers Note: kindly comment about my answers.

Show parent | Reply

by Arif Shah - Thursday, 21 January 2016, 5:22 PM

A) Reasons why incidents should be investigated by employer
Following are the reasons for investigating an incident
1. Investigation results will help in avoiding repetition of similar incidents.
2. To assertain loss.
3. Legislative requirements.
4. For implementing recommendations and improving overall HSE management
5. For knowledge/case sharing with industry members.
6. Moral responsibility to assertain the reason of incident.

Parties other than employer who may want to investigate are as below
1. Insurance company.
2. Trade unions.
3. Coroner, in case of death
4. Police
5. Statutory authority
6. Legislative authority
7. Safety regulatory body like HSE, OSHA

Show parent | Reply

by Will Taylor - Thursday, 28 January 2016, 9:59 AM

Hello all,
Most students answered this really well, which is not surprising because the course
materials in Element 1 cover this topic very explicitly.
Part a) is an outline question. So you do need to provide a certain level of detail.

Usually a sentence or two is sufficient. Arif Shah, somes of your points are not fully
outlined.
It is a 4 mark question, so you need to outline at least 4 separate points to get full
marks. Preferably 5 or 6 in case some points are incorrect or poorly outlined.
Here are answers that I would outline.
- To identify the immediate and root causes of the accident
- To introduce remedial control measures to prevent recurrence of the accident

- To learn important lessons of what went wrong and why, so this can be
communicated across the organisation and industry
- To demonstrate concern of management towards the workers, therefore increasing

worker morale and improving the safety culture
- Investigating accidents is a legal requirement in most countries. The accident may

need to be reported to the authorities.
- To calculate the cost of the accident, which will justify further spending on control
measures.
Part b) is a simple identify question, so just a short list is acceptable. Again it is a 4

mark question, so there needs to be at least 4 answers.
- The insurance company.
- The enforcement authorities (HSE and others).
- The coroner if there has been a death.
- The trade unions.
- The police.
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Show parent | Reply

by Jason Spurrell - Saturday, 13 February 2016, 10:51 PM

(a) Outline reasons why such incidents should be investigated by employers. (4)
Answer:
o To determine the Root and immeidates causes.
o To learn lessons.
o To improve Safety Standards
o To improve Safety Management Systems
o Demonsatrate concerns to employees and other stakeholders
o To comply with legal regualations.
(b) Identify parties, other than the employer, who may want to investigate these types
of incident. (4)
o Enforcement Authority
o Insurance Company
o Trade Unions
o Coroner (if death has occured)
o Past Exam Question for March Candidates - 3

o by Will Taylor - Thursday, 4 February 2016, 4:51 PM
o
o Hello everyone,
o Here is this week's past exam question:
o Process plants contain harmful gases such as hydrogen sulphide. Leak detection
systems are designed to identify the presence of these gases on the plant.
o Outline features of a leak detection system that could minimise risk to workers
on the plant. (8)
o Best regards,
o Will Taylor
o Student Support Tutor
o
o Reply
o Re: Past Exam Question for March Candidates - 3

o by Aamir Mahmood - Friday, 5 February 2016, 5:28 PM
o
o Following are the features of leak detection system that could minimise risk to
worker on plant.
o 1. Adequate no. of detector on location.
o 2. Height of the dectors placed.
o 3. Presence of dense gases heavier than air and will not reach the dector at a
certain height.
o 4.Dectors to be defeated by local air flow to take the gas away from the dector.
o 5.Maintenace and testing by using fault detection system.
o 6.Uniterrupted power supply in case of power failure.
o 7.Minimizing false alarm by using voting system.
o 8. Dectors are often wired together in a zone/group (like alarms, so they trigger
a zone alarm on the fire alarm panel. This method is known as zoning.
o
o Show parent | Reply

o by Arif Shah - Saturday, 6 February 2016, 6:18 AM
o
o In hazardous conditions, it is important to detect the leak of toxic gas or
flammable gas so that the people on work are alarmed and do needful
evacuation or control measure to prevent any human or economical damage.
The leak detection should be efficient enough to detect the presence of
hazardous vapour well before the situation gets alarming. The features of a leak
detection system with which it can minimize risk to workers are as follows
o 1. Alarm on detection of hazardeous gas/vapour. Whenever a hazardeous gas or
vapour is detected by the leak detection sensors, a alarm audio or/and visual is
generated in the Plant which is linked to control room or the .By this the
personel on work get an alarm that dangerous gas has leaked and needful
evacuvation or control or alarm reset may be done as required by the situation.
So by this detection system workers get a beforehand signal of any leakage.
o 2. Initiation of Emergeny shutdown device. ESD activation will trigger shutdown
of critical equiments, ROVs and other process system so that the flow of process
fluid is stopped and hence controlled from any further causing any damage.
o 3. Initiation of safety sytem. The initiation of sfatey system inclues
o - Closure of fire/blast doors of refuge and/or control room
o - Activation of HVAC - Closure of dampers
o - Activation of purging or inerting system
o - Flushing of hydrocarbon in the process
o - Activation of deluge system,,sprrinkler system etc
o
o
o by Will Taylor - Thursday, 11 February 2016, 11:40 AM
o
o Hello all,
o Generally good answers from most students who sent their answers to me.
o Answers I would outline would include:
o - The leak detectors would be positioned at a low level since H2S is heavier than
air.
o - They would be regularly calibrated so their detection is accurate. They will
activate at a small fraction/percentage of the LEL.
o - They would be connected to a control room and the detectors would alert the
operators.
o - The detectors would automatically sound an alarm in the area leading to full
evacuation of the operators, and cessation of work activities.
o - The logic controllers would send a signal to turn off equipment in the area,
thereby removing ignition sources.
o - Signal would also be sent to valve actuators to isolate services and pipes,
thereby removing fuel sources.
o - The detection system would also trigger HVAC systems to ventilate the area,
removing H2S from the atmosphere and venting it externally to a safe location.
o - Stores of hydrocarbons could be blown down, and vented externally for an
emergency removal of stored fuel sources.
o You could also mention opening of deluge systems, closing of fire/blast doors,
activation of inerting systems etc.
o Best regards,
o Will Taylor
o Student Support Tutor
o This forum has a limit to the number of forum postings you can make in a given
time period - this is currently set at 3 posting(s) in 2 days
o Importance of competence in change management

o by Selorm Alfred Nkegbe Ametewee - Thursday, 12 February 2015, 12:36 PM
o
o
Hello, please are my answers right for the question

Why is competence important in the management of change? 4 marks

i. It ensures good understanding of impact of change due to necessary technical skill acquired by
approver

ii. It also ensures the completeness of PIA and DRA through the adequacy of knowledge on PIA and
DRA by the competent person

ii. It ensures that the needed administrative and managerial skills are brought to bear on safe and
effectiveness of change
o
o Reply
o Re: Importance of competence in change management

o by Satendra Tomar - Friday, 13 February 2015, 6:51 AM
o
o Dear Seloram,
o 2nd point is beyond by understanding..
o I would write as-
o Competency ensures knowledge and experience which enable the process
owner the consequence of proposed change on the process and equipment.
o Risk Assessment before executing the change demands the competent person
so that risk can be assessed well on expereicne and knowledge.
o Knowledge and analysis of change enable the approver to approve the change or
not go for change.
o Competent person can easily identify hazards involed during change and post
change and overall and appropirate action is taken to control hazards.
o
o Pl review.
o
o Re: Importance of competence in change management

o by TAUSEEFUR REHMAN KHAN - Friday, 6 November 2015, 12:35 PM
o
o Competence and change management goes hand in hand change management
negleting competence have adverse consequences. Operators and Process
owners should be equipped with required competence in terms of knowledge
and experience to understand and perform impact analysis of change and
likewise decision to introduce or drop change in process and equipment could
be taken this is to ensure safety of those working and others affected by
change . Every change should be reviewed prior and post implementation to
study positive and negative result on health and Safety.
Question Time 5 - 2015

by Will Taylor - Tuesday, 10 March 2015, 10:43 AM

Hello all,
Here is this week's past question. Registration for the June exams will start later this
month, so it is time to begin preparation.
This question is from element 5, and I am told that a similar question appeared in the
March exam.
Identify marine hazards associated with all types of floating production, storage and
offloading units (FPSOs). (8)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply
Re: Question Time 5 - 2015

by Muhammad Farhan Mughal - Tuesday, 17 March 2015, 4:45 PM

The identified hazards are as follows ,
o leaks or gas / oil (blowouts,pipelines leaks,process leaks)

o non-process incidents (fires,chemical spill,and leaks)
o marine events ( collision of vessels,capsize or grownding )
o structural failure ( fatigue, design error)
o failue of derricks, cranes or other equipments
o dropped object during construction, crane operations, cargo transfer or
drilling operations
o transport activity incidents( helicopter crash/ fire during refuelling, capsize of
crew boats or accident to personnel during transfer )
o construction accidents ( onshore or offshore work, marine installation ,
comissioning activities , pipe laying )
o diving accidents
o slip, trip and fall hazard .

Show parent | Reply

by Will Taylor - Friday, 27 March 2015, 2:06 PM

Hello all,
I have left this question for two weeks, but have only received one reply. This is
surprising since many people are now registering for the June exam.
Anyhow, let me review Muhammad Farhan Mughal's answer.
There is a sufficient level of detail. It is a mixed answer because some are very specific
marine hazards for FPSOs and would gain marks. Others are more general and would
not gain marks.
I would expect to see answers such as:
o Extreme weather conditions.

o Long term exposure to environmental conditions (salt water, wind, cold,
ultraviolet sunlight etc.).
o Increased corrosion from salty conditions.
o Additional motions/stresses from a ship-like structure.
o Wave loading against the ship.
o Operational hazards of unloading.
o Anchoring failures.
o Collisions with passing supply vessels.
o Personnel transfer operations such as falling from gangways and baskets.
Answers relating to general hazards like slips/trips, working at height etc. would not
gain marks.
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Show parent | Reply

by TAUSEEFUR REHMAN KHAN - Friday, 6 November 2015, 7:17 AM

Identify marine hazards associated with all types of floating production, storage and
offloading units (FPSOs). (8)
1.Movement of Liquid inside partially filled Container from Wave and Current of the Sea
2. Terrorism Activities since unit operates mostly offshore can be attacked and
activities controlled by terrorists
3. Piracy;Sea Pirates can take over FPSO
4. Spillage of Flammable Oil that pollute Marine Environment and Jeopardize with
Aquatic Life
5. Poor Weather Conditions for ex electrostatis discharge from lightning will lead to

Fire and Explosions
6. Collision with Vessels and other offshore structure specifically incase of poor
mooring systems
7. Fire Explosion Hazard during transfer of flammable liquid and Gases to and from
production platforms and Tankers.
8. Impact of high intensity winds and Sea Cyclones leading to damage of
infrastructure and its domino effect.


by Will Taylor - Monday, 16 February 2015, 3:57 PM

Hello all,
Not long till the March exams. Here is a past exam question for you to try and answer:
a) In relation to fire safety, give the meaning of the following terms:
(i) vapour pressure (2)
(ii) vapour density (2)
b) Explain the relevance of vapour density in fire safety. (4)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply

by Selorm Alfred Nkegbe Ametewee - Monday, 16 February 2015, 4:47 PM

i. Vapour pressure is the force exerted by vapour that is a thermodynamic equilibrium
with it's condensed phases in a closed system
ii. Vapour density is the density of vapour relative to air
b) vapor density provides information on the nature of certain flammable gaseous

emission and the need for appropriate controls due to the fact that their relatively high
vapour densities inplies that they have the potential to settle and accumulate at lower
levels of confined spaces, basements, etc. hence pose obvious risk of fire or explosion
upon contact with an ignition source.

Show parent | Reply

by emmanuel Otu - Monday, 16 February 2015, 6:41 PM

HELLO MR TAYLOR,
a)vapour pressure can be defined as a pressure of a vapour in thermodymic

equilibrium with it condensed phases in a closed system.
b)vapour density can be defined as density of a vapour in relation to air.
the relevance of vapour density to fire safety is that;
i)vapour density explains how dense gases are,and this property also explains their
relation to the environment and personnel.eg a flammable gas with high density will
have the tendency to sink and accumulate especially in a confined space,if gotten an
ignition source will cause fire or explosion.
ii)as regards to personnel,accumulation of it in a confined space might cause

asphyxiation or suffocation.

Show parent | Reply

by Satendra Tomar - Tuesday, 17 February 2015, 5:23 AM

Hello,
part a has been answered well but part b, i would like to explain as following-
Vapour density plays a vitol role to cause fire and explosion. Low vapour density of
flammble material is less risky in comparision of high vapour density material as it
disperse upward direction being lighter while material with higer vapour density settled
at ground surface or in pit, trenches etc. can casue fire or explosion on application of
ignition source.
Example- Methane has low vapour density poses less fire and explosion risk in
comparision to LPG.
This is explain question that is why, i wrote in approx 70 words.
Will
Please review.
Regards,

Show parent | Reply

by Will Taylor - Tuesday, 10 March 2015, 10:38 AM

Hello all,
Thanks for your answers to these exam questions.
This answer was partly answered by Alfred and Emmanuel. I would also add "at a given
temperature in a closed system". You could also say that it is an indication of a liquid's
evaporation rate if you are struggling to recite the definition.

Good answers from both Alfred and Emmanuel. The key things are to mention that
vapours can be denser or less dense than air, and that denser vapours sink and less
dense vapours will rise.
Well done to Satendra Tomar for trying to fully explain the answer here. It is an explain
question, so more elaboration is required in everyone's answers, compared to the
previous questions.
There are 4 marks available, so you must say 4 things. I would suggest you mention
the following:
- That denser vapours will sink and accumulate in low parts of the workplace like
basements and confined spaces. If they find an ignition source they can then burn and
explode.
- Dense vapours tend to leave a trail of vapour to the their source. In the event of an
ignition this means that the flame can flashback and ignite the source, which is
sometimes many metres away (even hundreds of metres).
- Less dense vapours tend to rise and dissipate more easily, this makes them less
likely to be ignited as they struggle to accumulate to within their explosive range.
- However, they can still be ignited by highlevel equipment, such as lighting or

ventilation if they are able to accumulate with their explosive range.
I would also point out that answers relating to asphyxiation would not gain marks
here. This question is about FIRE safety.
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Show parent | Reply

by Bhuvanesh Singh - Sunday, 30 August 2015, 12:02 PM

Hi Will,
I wanted to add that vapor density will help in deciding the location of sensers for
detecting hydrocrabon. If vapor density is high then , sensor will be placed at lesser
height as after leakage the vapors will tend to settle and similarly density is low then
sensor will be placed at a height
Kindly review.
Thanks
Bhuvanesh

Show parent | Reply

by Ifeoma Peter- Iwuoha - Tuesday, 1 September 2015, 11:53 AM

hi can we share our views on managing contractors pls can someone post mr Wills
response pls before end of work today pls
Regards
Ifeoma.

Show parent | Reply

by TAUSEEFUR REHMAN KHAN - Friday, 6 November 2015, 6:45 AM


Can be defined as Pressure exerted by gases(Evaporating Liquid) back to the
atmosphere , its a fight between atmospheric pressure with pressure of evaporating
Vapors therefore Gases with high vapor pressure than atmospheric pressure will
easily evaporate at low tempt whereas more tempt will be required for gases whose
vapor pressure is less than that of Atmospheric Pressure.
Ans._Can be defined as density of vapor relative to air . Vapors of Flammable liquid on

being exposed to igniting source will catch fire and start burning. For vapor denser
than air (Vapor density is more than 1) while for vapor less denser than air (Vapor
density is less than 1).
Vapor density has relevance with regards to storage and Safety of Personnel, if
containers releasing dense gas its vapor could sink and if flammable collect untill
concentration is sufficient for ignition if the vapors of gas are not flammable still it
could settle down displacing oxygen in confined space causing asphxiation hazard to
individuals entering.

by Will Taylor - Wednesday, 8 April 2015, 3:18 PM

Dear students,
Outline the content of a procedure for bypassing an emergency shutdown (ESD)

system. (8)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply
by Lukas Swart - Friday, 10 April 2015, 4:51 AM

Outline the content of a procedure for bypassing an emergency shautdown(ESD)
system.
-Identify critical protection devices to be temporarily bypassed.
-Obtain approval to bypass devices through a PTW.
-Flag and identify devices to be bypassed.
-Perform the bypass.
-Monitor the bypassed or blocked out functions.
-Complete shutdown activities or maintenance to be performed.
-Return critical protective devices or systems back to normal services and verify the
functionality of those systems.
-Check and verify if all work or activities has been completed and notify the affected
personnel before removing the bypasses and flags.

Show parent | Reply

by Phani Mukunda - Thursday, 28 May 2015, 7:54 AM

HI
Under certain circumstance, there will be alternate measures to control the operational
parameters through upstream operatinal systems and its safety devices or there will be
be a need for assessing the running performance of associated systems of operation
for incorporation in Approval note. If the bypass is for significant time, MOC may be
needed.

Reagrds
Phani

Show parent | Reply


Hello,
Thank you Lukas for your reply to this past exam question on the forum. That's a great
answer, well outlined and covering all the relevant points. This question is based on
Element 3, section 3.4 which is
here: http://sheilds-elearning.com/mod/lesson/view.php?id=2611&pageid=38389
As previously discussed, there appears to be limited involvement in these past

questions on the forum, and I haven't received any comments from students stating
that they wish for this initiative to continue.
As a result we will trial a new initiative where we begin sending past questions, directly
by email, to students who have registered for the next exam. Perhaps this will have a
better impact? We will keep this under review of course. All we desire is to get the
maximum impact and benefit to you.
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Show parent | Reply

by Gielherme Alfredo-Mucata - Tuesday, 28 April 2015, 2:22 PM

Good day Will,
I would love the idea of receiving the past test question by email, I have one month
before my exam, and that will help, due to the fact that i can't login all the time, but I
get my emails on the go.
Best Regards,
Alfredo-Mucata

Show parent | Reply

by Tijo Issac - Saturday, 23 May 2015, 6:10 PM

Dear Mr ,Will Please include past exam questions in weekly basis, we will try to answer

Show parent | Reply

by Will Taylor - Wednesday, 27 May 2015, 8:54 AM

Hello Tijo Isaac,
As previously announced on the forums the weekly questions now take place via email
directly with students who have registered for the next exam. Very few people were
responding to the questions on the forums, and we are getting a better response now
they are delivered by email. So I believe this is working better.
If you have registered for the June exam but have not received these emails then
please let me know.
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Show parent | Reply

by Olugbenga Temilorun Olawale - Thursday, 28 May 2015, 4:12 PM

Hello Will,
Writing the exams next week. I have not received any questions in my mail

Show parent | Reply

by Will Taylor - Friday, 29 May 2015, 1:02 PM

Hello Olugbenga Temilorun Olawale,
I am sorry you have not received the questions. You were not on my list of registered
students. I have now corrected this and have forwarded you all the correspondance. If
you wish to send back some practice answers to me I will be happy to review these
before your exam next week.
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Show parent | Reply

by Tijo Issac - Monday, 13 July 2015, 4:24 PM

Please send weekly questions via email, already i have registered for the next exam
[Sep 2015] email : tijoissac009@gmail.com

Show parent | Reply

by TAUSEEFUR REHMAN KHAN - Friday, 7 August 2015, 4:35 PM

Content for bypassing ESD system will include following as minimum :
Identification of critical ESD to be bypassed
Obrain approval for bypassing device
Perform bypass
Monitoring byepass function to check any abnormality
Completion of activities for which ESD bypass was done
Reactivation of ESD to normal operation
Check and verify work completion
Further ensuring following
Competence of personnel involved in bypass
Identification and assessment of hazards and risk involved in bypass
Availability of parallel protection in place of critical protection
Inspection n audits to ensure adequacy of system
Question Time - Week 2 - 2015

by Will Taylor - Monday, 19 January 2015, 1:10 PM

Hello all,
Here is this week's past exam question.

In your safety role, you have been asked to take part in a risk assessment for the
preparation of a large, electrically-driven pump containing a hot, flammable liquid. The
pump needs to be stopped, the large suction and discharge valves closed, the pump
contents removed and the pump inerted in order for maintenance to be carried out.
Identify hazards AND, in EACH case, outline an associated risk with the preparation of

the pump. (8)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply
Re: Question Time - Week 2 - 2015

by ISHAKU AUDU - Monday, 19 January 2015, 11:00 PM

HAZARDS ;
HOT LIQUID, - THE HOT LIQUID POSSES A RISK OF BURNING THE MAINTENANCE
TECHNICIANS , HENCE TO MITIGATE AGAINST THIS HAZARD, PUMP HAS TO BE COOL
BEFORE WORKING ON IT and the technician should use appropriate PPE to protect from
possible burns.
FLAMMABLE LIQUID fire Hazard, - The fact that the liquid passing through this big
pump is flammable means that if in contact with oxygen and a spark, it could ignite
and cause a fire, hence we have to control this risk by inerting the pump with Nitrogen
gas after discharging all liquid from this pump, or even steam washing the pump unit
to remove traces of flammable liquid prior to starting maintenance jobs on it.
, ELECTRICAL HAZARDS- as applicable to most pumps there is an electric hazard here,

so we have to isolate the electrical power supply for this pump to discourage some one
starting the pump during maintenance. (carry out a complete LOTO) lock out and tag
out .
Potential stored energy hazards – there is a hazard of back pressure of liquid to drop
backwards to pump unit, hence we have to isolate the discharge valve and lock it to
discourage back flow of liquid from down stream process equipment,
Hazard of inlet pipe burst- the fact that we are working on this pump means that we
have isolated inlet valve, hence we need to have a work permit , stating that the unit is
out hence no operator will mistakenly push more product to the unit, otherwise we
stand a risk of high pressure accumulation at the inlet valve which can lead to burst or
valve failure.
Injury due to MECHANICAL MOVING PARTS , we have a hazard of technicians getting

injured due to working with mechanical moving components of this huge pump, hence
proper tools should be used in handling the pump, and appropriate PPE deployed to
minimize risk of injury to staff.

Show parent | Reply

by emmanuel Otu - Wednesday, 21 January 2015, 8:09 AM

good morning Mr taylor, hazards associated to this are: a)it is a flammable liquid
b)failure of valve or valve not closed well could result to spillage c)A failed stop button
could result to fire d)during pump inerting,eg using nitrogen gas, if the oxygen is
lower than the nitrogen by 19.5%, the nitrogen will cause an axphyxiation. Associated
risk are: a)On release of the flammable liquid and ignition source, will result in a fire.
b)valve failure will result in spillage and it will cause damage to the environment. c)as a
result of a failed button, as a result of this will allow the pump to run such in a long
time and thereby get so hot and finally cause an explosion or fire. d)the pump content
removed, when inhaled or breath can cause some drowsiness and irritant to the skin,
eye. please do read and have a correction on this

Show parent | Reply


Hello all,
Thank you for your answers to this week's question.
In your safety role, you have been asked to take part in a risk assessment for the
preparation of a large, electrically-driven pump containing a hot, flammable liquid. The
pump needs to be stopped, the large suction and discharge valves closed, the pump
contents removed and the pump inerted in order for maintenance to be carried out.
Identify hazards AND, in EACH case, outline an associated risk with the preparation of

the pump. (8)
It is an 8 mark question. SInce you are asked to identify both hazards and risks then
you can correctly assume that you would get 4 marks for 4 hazards, and then another
4 marks for the associated risks.
In terms of structure it is probably best to first identify a hazard, and then write its
associated risk. The risks must be linked to the hazards to get the marks. If the risk is
not linked, then you would probably only get marks for the hazards.
Both answers received from students would get reasonable marks. Emmanuel Otu, I am
not sure why you say the stop button has failed, this is not something identified in the
scenario.
I would identify and outline the following:
o Hot liquid, which can result in burns to skin, face, and eyes upon accidental
contact with the maintenance engineer during removal of the liquid.
o The liquid is flammable. In the presence of an ignition source the flammable
vapours could ignite causing a fire. There is also the potential for an
explosion if the vapours can accumulate in the right concentration.
o Inert gas such as nitrogen. The gas displaces the oxygen in the air and has
the potential to asphyxiate nearby personnel.
o Potential for accidental start up of the pump during maintenance. This can
cause several risks such as damage to the valves, leakage of nitrogen and
resulting asphyxiation, ejection of liquid and material under pressure and
causing physical injuries, and electrical and mechanical risks if the engineer
is exposed to live or moving parts.
Best regards,
Will Taylor
oF

Show parent | Reply


Associated hazards n risks r as follows
Contact with live parts-Electrocution
Contact with hot flammable liquid- Burn injury
Flammable liquid contact with ignition source- Fire n Explosion
Entanglement with pump mechanical parts -Body part injury


Hello Students,
Here is the first past exam question of the new year. As usual it is completely optional,
but if you are preparing an for the March exam then you would be wise to submit an
attempt to me.
On an oil and gas production platform asset integrity includes testing of safety critical
systems such as fire detector operation.
Outline additional safety critical systems that may be tested. (8)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply

by Igbon Oyakhire-Ifijeh - Thursday, 8 January 2015, 3:34 PM

The safety critical Systems to be tested are:
The fire pumps, gas leak detectors, overfill or temperature sensor, emergency alarm
systems, water sprinklers, emergency shutdown e.g POP activation, lifting equipments,
radio/communication systems, automatic fire door systems.

Show parent | Reply

by Dheerendra Singh - Friday, 9 January 2015, 2:21 PM

ESD technology such as-mounted sensors, valves and trip relays, system logic
controllers for processing of incoming signals, alarms, Human to Machine Interface
Units, and mechanical devices which physically close the valves, dampers, doors or
other equipment.
auxiliary safety systems (for example, fire doors, deluge systems, HVAC systems,
depressurisation system etc)
equipment such as generators or pumps, emergency generators or power

supplies,blow down valves, blowdown pipes, pressure relief valves for flare system,
steam injection system for pilot flame, fire detectors, smoke detectors, heat detectors,
toxic gas and hydrocarbon gas detectors, level detectors and remote readouts,
pressure detectors and remote readouts, all thermometers and pressure gauges .

Show parent | Reply
by Christian Okwuoha - Saturday, 10 January 2015, 11:38 PM

The additional safety critical systems that may be tested are as follows:
o Gas detectors- this is essential for testing or detecting the presence of a

flammable vapour or gas especially in the event of a leak. therefore
periodical testing is necessary to avoid failure.
o fire detectors- designed to raise an alarm or alert personnel/control room
operatorts of the presence of fire in the plant or installation
o water sprinklers/deluge systems- this is a form of active fire protection
system that is automatically activated when a fire is detected. it requires
periodical testing even though it is time consuming and expensive
o temporary refuge- this is a place that is designed so personnel can muster
safely in an emergency, monitor and either take control action or initiate
evacuation. all associated elements need to be tested.
o HVAC- this should be tested to ensure the prevention of ingress of gases to
levels of concentrations that may be dangerous to personnel in the event of
a release of a toxic gas for instance.
o ESD systems- this include pressure valve, pressure relief devices etc., these
are designed to shut-off or shut-down an entire process or
operation/system when hazardous levels are detected. it does not
necessarily require human intervention so testing and inspection is highly
necessary.
o fire pumps- in the event of a fire outbreak, this device ensures water is
pumped into distribution systems such as a hose reel to fight the fire
o emergency lightings.
Hi Wills, is this adequate? will it earn marks? help out

Show parent | Reply


Hello all,
Thank you for your attempts to answer the question.
The answer by Christian Okwuoha is very good. All individual systems are
bulletpointed, with a brief outline of each system.
The only part which would not gain a mark is the last bulletpoint "emergency lightings"
which is not outlined.
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Show parent | Reply

by Satendra Tomar - Wednesday, 28 January 2015, 12:07 PM

Hi,
Can We not add, Pressure guages specially in BOP assembly whihc also a critical
equipments in the prevention of Blow out.
Regds,
Tomar

Show parent | Reply


Hello Tomar,
Thank you for your post.
Yes, the pressure gauges would also be a good choice.
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Show parent | Reply


Additional safety critical equipment includes following as a minimum :-
Emergency shut down device
Pressure relief valves
Blow out preventor
Hvac systems
Emergency lighting
Fire fighting system
Deluge system
Lifting equipment
Programmable logic controls
NDT of corrosion
Radio n telephones
Weather forecast system
Leak test of vessels and pipeline

by Will Taylor - Friday, 27 March 2015, 2:08 PM

Hello all,
Here is this week's question, on Element 4.
(a) Petroleum storage tank fires have been substantially reduced by using floating roofs
but a fire risk may still exist.
(b) Process modules in an oil and gas installation often contain computer rooms that
require fire protection.
Identify examples of fire extinguishing media that could be used in a computer room.

(2)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply

by Andries Brand Visagie - Thursday, 2 April 2015, 7:59 AM

Hi Will
This may be a bit late but I see no one else has answered this question and we can't
leave questions unanswered, do we?
Question a
i. Without proper inspections and maintenance, flammable vapours can leak through
the seals which can then be ignited when introduced with an ignition source, which is
normally lightning strikes.
ii. Fixed surface application systems which discharges a foam solution through spray
nozzles and for smaller fires a hand held foam extinguisher can be used.
Question b
Inert gas fire extinguishers (eg. CO2 and argonite) or DCP (Dry chemical powder)
extinguishers can also be used
Please review Will
Kind Regards
Brand Visagie

Show parent | Reply

by Will Taylor - Wednesday, 8 April 2015, 3:16 PM

Hello all,
Again I have received only one attempt at this question. Thank you Brand Visagie.
I am considering suspending the weekly question initiative unless it is used by

students. Instead we may only do this for students who have registered for the exam.
Please let me know your thoughts on this before I make a decision.
(a) Petroleum storage tank fires have been substantially reduced by using floating roofs but
a fire risk may still exist.
Brand Visagie, you would get two marks for the first question. Remember, for a 4 mark
question you would need to outline 4 different ways a fire risk could still exist. With
only two points, you limit yourself to 2 marks.
I would also suggest sinking of the roof due to poor water leakage, and also when the
tank has been emptied and the roof has "landed" there will be the presence of vapours
in the empty space. There is also the potential for static electricity to ignite any
escaping vapours, or vapours contained in the space between the seals.
Quite a good answer from Brand Visagie. I would suggest mentioning "automatic" and
"manual" in your answer to improve it and guarantee the marks.
(b) Process modules in an oil and gas installation often contain computer rooms that
require fire protection.
Identify examples of fire extinguishing media that could be used in a computer room. (2)
Two marks to Brand Visagie for identifying CO2 and Argonite. Dry powder would never be
used in a computer room, it would cause almost as much damage as a fire. You could
mention water mist (not water) and other inert gases or specialist media like FM200.
As I said, please let me know if you wish me for me to continue this weekly question
initiative on the forums. If there is a major expression of sentiment then it shall continue.
Otherwise I shall restrict it to students who have registered for exam and will conduct it
privately by email for those who wish to take part.
Best regards,
Will

Show parent | Reply

by Lukas Swart - Friday, 10 April 2015, 5:04 AM

(a)i
A flammable mixture of air and vapour can collect in the seal if this seal is damaged.
This damaged seal and flammable mixture can be vulnerable to lightning strikes and
cause fires.
(ii)Foam systems are used with automatic or manually activated foam discharge
manifolds around the rim of the seal when any fire my exist around the rim.
Portable foam firefighting systems and hose lines can also be used.
(b)
Carbon dioxide(CO2)
Dry chemical
Halon, but this is phasing out and not used anymore
FM200

Show parent | Reply

by Adje Absalom Etekou - Tuesday, 14 July 2015, 9:26 PM

Good day Will Taylor,
weekly questions are very helpful as it assist in improving the way to answer the exam
questions. i am keen at this initiative , ,
Thanks

Show parent | Reply

by Jeremiah Owolabi - Monday, 3 August 2015, 9:34 PM

plss continue will am studying ofline the only time i get to see past questions is from
this forum
Bypassing ESD Question

by Diego Bello Palacios - Tuesday, 16 September 2014, 12:41 PM

Hi Will,
I have this question on procedures for bypassing an emergency shutdown (ESD), I

thought it was somehow related to this week's question therefore good to see and
understand the content of both procedures.
As always, I include my attempt to answer it and wellcome Will's and other people's
corrections and attempts to answer this question.
Best wishes,
Diego
Outline the content of a procedure for bypassing an emergency shutdown (ESD)

system. The following steps should be followed when placing a critical protection
device in bypass:
1. Identify critical protection devices to be temporarily bypassed
2. Obtain approval to bypass devices
3. Flag devices to be bypassed
4. Perform bypass
5. Monitor the bypassed or blocked-out functions
6. Complete startup, shutdown, operation, maintenance, or testing activities
7. Return critical protective device or system to normal service, and verify functionality
8. Check/verify work completion and notify affected personnel before removing the
bypasses and flags

Reply
Re: Bypassing ESD Question

by Will Taylor - Wednesday, 17 September 2014, 9:32 AM

Hi Diego,
Yes your answer is correct. In addition to what you have written, I think a brief mention
about risk assessment and determining the temporary controls should gain a mark.
This is a key step before approval. There is also a communication requirement, with
operators of different shifts needing to know what the changes are, so a mention of
handovers and recording information in a logbook might also gain a mark.
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Show parent | Reply
Re: Bypassing ESD Question

by thor arnoud blasweiler - Sunday, 29 March 2015, 11:36 AM

1 assessment of altenative levels of protection 2 gain authorisiation from OIM or
installation manager 3 time and period of bypass defined and bound 4 clear and good
communication between all parties involved in bypass procedure. 5 informing all
supervisors 6 bypass actions be logged in operators logbook 7 identifying the ESD 8
Bypass ESD be logged in bypass logbook
This forum has a limit to the number of forum postings you can make in a given time
period - this is currently set at 3 posting(s) in 2 days
Typical Permit to work

by Tijo Issac - Monday, 16 February 2015, 4:26 PM

1,Outline the contents of a typical permit to work? 2,Outline how to contents of a hot
work permit are different to a typical permit to work?

Reply
Re: Typical Permit to work


Dear Tijo,
it could have better to ask identify or list rather than outline or if in case of outline
question marks could have higher.
Any way my answer-
Contents of PTW-
1. Description of work activity
2. Date of issue of permit
3. Name of equipment / vessel involved in work
4. Time of permit issue
5. Validity of permit to work with date and time
6. Exact locaion of work
7. Name of Permit holder
8. Name with signature space of permit issuer and acceptor

For 2 marks it is enough, what i think.
Hot work permit is different as in general hot work is issued for a shift and without
renewal in many organisation (Even some standard recommends it). It requires placing
of portable fire exintuisher, provision of fire watch, continous monitoring of flammable
gases, provision of inerting/purging of equipment/process line.
For 2 marks.
Dear Will,
Pl review.

Show parent | Reply

by Will Taylor - Tuesday, 17 February 2015, 9:10 AM

Hello Satendra Tomar,
Thanks for your contribution on the forum.
Your answers are very much on the right track. However, they are not fully outlined.
This answer would be satisfactory for an "identify" question. A little more depth is
required for an "outline".
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Show parent | Reply


Thanks will for review.
Same thing, i had already mentioned as it was two marks question and i wrote for
identity not for outline.
Thanks for guide.
Regards,

Show parent | Reply

by Selorm Alfred Nkegbe Ametewee - Wednesday, 18 February 2015, 4:41 PM

Hello Will
Kindly confirm my answer too..
Content of Permit To Work System
i. Description of scope of work to be carried out.

ii. Indication of date, location and equipment involved
iii. Specification of time limit for permit validity eg. 1 shift, a day etc.
iv. Identification of any isolation that may be required eg. for electricity, machinery
v. Identification of hazards, associated risks and precautions required eg gas testing
etc.
vi. Identification of person who has authority to issue i.e issuing authority
vii. Identification of person to whom permit is issued i.e performing authority
viii. Provision made for permit extension
ix. Provision made for permit hand back, cancellation and handover of work exceeding
shift
x. Proper display of permit at control room, site of work and copy kept with issuing
authority

Best Regards

Show parent | Reply

by Will Taylor - Thursday, 19 February 2015, 5:24 PM

Hello Selorm Alfred Nkegbe Ametewee,
Thanks for your forum post.
Your answers are well outlined. With 10 good answers you would get full marks on an
8 mark question.
Best regards,
Will Taylor
safe operating envelope

by Tijo Issac - Tuesday, 17 February 2015, 3:14 PM

1,Give a meaning of safe operating envelope? 2,Identify operating parameters that area
part of a safe operating envelope with an oil and gas plant? Ans: 1,modern process
facilities rely heavily on their alarm system and safety instrumented system to maintain
operations within a so called 'safe operating envelop, the SOE comprises a set of limit
that and ensure safe operation of the equipment and process, initially these limit may
be set by the process and mechanical design Ans: 2, 1,Level 2,Pressure 3,Flow
4,Temperature 5,Corrosion rate Please refer the answers, if any correction please
advice me,

Reply
Re: safe operating envelope
by Satendra Tomar - Wednesday, 18 February 2015, 6:27 AM

Thanks Tijo for raising question.
My answers-
Meaning of SOE-
Safe operating envelope is limit of process parameters,it respected, ensure safe

operation of process and equipment in a process industry.
Parameters-
1. Pressure of operating lines, equipment and vessel
2. Temperature of process lines and equipments
3. Level in tanks, vessel etc.
4. Flow of fluid in processl lines
Dear Will,
Pl review.
Regards,

Show parent | Reply
Re: safe operating envelope

by Will Taylor - Wednesday, 18 February 2015, 8:18 AM

Hello,
Thank you both for your contributions to the forum. You are both on the right track
with these questions and the exam technique is good.
Best regards,
Will Taylor

by Will Taylor - Friday, 7 November 2014, 9:54 AM

Hello everyone,
Here is this week's exam question. It is slightly later in the week than usual, and I will
provide feedback to any answers you provide on Wednesday November 12th.
Within an oil and gas production platform, effective shift handovers can prevent
incidents.
Outline practical operational issues that should be communicated at shift handover. (8)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply

by Zafirobison Franck Hery - Friday, 7 November 2014, 11:53 AM

hello
please check and advise

Outline practical operational issues that should be communicated at shift handover. (8)
Operational status of the process in order for the coming shift to understand what is
going on
Any changes of operation required during the forthcoming shift in order to be ready
and follow up
Any emergencies or abnormal events that had occurred during the shift in order to
avoid occurrence or action to be in place
All maintenance activities that is completed so that the equipment can be started up
and can be used if necessary
All maintenance activities started but not yet completed to avoid any accidental start
up
All permit to work status. Which of them is completed, handed over or still on going
Any emergency drills planned for the forthcoming shift in order for them to get ready.
Any routine task for the forthcoming shift (which has ben done and not)
Any equipment that has been bypassed and the solution that has been in place
franck
regards

Show parent | Reply

by Daniel Ngodigha - Friday, 7 November 2014, 11:17 PM

Outline practical operational issues that should be communicated at shift handover
1. maintainance or operational activities that has to be extended to the other shift.

2. Any anomaly or near misses during the previous shift
3. Any inhibition/overides or defects during the previous shift
4. Status of all permits and in previous shift.
5. Status of all Process or electrical isolation in the previous shift.
6. Changes in operations, i.e MOC
7. Any emergency during the previous shift
8. Any planned activity for the new shift.

Show parent | Reply

by Christo Beylefeld - Sunday, 9 November 2014, 4:55 AM

- Any maintenance work that was completed, still in progress and that should be
addressed,
- Any incidents/ accidents,
- Any process upsets and corrective action taken,
- Safety interlocks that are out of service and the reasons,
- The current state of the unit,
- Any temporary operations,
- Any problems regarding instrumentation, controls or utilities,
- Any abnormal situations

Show parent | Reply
by Will Taylor - Thursday, 13 November 2014, 9:52 AM

Hello everyone,
One of the biggest mistakes students can make at Certificate level is to fail to give
enough information and detail for an Outline question. Outline requires more effort
than a list (in an Identify question). It is not about the length of your answer. It is about
demonstrating some understanding of the subject. You cannot demonstrate
understanding with only a few words.
Zafirobison Franck Hery, you have outlined properly. Well done!
Daniel Ngodigha and Christo Beylefel, some of your points are not fully outlined, so
you would not get marks for these. Elaborate more on your answers, and show the
Examiner that you understand what you are talking about.
Shift handover is discussed in some detail in Element 2, and you will find at least 8
good operational issues on this
page: http://sheilds-elearning.com/mod/lesson/view.php?id=1539&pageid=23542
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Show parent | Reply

by Daniel Ngodigha - Thursday, 13 November 2014, 4:06 PM

Thanks will for the response and advice.

Show parent | Reply

by Satendra Tomar - Monday, 2 February 2015, 9:31 AM

Operational discussion during shift handover-
1. Production parameter- produciton parameters like quality, target, realibility,

sweatness of crude, H2S Content should be discussed which are varied from
design/expected level and action taken in case of major deviations in last shift, if any.
2. Process Informations- Parameter like crude/HC Flow rate, upstream pressure,

temperature and deviation from normal values, if any in during outgoing shift.
3. Manitenance Work- Any maintenance work which has been carried out during
operation in last shift and any which is continue in incoming shift.
4.Safety critical equipments- Information regarding all critical equiment ( PRV, Sensors,
gas tester etc) to be passed if any of them has bypassed or under maintenance.
5. If there is any emergency during production occured in the last shift, that to be
informed with action taken to normalise the operation.
6. HOT Work & PTW- Any hot work which is continuring during last shift and proposted
to be continue in shift and other Critical PTW issue information to be given to know the
risk.
7. Operation of standby equipments- information must be passed during shift

handover about the standby equipments which have been taken in operation with
reasons.
8. Emergency system- Emergency system which is/are shutdown/bypass/ under

maintenance etc should be discussed during shift handover which can be panic if not
shared.
Dear Will Pl review my answer.
Regds,
Tomar

Show parent | Reply


Dear Will,
Hope you enjoyed your leave.
pl review above answer.
Regards,
Identify the steps of risk management and outline each of the

steps - 8 marks
by Selorm Alfred Nkegbe Ametewee - Monday, 16 February 2015, 2:59 PM

Hello Will, Please regarding the steps of risk management.. Are these the right
answers?

step 1 - identify the hazards
A list of hazards must be identified through brainstorming, workplace
inspection, consultation, accident/incident data, industrial knowledge, common
knowledge, common sense etc.

Step 2 - assess the risk
All significant risk from hazards identified myay be evaluated based on their
probability of occurrence and the severity of consequence when they occur using any
of the varius risk assessment techniques such as HAZAN, HAZOP, Probability matrix
etc.

Step 3 - manage the risk
Risk must be managed based on individual risk levels. the hierarchy of controls or the
nine principle of risk management can be used to ensure that risks are eliminated or
mitigated to level ALARP

Reply
Re: Identify the steps of risk management and outline each of the
steps - 8 marks
by Will Taylor - Monday, 16 February 2015, 3:59 PM

Hello Selorm Alfred Nkegbe Ametewee,
Thank you for your forum post.
Yes you are on the right track with this. However, I would also add monitoring and
review to the steps.
Best regards,
Will Taylor
Question from past paper

by Satendra Tomar - Saturday, 14 February 2015, 7:51 AM

Typical Arrangements to protect the structural integrity of the sphere?(4 marks)
1. Leg Support- Lef suppport of sphere should be designed with passive fire proteciton
system like materil of construciton and coating to withstand in case of fire.
2. Deluge system- Arrangement of deluge system should be arranged to protect the

shphere from high thermal radiation due to surrounding fire.
3.Detection system- Fire and gas detection system should be installed in the sphere
for detection and immediate action.
4. Corrosion monitoring and painting to be on continuous basis to measure the

thickness of shell and to maintain mechanical integrity.

Pl review
Regards,
4.

Reply
Re: Question from past paper

by Leonel Graca - Sunday, 15 February 2015, 6:27 PM

I replied to this and gave similar answer. I am not sure if your first item would be clear
enough. Maybe its just me.
good luck for March

Show parent | Reply
Re: Question from past paper


Hello,
The above answer is correct. However, no command word has been provided. I assume
it is an outline? The answer is sufficiently clear to me.
Best regards,
Will Taylor
thermal radiation?
by Tijo Issac - Friday, 13 February 2015, 11:37 AM

1,Identify event that produce thermal radiation? Ans: when a pressurized flammable
liquid with a vapour pressure greater than atmosphere is released from a tank, rapid
evaporation occurs, the ignition of such a release is likely to create a fireball which
create an intense source of thermal radiation Please check the answer and advice if any
correction,

Reply
Re: thermal radiation?


Dear Tijo,
its identify questions and asking events therefore i think it must be written as-
1. From flare stack due to buring of hydrocarbon.
2. From Pool fire and jet fire
3. Fire ball due to release of huge amount of flammable liquid.
4. Furnace
Pl review.

Show parent | Reply
Re: thermal radiation?


Hello,
Satendra Tomar's answers are correct.
Since this is an "identify" question, you can answer with a simple list such as:
- Pool and jet fire.
- BLEVE
- Flare ignition and burning.
etc.
If the question has 8 marks available then you would need to provide 8 different
examples.
Best regards,
Will Taylor
Identify the information that might be included on a checklist for

investigation following the occurrence of
by Selorm Alfred Nkegbe Ametewee - Thursday, 12 February 2015, 1:11 PM

Hello please regarding the subject above. Can the information in the checklist for
incident investigation be the following.
- Witnesses statement
- Photographs
- Measurement made and recorded
- Control room data
- Risk assessment
- Method Statement
- Previous H&S meeting minutes
- CCTV Footage
- Permit to work
- Safe system of work
- Maintenance recorded
- Training records
- Medical records
- Computer print out
- Log Books entries
- Audits, inspection report

i am a bit confused since I assume the above is rather sources of information for
accident investigation.

if I am to be specific with the information to be part of checklist I can mention the
following ;

- Name of persons injured
- Name of withness
- Place of the incident
- Date and time incident happened
- Persons involved in the incident
- Chemicals involved
- Damaged equipment
- What was the incident?
- What were the leading causes?
- What were the underlying causes?
- How the incident happen?
- What activities were being carried out at the time?
- Was there anything unusual about the working conditions?
- What precautions should have been taken ?
- What precaution were actually taken?
- What training should have been received?
- What training was actually given
- Was the training given adequate?

So between the two which beat solves the question ?
Outline the content of procedure for bypassing an emergency

shutdown system - 8 marks

hello please can the answer to the question be the following..
i. Identify the ESD system to be temporarily bypassed.
ii. Obtain approval to bypass the system
iii. Flag devices to be bypassed( tag)
iv. Perform bypass
v. Monitor the bypassed or blocked out functions.
v. Complete the purpose for bypassing such as start up, shutdown, operation,
maintenance or testing activities
vi. Return emergency shutdown system to normal service and verify functionality
vii. Check and verify work completion and notify affected persons before removing the
bypasses and flags.
Risk management tools and techniques

Hello please can the following answers be right
A) Identify risk management tools and techniques - 6 marks

i. Quantitative risk assessment
ii Qualitative risk assessment
iii. Hazard analysis
iv. Hazard operability studies
v. Failure mode and effect analysis
vi. Bow tie risk assessment

B) identify the steps of risk management and outline each of the steps - 8 marks

i. Identification of hazards

This involves brainstorming, workplace inspection, job safety analysis, checklist among many others to
identify hazard pertaining to installations, process plants and facilities and work activities

ii. Identification of those who may be harmed and how..

This will depend on the the number of persons on board, wether accommodation is available, the
maintenance, operation personnel and other staff available

iii. Evaluate the risk and the adequacy of controls

Risk should be evaluated in terms of likelihood of occurrence and severity of impact when it occurs
through tools such as QRA, HAZAN, FMEA etc. Also existing controls must be assessed to determine
their adequacy to control risk

iv. Record finding and implement controls

Employer who employs 5 or more workers is required by law to record the result of risk assessment. Also
control measures must be implemented to reduce risk to level as low as reasonably practicable

v. Review and update risk assessment

Risk assessment must be reviewed for significant changes to aspect that it's relate to such as significant
change in work process, structural alteration, change in equipment and staff etc. and then updated to
ensure relevance, adequacy and completeness

C) Identify project phases where risk management applies - 6 marks

i. Design
ii. Commissioning
iii. Startup and shutdown
iv. Combine operation
v. Significant modifications
vi. Decommissions
Identify the actors or conditions that may influence the likelihood

of failure modes ?

please in relation to the subject can the answers be the following?
i. The susceptibility of material in terms of material properties

ii. The duration of exposure to stress, heat and a corrosive environment
iii. The level of exposure temperature
iv. Variations of exposure temperature
v. The magnitude of applied load causing tensile or compressive stress beyond
threshold
water risks
by Adenike Obatola - Monday, 24 November 2014, 4:33 PM

Identify risks with water in oil and gas installations and give a practical example in
each case

Reply
Re: water risks
by Kingsley Efetobore Umolo - Sunday, 30 November 2014, 12:04 PM

Burns from water vapour
legionella exposure in poorly maintained water cooling system
Bacteria presence if water not circulated
Blockage of pipe work due to formation of hydrates
Blockage of pipe work due to water icing
Over heating of systems due to water starvation
Corrosion of equipment or pipe
Slips or fall due to water spillage

Show parent | Reply
Re: water risks

by Will Taylor - Monday, 1 December 2014, 9:55 AM

Hello,
The risks you have identified are correct, but I would suggest that you provide further
detail on the examples to ensure that they are "practical" examples.
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Show parent | Reply
Re: water risks
by Satendra Tomar - Thursday, 5 February 2015, 5:25 AM

Water Risk in Oil & Gas installation-
Steam Leak- Steam used for either flaring, or any other heat exchange medium in HC
proces may lead to burn/injury.
Temprature of Water- Fluctuation of temp. of water can lead to bursting of lines in low
temperature. Eg. Utility water lines freeze and cause bursting in minus temp may lead
to burst of lines.
Water wetting- water leak can wet the clothing of workers enhance the electrocution
consequence working on offshore abouve water work like scaffolding erection.
Offshore water risk- Water spray and wetting can lead to hypothermia eg. workers
working above water.
High pressure water lines- Maintenance work near high pressure water lines eg. Boiler
lines can lead to flush to body can lead to injury.
Fall from height- While working over water at offshore (Lifitng, Scaffloding erection
etc.) has risk of fall from height at water surface may lead to injury.
Diving- There is always a risk of breathing, communication failure during diving

operation at offshore installation.
Corrosion- Water or moisture is one essential factor for corrosion which cause leakage,
loss of containment of storag and other HC process vessels.
Fire fighting- Water jet, hydrant at high pressure have risk of pressurise water injection
to fire figher during fire fighting with water medium.
Dear Will,
Please review.
Kind Regards,
Tomar

Show parent | Reply
Re: water risks

by Sylvia Vella Warinda - Saturday, 7 February 2015, 9:24 AM

Hello Will,
The question is asking to identify risks associated with water, must you give examples
to gain the full marks?

Show parent | Reply
Re: water risks


Yes Warinda,
As per guidance for guide work, in identify, We have to write a phrase/line...what i

have written may be a good answer for Outline.
Thanks for writting.
Regards,
Tomar
shutdown and startup. additional answer

by emmanuel Otu - Saturday, 31 January 2015, 12:50 PM

A)Permit to work must be closed out properly b4 startup. B)all isolated eqipments must
be de-isolated b4 startup. C)all emergency route and plan must be made available
by Will Taylor - Monday, 8 September 2014, 12:13 PM

Hello all,
For the students who have not yet visited the new site, here it is and welcome! All
future weekly questions will now be asked on here and not on the "old" website.
Here is this week's question. As usual, participation is not mandatory but if you are
preparing for the December exam then you might find the practice useful.
Let's start with a nice and easy "identify" question from Element 5.
A road tanker is being driven from an onshore refinery to a petroleum (gasoline)

station.
Identify control measures that could minimise risk to the driver. (Unloading issues
are NOT required in the answer). (8)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply

by Muhammad Aamir - Friday, 12 September 2014, 10:26 AM

Dear sir,
That would be,

o Its suitability.
o Its condition.
o The safety equipment.
o The necessary safety critical information.
o Ergonomics.
Please correct me, if i am wrong.

Show parent | Reply


Hello,
Muhammad Aamir, I'm afraid your answer is too vague to gain any marks. May I
suggest the following control measures?
A road tanker is being driven from an onshore refinery to a petroleum (gasoline)

station.
Identify control measures that could minimise risk to the driver. (Unloading issues are
NOT required in the answer). (8)
o Ensure the driver is competent and licensed to drive the vehicle.

o Provision of advanced driver training.
o Carrying out prejourney vehicle safety checks such as lights and tyres.
o Introducing procedures for breakdowns and providing assistance.
o Monitoring drivers' health and fitness to drive, such as eyesight.
o Introduction of drug and alcohol policy and testing procedures.
o Ensuring the vehicle is suitable for the load and journey.
o Provision of safety equipment such as seat belts, high visibility vests, and fire
extinguisher.
o Provision of information on the hazards and risks of the load, and control
measures and procedures to follow, especially in the event of an accident or
spillage.
o Scheduling journeys to ensure drivers receive adequate rest and breaks.
There are many more answers you could provide, but you only need to give a minimum
of 8 to get the 8 available marks.
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Show parent | Reply

by Satendra Tomar - Saturday, 31 January 2015, 8:18 AM

Dear Will,
may we add tanker safety in the answer like-
1. Design of the tanker as per regulation
2. Fitting of valves and other leak control system check before moving of vehicle
3. HAZCHEM code display and awareness of hazchem to the driver
4.Emergency handling management by driver in case of minor leak of gasolene.
Pl review.
Regards


Hello all,
The March exam will be upon before you know it! If you have registered for this then
we recommend you submit an attempt at these weekly questions. Here is this week's:
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply

by Satendra Tomar - Thursday, 29 January 2015, 11:57 AM

Operational Control before filling equipment-
1. Equipment cleaning & purging- In order to prevent to form any flammable mixture,
equipment needs to be cleaned and purged well with purging medium like nitrogen.
2. Drain and vent- Drain and vent shoud be checked before filling of equipment. Drain
to be closed and vent put on operation conditions.
3.Connecting Valves and relief valves- All connecting valves except upstream vavles
should be closed to confined the unintended flow of hydorcarbon, checked and make
operational at the time of start up whole process.
4.Flow meter, guage- Flow meters, guages etc to be checked to know the correct
reading during filling & level and ensure that all instruments are calibrated at the
desired frequency as per OEM
5. Earthing- earthing to be ensured before filling of equiments and resistance to be

checked.
6. PSSR- Pre start up safety review checklist must be filled and checked before filling
operation.
7. Compatibility check- Coompatibility study report for all connecting lines (If any) of
equipment to be referred before filling of the equipment and non compatible lines to
be isolated.
8. Surrouding area and illumination- Ignition source in surrounding area to be checked

and adequate illumination to be ensured before filling of equipment.
9. Fire fighting and emergency control system- Fire fighting and other emergency
preparedness to be ensured to handle any emergency due to fire/release of
hydrocarbon.

Show parent | Reply

by ISHAKU AUDU - Thursday, 29 January 2015, 7:18 PM

Dear Will, additional response to the control measures to be deployed prior to startup
(filling ) are;
1) Ensure that all Work permits are closed after the shut down excercise to ensure all
jobs are closed and completed
2) All isolated equipments have to be de-isolated prior to startup
3) Ensure that all blanks used along the pipe lines are removed
4) Ensure that all pipes and the containing vessel are pressure tested ( ensure leak
proof ) prior to startups
5) Ensure all Instrumentation devices are callibrated and tested ok (filling level sensors,
pressure sensors, transducers , flow sensors e.t.c )
6) Ensure all drain pipes are closed back to normal position.
7) Ensure Emergency Shut Down sytems are checked and functional
8) Ensure the Alarm systems , Gas / fire detectors are tested and functional

Show parent | Reply

by emmanuel Otu - Friday, 30 January 2015, 3:26 PM

hello my taylor,this is my answer: operational control measures are:
A) critical safety system such as gas detector,smoke detector,emergency shutdown

button,breathal air releive valve must be checked and made functional before startup.
B)valves: a process plant consist of valves that allow product flow and these valves
must be checked properly to avoid seaping and cause spillage.
C)control panels:panels has to be checked properly because they control all electric
motors.
D)fire pump machine:has to be working incase of emergency.
E)ppe must be made available
F)first aid must be made available
G)flushing of systems such as pipeways should be down to avoid contamination.
H)tool box meeting should be organized for all staff in order to fine tune them for
operations.
Additional answers
by Dede George - Thursday, 29 January 2015, 1:54 PM

Additional answers to Setendra's answers,also the following answers can be usefull
1.The area where filling is taking place must be clear and barricaded to prevent
unauthorized entry from pedestrians and other moving equipments. 2.Ignition sourses
such as mobile phones, open flames, lighters and hot works must be kept far away
from the area. 3.The pipes that will be used for filling must be inspected to ensure
they are not damaged so to prevent escape of hydrocarbons during filling. Regards,
Dede
hazards of gases such as hydrogen
by emmanuel Otu - Thursday, 15 January 2015, 11:00 AM

hello mr taylor, did I ans this question well? outline four hazards associated with
hydrogen. ans: a)it ignites easily at a very low energy sparks b)when leak, it forms a
flammable vapour cloud. c)it diffuses into piping materials. d)it is an asphyxiant.

Reply
Re: hazards of gases such as hydrogen

by Will Taylor - Friday, 16 January 2015, 9:39 AM

Hello Emmanuel,
All 4 are correct, but more information should be provided on your 3rd point to outline
it fully. You should add that the diffusion causes embrittlement of the materials. That
should gain you all four marks.
Best regards,
Will Taylor
incident investigation process

by emmanuel Otu - Friday, 9 January 2015, 9:07 PM

identify the information that might be included on a checklist for an investigation
following an accident

Reply
Re: incident investigation process

by Will Taylor - Monday, 12 January 2015, 9:39 AM

Hello Emmanuel,
Have you tried looking in the course materials? You will find accident investigation
thoroughly discussed in learning outcome 1 of Element 1.
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Show parent | Reply

by emmanuel Otu - Monday, 12 January 2015, 12:54 PM

please mr taylor, the information that might be included on a checklist are as follows;
1)witness statement. 2)permit to work. 3)maintenance record. 4)safe system of work
5)risk assessment 6)audit, inspection reports. please kindly correct me if I am wrong
please

Show parent | Reply


Hello Emmanuel,
That is certainly a good start to answering this question. I would recommend you try to
be a little more specific where possible, to put your answer into context. For example,
when you say "risk assessment", what you really mean is the risk assessment for the
activity the person was carrying out. When you say "inspection reports", what you really
mean is the past inspection reports for the area where the accident took place. Does
that make sense?
Best regards,
Will Taylor
consequences of jet and pool fire

by Tijo Issac - Sunday, 11 January 2015, 6:10 PM

Please explain the consequences of jet and pool fire ?

Reply
Re: consequences of jet and pool fire


Hello,
You will find jet and pool fires covered in Element 3, in sections 4.14 and 4.15.
Best regards,
Will Taylor
Wills, is this sufficient?

by Christian Okwuoha - Sunday, 11 January 2015, 12:07 AM

Question: Oil and gas production installations use flare systems and blow down to
protect saftey critical equipments. Flare systems are used as part of the pressure relief
system where steam is used at the flare stack.
Outline the purpose of a flare?
In industrial plants such as petroleum refineries, chemical plants and natural gas
processing plants, flare stack systems are used when plant equipment items are
overpressurised, the pressure relief valve is used to release such gas to the flare
systems. For instance, during plant start-ups and shut-downs, flare stacks are used
for the planned combustion of gases over relatively short periods, and, during
extraction of crude oil, areas that lack forms of gas transportation flare such gas as
waste and unusable gas.

Reply
Re: Wills, is this sufficient?

by Rajagopal Ramaswamy - Sunday, 11 January 2015, 1:33 AM

In addtion to vent out the out let of pressure relief or safety valves when the system
excceds the set pressure limit ( over pressure), the flares are also used to burn the
uncondensed gases in the system. Local exhaust Ventillation sytems are used to draw
out the uncondensed gases and send to flare stack.
BLOW DOWNS ARE USED TO DRAIN OUT CONDENSATES. The blow down valves may be
manually operated or may be actuated by level control system to prevent stagnation of
toomuch condensate in the system.

Show parent | Reply
Re: Wills, is this sufficient?


Hello Christian,
Whether or not that answer is sufficient depends on the number of marks available for
the question. I would not expect too many marks available for outline the purpose of a
flare, so your answer should be sufficient. This is only a certificate level qualification,
and you do not need to write large amounts of text explaining how equipment works
or why it is used.
Best regards,
Will Taylor

by Will Taylor - Wednesday, 17 December 2014, 9:31 AM

Hello all,
This is the last exam question of 2014 as we will shortly be closing for our Christmas
break. I will review all exam question attempts week commencing 5th January.
Here is a classic past exam question that students often struggle with:
Process plants contain harmful gases such as hydrogen sulphide. Leak detection
systems are designed to identify the presence of these gases on the plant.
Outline features of a leak detection system that could minimise the risk to workers on
the plant. (8)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply

by Dheerendra Singh - Saturday, 3 January 2015, 2:11 AM

the detection sysem can be linked to a number of systems to raise alarms, emergency
shutdown of the systems,activate safety systems.
when linked to control room, it will trigger both audible and visual alarm to warn the
operator.
the alarm setting is such that it triggers at an early stage, like the presence of a
hazourdous gas,allowing ample time for an operator to investigate or take corrective
action and for workers onscene for immediate evacuation.
alarms can be sent to remotely located key personnel on pager or walkie talkie ,who
are not present at the scene of the alarm. this gives them early warning to return to a
safer location such as control room.
leak and fire detectors can automatically shut down process when coupled with logic
controller and microprocessors.
the dector system can automatically trigger safety system such as closing of fire and
blast doors and dampers, opening of deludge system or venting of hydrocarbon
products.

Show parent | Reply


Hello Dheerendra,
Overall that is a very good answer. All I would possibly add is that the leak detection
system will trigger an alarm at gas levels that are far below dangerous levels.
Best regards,
Will Taylor
Failure mode
by Folorunso Aboyade - Saturday, 3 January 2015, 7:18 PM

Question : kNOWLEDGE OF FAILURE MODES IS VITAL DURING INITIAL PLANT DESIGN,
SAFE OPERATIONG PROCEDURE DEVELOPMENT AND PROCESS OPERATION.
1]Identify 3 types of failure mode
2] Identify factors or conditions that may influence the likelihood of failure modes

Reply
Re: Failure mode

Hello and thank you for your post.
You will find all information relating to failure modes in Element 3 of the course. If you
submit a practice answer to the question I, and possibly other students, will be happy
to review this and give you some feedback.
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Show parent | Reply
Re: Failure mode

by Dheerendra Singh - Wednesday, 7 January 2015, 12:29 PM

o Creep
o stress corrosion cracking
o thermal skhock
factors:
corrosion
stress
strain
thermal variations
o creep is the tendency of a solid material to move slowly or deform

permanently under the influence of stress. It occurs as a result of long term
exposure to high levels of stress that are below the yield strength of the
material.
SCC is a process involving the initiation of cracks and their propagation, possibly up to
complete failure of a component, due to the combined action of tensile stress and a
corrosive medium.
Thermal shock occurs when a change in temperature causes different parts of an

object to expand or contract by different amounts. This causes stresses within the
material. At some point, this stress can exceed the strength of the material, causing a
crack to form.
Metals can fail by ductile or brittle fracture. Metals that can sustain substantial plastic
strain or deformation before fracturing exhibit ductile fracture.

by Will Taylor - Tuesday, 2 December 2014, 10:07 AM

Hello all,
Here is this week's past exam question, from Element 1.
Safety case documents offshore and safety report documents onshore contain similar
information requirements.
(a) Identify these similar information requirements. (4)
(b) Outline the reasons for using these documents. (4)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply

by Kingsley Efetobore Umolo - Tuesday, 2 December 2014, 4:29 PM

a)
Policy
Major Hazard identification
Risk assessment
Performance measurements
b) The reason for using this documents if for the duty holder to demonstrate that there
is major accident prevention policy in place, with supporting detials in the safety
management system
The safety management system is adequate to ensure local compliance and that
satisfactory arrangements are in place for the management of contractors
All major accident hazards has been identified using relevant risk assessment
techniques
All major accident risk has been identified
Measures are in place to control major accident risk
He has established adequate arrangement for audit and for the making of report
thereof
Adequate emergency plans are in place,contents should include detection measures for
forseeable events;control and mitigation measures,emergency response

Show parent | Reply


Hello all,
Thank you to Kingsley Efetobore Umolo for submitting an answer to this question.
Safety case documents offshore and safety report documents onshore contain similar
information requirements.
(a) Identify these similar information requirements. (4)
This is a nice and simple identify question, therefore a simple list is required. Only 4
marks are available, so only 4 items need to be listed, but you can list more if you
wish. However, that list does need to be quite specific in order to demonstrate your full
understanding of the subject. Putting too little detail is a common mistake for identify
questions, and unfortunately there is too little detail in your answer to this question
Kingsley Efetobore Umolo.
I would suggest the following:
o Copy of the Major Accident Prevention Policy

o Details of the Safety Management System
o Details of risk assessments and findings related to major accident
hazards/risks
o Details of control measures to control the major accident risks
o Copies of Emergency Plans
Can you see how this answer is more detailed?
(b) Outline the reasons for using these documents. (4)
Kingsley Efetobore Umolo, your answer focuses only on the demonstration of saferty to
the local Regulator. But there are other uses for these documents such as:
o Demonstrating acceptable safety to insurance companies to obtain insurance,

at lower cost.
o To demonstrate safety to potential clients during commercial contract
tenders.
o To provide supporting information during accident and incident investigation.
o To share information on hazards, risks, and controls, during consultation with
employees within the organisation.
o To share information with local residents (onshore) who may be affected
during a major accident.
Best regards,
Will Taylor

hermal shock
by Tijo Issac - Monday, 15 December 2014, 5:20 PM

out line failure mode "Thermal shock"? Ans: 1,change in temperature 2,stress please
verify the answer, anything not included please advice me?

Reply
Re: Thermal shock

by Will Taylor - Tuesday, 16 December 2014, 1:26 PM

Hello Tijo Isaac,
Since this is an outline question I would suggest you provide further detail to
demonstrate your understanding. You will find additional information in Element 3
here: http://sheilds-elearning.com/mod/lesson/view.php?id=2611&pageid=38293
Best regards,
Will Taylor
lash back arrestor and spark arrestor

by Tijo Issac - Wednesday, 3 December 2014, 3:46 PM

Please explain difference between Flash back arrestor and spark arrestor ?

Reply
Re: Flash back arrestor and spark arrestor

by Will Taylor - Friday, 5 December 2014, 9:34 AM

Hello Tijo Issac,
Thank you for your question.
A flashback arrestor prevents the reverse flow of gas or the flame from travelling back
up the pipe into the gas cylinder. This is commonly used in welding.
A spark arrestor is used in a wider variety of equipment such as combustion engines or

extraction ventilation. Its job is prevent the emission or movement of sparks. This may
be to prevent them from reaching a source of fuel such as a gas or dust.
Have you tried looking up these terms on Wikipedia? If you wish to learn more about
these, then by using the internet you will find some great articles which provide much
greater detail than the IOG course requires.
Best regards,
Will Taylor
Student Support Tutopr
LOTO
by Kingsley Efetobore Umolo - Monday, 1 December 2014, 1:32 AM

Outline locations where locks and associated tags may need to be applied?

Reply
Re: LOTO
by Kingsley Efetobore Umolo - Monday, 1 December 2014, 1:33 AM

Switches,Circuit breakers and effectors some of the locations?

Show parent | Reply
Re: LOTO

Hello,
This is a subquestion of a larger IOG question. It is important to include the whole

question because it gives the scenario and helps you focus your answer. Without it it is
difficult to write a relevant answer as isolation locks and tags can be applied to nearly
every single piece of equipment used in industry.
Please include the whole question, and your best attempt at an answer.
Best regards,
Will Taylor

by Will Taylor - Wednesday, 19 November 2014, 9:19 AM

Hello all,
The December exam is fast approaching. If you have registered then you need to be
practising your exam technique and past questions. This will help ensure that you pass
the exam. Here is this week's question:
During a safety tour it was found that an external fuel storage tank did not have a
bund wall.
(a) Identify the risks if a tank failure occurred. (3)
(b) Outline the features which should be included in the design of a tank bund wall. (5)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply
by Christo Beylefeld - Thursday, 20 November 2014, 7:42 AM

a) - Pollution of the receiving environment,
- Fire / Explosion,
- Formation of vapour clouds
b)- Bund wall should be protected from passing vechiles and traffic,
- Bund should have an impervious base to prevent leakage,
- Bund wall should also be impervious to prevent leakage,
- The bund should be able to contain 110% of largest tank or 25% of total
storage capacity, whichever is the greater.
- Pipework should pass over and not through the bund wall,
- Wall should be strong enough to hold the weight of the liquid pressing sideways
against the bund wall.
Regards
Christo

Show parent | Reply

by Ashish Ranjan - Friday, 21 November 2014, 7:25 AM

(a) Risks are:
i) Fire or explosion.
ii) Polluting water.
iii) Asphyxiation of nearby personnel.
(b)
i) The wall must be deigned to withstand static load of the spilled hydrocarbon. The
capacity (length*breadth*height) marked by the walls, must be atleast 110% of the
capacity of largest storage tank in the dyke.
ii) The surface of bund wall must be made with impervious maeraial.
iii) The base of bund wall must be made impervious. No sippage must be allowed.
iv) No penetration must be done thru the wall. It will affect its strength and its
imperviosuness.
v) Design must include a barrier for protecting the wall from any external impact.

Show parent | Reply

by Will Taylor - Tuesday, 2 December 2014, 10:02 AM

Hello all,
Here's the last feedback before the exam. I wish everyone who is sitting tomorrow the
best of luck! Remember your exam technique and to manage your time correctly.
(a) Identify the risks if a tank failure occurred. (3)
This is an identify question which requires little or no elaboration on your answer. A

simple list will be sufficient. However, it is important to be clear and specific, so
sometimes it is necessary to provide a little extra information to make sure you are
identifying the risks properly. The answers provided would benefit from slightly more
detail. It takes very little time to add a few extra words. You only need 3 answers to get
the 3 marks, but it is better to list 4 or 5 answers in case one of them is incorrect. Here
are some suggestions:
o Ignition of escaped liquids and vapours.

o Formation of a vapour cloud, leading to an explosion if ignited.
o Pollution of watersources via drains.
o Loss of product which cannot be recovered.
(b) Outline the features which should be included in the design of a tank bund wall. (5)
This is an outline question so it requires a bit more detail and elaboration than the
previous question. It is not about the length of your answer. It is about demonstrating
some understanding of the features. The above answers are acceptable. This is what
the course materials say:
o An impervious base (i.e. cannot leak into the ground).

o Impervious walls (i.e. cannot leak through the wall).
o Walls strong enough to withstand the static head of liquid. This means
that it is strong enough to hold the weight of the liquid pressing
sideways against the bund wall.
o Have means of removing rain water so the bund does not fill up over
time. If a valve is used this should be normally locked shut.
o Drained water should pass through an interceptor for oil removal.
Pipework should pass over, not through, the bund wall. Any breaches of
the bund wall should be suitably sealed. All valves, filters, sight gauges,
vent pipes and other ancillary equipment should be situated within the
bund and arranged so that discharges are contained.
o Bund walls should be protected, as appropriate, from passing vehicles
and traffic.
Best regards,
Will Taylor
Risk management
by Kingsley Efetobore Umolo - Sunday, 30 November 2014, 11:57 AM

Q) Identify project phases where risk managemtn applies

Reply
Re: Risk management


- Initiation
- Planning
- Execution
- Monitoring and control
- Closure
Are this answers correct?

Show parent | Reply
Re: Risk management

by Will Taylor - Monday, 1 December 2014, 9:53 AM

Hello,
You have not specified the number of marks available which is very important for an
exam question.
Your answer is on the right lines, but it is important that you use the correct
terminlogy such as "design", "commissioning", "startup", "shutdown", and
"decommissioning". Otherwise your answer is too generic to apply to the oil and gas
industry.
Best regards,
Will
TANK INSPECTION

A) Outline of risk associated with crude oil tank inspection.
B) Identify the physical hazards for tank inspection.
C) Identify some equipment that needs electrical isolation before inspection of tank.
D) Outline What safety precautions are required for inspection of tank
Consequence modelling
by Adenike Obatola - Thursday, 27 November 2014, 2:29 AM

Please what is the meaning of consequence modelling? I did not come across a
definition in the materials.

Reply
Re: Consequence modelling


Hello,
You can find consequence modelling discussed in Element 1. Have you visited this
page yet? http://sheilds-elearning.com/mod/lesson/view.php?
id=1329&pageid=19456
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Show parent | Reply
by Adenike Obatola - Friday, 28 November 2014, 10:09 AM

Yes I have. I downloaded the elements. I cant see a definition of 'consequence
modelling'. I understand what modelling is however. Thanks.

Show parent | Reply

by Kingsley Efetobore Umolo - Friday, 28 November 2014, 12:28 PM

Consequence modelling refers to the calculation or estimation of numerical values that
describe the credible physical outcome of loss of contaminant scenarios involving
hazardous material with respects to their potential impact on people,assets or safety
functions.
Hydrocarbon Process Safety


1. Outline the types of failure modes of storage tanks that may lead to loss of
containment from the hydrocarbon.
2. Outline the type of failures that may lead to loss of containment from the
hydrocarbon in a storage tank

Reply
Re: Hydrocarbon Process Safety


Hello Adenike Obatola,

I suggest you also submit your best answers to these questions. That way we can
review them and provide you with feedback. Please note that we do not provide model
answers to questions, as this will not help you learn or pass the exam.
You will find these topics covered extensively in Element 3.
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Show parent | Reply


Ok. Thanks Will. I thought to share because I just discovered there was a difference
between 'failure modes' and 'failures'.

Show parent | Reply


Hello,
'Failure' is much more general than 'failure mode'. A failure could mean anything that
has failed which could cause the loss of containment. For example, a faulty level
sensor could cause overfilling.
'Failure modes' usually means failure of the materials that the tanks is constructed with
i.e. corrosion, cracking, creep, thermal shock etc.
It is a good question. Thank you for clarifying.

Best regards,
Will Taylor
difference b/w creep and flexibility

by Aamir Mahmood - Sunday, 23 November 2014, 5:48 AM

What is the difference b/w creep and flexibility?

Reply
Re: difference b/w creep and flexibility


Hello,
Creep is a permanent deformation. It is called a 'plastic' deformation because it does

not return to its original position.
Flexibility is where the material bends, and then returns to its previous position. There
is no material or molecular deformation. This is called 'elastic' deformation.
I hope that helps.
Best regards,
Will Taylor
Difference b/w JSA & Risk Assessment

by Aamir Mahmood - Wednesday, 19 November 2014, 5:00 PM

What is the difference between JSA and Risk Assesment?

Reply
Re: Difference b/w JSA & Risk Assessment


Hello Aamir Mahmood,
Job Safety Analysis is a very specific risk assessment technique, generally used in the
USA or by American companies. Instead of identifying hazards, risks, and controls at
the beginning (like a traditional type of risk assessment), it first breaks a task down
into steps. Then at that point it looks at the hazards and risks, and determines a safe
method of completing that task.
Some companies expand on Job Safety Analysis and include quality and productivity in
order to ensure that the method is not just the safest, but also the most efficient and
consistent. This is called Total Job Analysis.
I hope that helps.
Best regards,
Will Taylor


Gases, vapours, mists and dusts can all form explosive atmospheres with air.
Hazardous area classification identifies zoning where special precautions over ignition
sources are needed to prevent fire and explosions.
a) Identify zone classifications for a mixture of air and a hydrocarbon gas AND

outline the related conditions for each zone. (6)
b) Identify zone classifications for a cloud of combustible dust in air. (2)

Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply

by Christo Beylefeld - Saturday, 15 November 2014, 4:19 AM

a) - Zone 0: Area in which an explosive gas atmosphere is present continuously or for
long periods.
- Zone 1: Area in which an explosive gas atmosphere is likely to occur in normal
operations.
- Zone 2: Area in which an explosive gas atmosphere is not likely to occur in normal
operations and if it occurs, it will only for a short time.
b) Areas where dust are present are classified as Zone 20, 21 and 22 using similar
definitions.
Regards
Christo

Show parent | Reply

by Will Taylor - Wednesday, 19 November 2014, 9:16 AM

Hello all,
This question on zone classifications appears quite regularly in exam papers in one
form or another. Christo Beylefeld's answer is perfect and would gain all 8 marks at the
exam.
Best regards,
Will Taylor


Hello everyone,
The December exam is fast approaching. If you are preparing for this, then you would
be wise to submit an answer to this question, as part of your exam technique
preparation.
This is from Element 5.
Identify suitable controls for traffic management on a large refinery site. (8)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply

by Christo Beylefeld - Thursday, 30 October 2014, 6:00 AM

- Keep Vechiles and pedestrians seperate,
- Roads should be wide enough for vechiles,
- Circles should be wide enough for all type of vechiles,

- Decide and engource speed limits,
- Hazardous areas should be avoided,
- Allow enough space for all type of vechiles,
- Road surfaces must be properly maintained and constructed out of suitable

material.
- All trafic routes should be properly lit,

Show parent | Reply

by Zafirobison Franck Hery - Monday, 3 November 2014, 1:47 PM

hi Will.
Can you check my answer and advise
Identify suitable controls for traffic management on a large refinery site. (8)
- Defensive driving training provided to all drivers
- Design properly the route to avoid conflict/ collision with pedestrian
(segregation)
- Proper signage available to remind drivers on the behavior to be adopted

( speeding limitation, curves, stops on cross road)
- Provision of protection to sensitive structures or sites ( bollars installation)
- Provision of procedure while reversing due to the blind spot zone
- Forbide entry to any hazardous area unless the vehicle is equipped with
specific safety device (spark arrestor on the exhaust …)
- Proper vehicle maintenance and checking procedure (pre – start check list)
- Provision of Hazard Identification training to the driver and knowledge of risk
reduction.
Regards

Show parent | Reply

by Will Taylor - Friday, 7 November 2014, 9:42 AM

Hello,
This question is based upon Element 5, and a detailed answer is available in section
2.8 http://sheilds-elearning.com/mod/lesson/view.php?id=1010&pageid=23323,
albeit it is probably an outlined answer rather than a shorter "identify" answer.
Christo Beylefeld, you have provided a good answer, based on the course materials.
The answers are a good example of an "identify" answer.
Zafirobison Franck Hery, there are some excellent points made in your answer, of
which some are not based on section 2.8. You have mentioned some controls based on
the Driver and the administrative systems, which I think could be included in the
interpretation of "traffic management". I think most of these would still gain a mark
each. So well done!
Best regards,
Will Taylor


Hello all,
Given the lack of response to the last risk assessment question, I thought I would ask
another. It's a very theoretical and academic subject, but you must understand it to
pass the exam.
A quantitative risk assessment is to be used instead of a qualitative risk assessment on

a project to expand an existing oil and has installation.

assessment. (2)
c) Outline the concept of as low as is reasonably practicable (ALARP). (2)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply

by Hamza Khalid - Friday, 10 October 2014, 7:29 AM

a) Qualitative risk assessment is generally based on the past experience and the
judgement of the person conducting the risk assessment. In this method of the risk
assessment past records like accident/incident reports, inspection/audit reports,
previous risk assessment record etc are also used to determine hazards.
b) Quantitative risk assessment is conducted on the basis of the liklehood of

hazardous occurrence and its severity, having numerical values, which after
muliplication gives us risk rating.
c) As low as reasonably practicable (ALARP) is a concept which is used in controling the
risk. It states that the risk should be reduced to a level which is acceptable after the
application of maximum significant control measures.

Show parent | Reply

by Stephen Emeka Nworgu - Saturday, 11 October 2014, 9:15 PM

(a) A Qualitative risk assessment are not detail, mostly subjective processes using
probability and severity to identify and analyse risk such processes include HAZOP,
HAZID, Bow-tie. (b) I. Quantitative risk assessment are more objective while Qualitative
risk assessment are subjective that is anyone could question the finding. ii.
Quantitative risk assessment uses actual numerical values such processes include
HAZAN and FMEA while Qualitative risk assessment uses probability and severity such
processes include HAZOP, HAZID and Bow-tie. (c) The concept of as low as reasonably
practicable is a concept of sacrifice risk for further reduction after being weight against
its consequence.

Show parent | Reply

by Daniel Ngodigha - Monday, 13 October 2014, 3:33 AM

a) Qualitative risk assessment is an assessment that is reliant on past experience to
make judgements.
Risk assessment can be done even when no failure data is available, that is it lacks firm
data to calculate the risk.
Risk assessment is subjective since it is based on experience it creates room for

disputes from people with different opinions.
It is a low cost or less expensive compare to other methods of risk assessment.
Examples of Qualitative risk assessments are Bow tie, HAZOP and HAZID

b) Quantitave risk assessment is Objective that is reliant on failure available data while

Qualitative risk assessment is Subjective based on past experence or judgement of the
risk accessor.
Quantitative risk assessment requires siginificant expertise which can make it

expensive, while Qualitative risk assesment requires less expertise just minimal
training is ok, resulting to a low cost.
c) The concept of As Low as Reasonably Praticable (ALARP) is weighing a risk against
the sacrifice (cost and or effort) needed to futher reduce it, so as to ensure that the
mitigation strategy must be both risk and cost comensurate. In other sense the
nitigation should be economically Justified. For example
To spend 5 million dollars to prevent a personal from falls and trip that is likely to
happen once in 1 years is grossly disproportionate.
To spend 5 million dollars to Prevent a tank from collapsing that that is likely to
happen withing 5 years that can kill 100 people is Obviously Proportionate or
comensurate to the sacrifice or cost needed to prevent it from happening.

Show parent | Reply

by Will Taylor - Wednesday, 22 October 2014, 8:24 AM

Hello everyone,
Thank you for your responses.
As you can see, this is a 4 mark question. That means you need to write 4 different
things to get all of the marks. Stephen, pay attention to this because you only wrote
one thing.
Here are 4 answers which I think would gain a mark each:
o Qualitative risk assessment is a subjective judgement of the risk, based on

someone's knowledge and experience.
o It estimates the probability of an event occurring and the probable severity of
that event, to determine an overall level of risk.
o It is a simple low cost tool to use, requiring minimal training.
o However, its subjectivity can lead to disagreements on what the level of risk
actually is.
assessment. (2)
This is a 2 mark question, so you need to outline 2 differences. Hamza Khalid, be

careful here, you seem to think that the use of a risk matrix makes a risk assessment
quantitative. It does not.
Two differences I would highlight are:
o Quantitative risk assessments are much more objective because they rely on
quantifiable reliability data and tested mathematical models.
o They require expertise to be carried out, and therefore are not low cost.
c) Outline the concept of as low as is reasonably practicable (ALARP). (2)
Again, a 2 mark question. Many students struggle to understand the concept of ALARP,
although it is quite simple. It is all about putting in control measures that are
proportionate to the level of risk. You compare the level of risk with the time, money,
and effort, required to bring that risk down to a reasonable level. If the risk is high,
you will need to invest proportionately more money, time, and effort, to lower the risk.
If the risk is low, then you would still consider the same measures, but you would
decide against those that are "grossly disproprotionate".
So it is not just about balancing costs against the risk. The initial assumption is that
the organisation will implement the measures. It is up to the company to show that the
measures are grossly disproportionate to the risk.
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Show parent | Reply

by Daniel Ngodigha - Friday, 31 October 2014, 7:33 AM

Thanks Will for your answers.

by Will Taylor - Wednesday, 22 October 2014, 8:29 AM

Hi everyone,
Here is this week's past exam question. Again, it is completely optional. But if you have
registered for the exam in December then I strongly recommend that you attempt a
response. In our experience, students who practise their exam technique have a much
higher chance of passing the exam. Students who ignore this initiative tend to fail.
Exam technique accounts for as much as 50% of your chances of success.
a) Give the meaning of 'competence'. (2)
b) Outline why competence is important within management of change. (4)
c) Poor management of change is often a root cause of major process safety incidents
with the oil and gas industry. In the 21st century:
i) identify a major process safety incident onshore where management of change was
one of the root causes; (1)
ii) identify a major process safety incident offshore where management of change was
one of the root causes. (1)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply
by Babatunde Oyedeji - Friday, 24 October 2014, 10:43 AM

a) Competence is having the required knowledge, ability, training, experience and skill
in a given job.
b)Competence is required within management of change because it identifies the

hazards, risks and any necessary control needed during the change process. It will
also help to identify the potential impact of change from equipment/technologies,
operations or even the management .
c) Hickson and Welch
ii) Piper Alpha

Show parent | Reply

by MUHAMMAD IRFAN - Sunday, 26 October 2014, 6:18 AM

a. Competence means one, knowledge, skills and ability to perform specific job or task
as per prescribed procedure.
b. Review
Risk Assissement
Approval
implementation
c. i
II. Piper Alpha

Show parent | Reply
by KENNEDY EFFAH - Sunday, 26 October 2014, 11:00 PM

Competence can be defined as one skills, uniqueness,knowlege and potential in a
confined work or task.
B.eliminate of near miss and hazards.This is where by a competent personnel

recognises a near miss or root cause for an hazard and therefore investigate it in
conclusion elimiating or preventing it from happing in the near future.To add
recommend solutions to any hazards associated with these findings to management
for a change.
C.i. BP texas oil explosion
Ii. Piper alpha

Show parent | Reply


Hello everyone,
Thank you for your answers to this question.
a) Give the meaning of 'competence'. (2)
Good answers here. Competence is all about the training, knowledge, experience, and
ability of a person to carry out the work safely.
b) Outline why competence is important within management of change. (4)

The answers were not quite as good for this question. Muhammad Irfan, your answer is
neither relevant nor outlined.
4 different points are required to get all 4 marks. I would suggest the following:
1. Workers and supervisors need to be competent to recognise what a change is, and
what the possible implications are, so they do not introduce them unknowingly.
2. Engineers need to be competent in risk assessment methodologies to ensure that

the changes are properly risk assessed before they are put in place.
3. Offshore Installation Managers need to be competent to recognise whether a risk

assessment is sufficient and detailed enough.
4. Those who carry out an initial review must be competent to recognise whether the
change requires a more in depth risk assessment.
c) Poor management of change is often a root cause of major process safety incidents
with the oil and gas industry. In the 21st century:
i) identify a major process safety incident onshore where management of change was
one of the root causes; (1)
Good answers here include Hickson and Welch, and BP Texas City disaster.
ii) identify a major process safety incident offshore where management of change was
one of the root causes. (1)
Piper Alpha
Best regards,
Will Taylor
ESD's
by Alan Hall - Tuesday, 21 October 2014, 9:52 AM

Has anyone else tried Question 8 after reading 3.15 Parallel Plate Separators. I was sure
that I had the right answer that I went back to find the paragraph and I was correct
however the system keeps saying incorrect: Drag the words onto the grey bar and
place them in the order they would appear in the sentence. An ESD for a typical
hydrocarbon process would include an ____(1)____ valve and an associated ___(2)____.
In an emergency, a signal is sent from the ___(3)___ to the valve actuator to close the
valve and ____(4)____ of hydrocarbon. A signal is sent from the valve back to the
process control system to confirm the shutdown. This information is relayed to the
____(5)____ and monitored by the ___(6)__. Your answer : emergency shutdown = (1)
valve actuator = (2) control room = (5) shut off the flow = (4) process control system =
(3) operators = (6) In-correct, please try again Am I missing something

Reply
Re: ESD's

Hello Alan,
You are nearly correct. The problem with this question is that "Process Control System"
and "Control Room" can be interpreted as interchangeable. If you swap them around
you will get the correct answer.
Best regards,
Will Taylor

by Will Taylor - Friday, 19 September 2014, 8:20 AM

Hello all,
Here is this week's question. I will feedback and comment on your answers on Tuesday
30th September, as I will be away in the USA between now and then.
A hydrocarbon gas plant and nearby plant suffered catastrophic damage when a gas
cloud exploded after coming into contact with an ignition source. The damage may
have been minimised if an associated deluge system had activated and an emergency
shutdown of the plant had been performed.
The disaster occurred when a pressure safety valve was removed for maintenance and
a blank was attached to the open pipework within a permit-to-work system. The blank
was not tightened sufficiently and when the pipework was re-commissioned a
flammable gas cloud leaked from the loose blank. Similar disasters may be prevented
within the oil and gas industry through risk control in the form of barrier models.
(a) Using the description and the diagram above (the top event being the gas
explosion), identify:
(i) ONE hazard; (1)
(ii) TWO hazard control barriers; (2)
(iii) TWO recovery measures; (2)
(iv) ONE consequence. (1)
(b) Outline reasons for involving all workers in the development of barrier models. (2)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply

by Will Taylor - Tuesday, 30 September 2014, 9:42 AM

Hello everyone,
I have not received any attempts for this week's question. Therefore I will roll it over to
week 37. Difficult exam questions do not go away!
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Show parent | Reply

by Zafirobison Franck Hery - Wednesday, 22 October 2014, 10:51 AM

Hello
i would like to attempt to answer.
Find bellow is my try and feel free to recommend
(i) ONE hazard; (1)
- Inventory vapour leak
- Control of ignition sources
- Gas detection system

- Emergency rescue Team
- Fire Protection system
- Unconfined Vapour Cloud Explosion
- People are prone to accept easily something that they have elaborated and
understood
- People are proud while their ideas has been taken into consideration
Regards
Franck
incident investigation
by Christian Okwuoha - Tuesday, 14 October 2014, 9:25 PM

Hi, I am new here, just starting off the IOG course.
Please if asked to, 'describe the basic steps in an incident investigation' found in
element 1, will I score maximum point if I use the 4 steps recommended by the UK HSE
guidance HSG 245: investigating accidents and incidents?
Chris

Reply
Re: incident investigation


Hello Christian,
Yes this would be the correct answer. However, for a Describe question you do need to
write a full description and not just a list of the 4 steps. Provided you do that, you
should get all of the available marks.
Best regards,
Will Taylor
Risk assessment
by Stephen Emeka Nworgu - Saturday, 11 October 2014, 9:37 PM

Please can the tutor help me out with this question 1. Identify the key stages of
workplace risk assessment. Are they the steps of Risk assessment or stages of risks
assessment i.e qualitative, semi-qualitative and quantitative risk assessemt

Reply
Re: Risk assessment

by Will Taylor - Monday, 13 October 2014, 8:51 AM

Hello Stephen,
What this question is asking for are stages such as:
1. Identify the tasks or areas that need to be risk assessed.

2. Identify the hazards. Who can be harmed? How might they be harmed?
3. Evaluate the risks (severity and likelihood), and decide whether extra control
measures are needed.
4. Implement your controls, and record your findings.
5. Review your risk assessment.
etc.
I hope that helps.
Best regards,
Will Taylor


Hello everyone,
This week's question has rolled over from last week. If someone would like to submit a
practice answer I will review it.
(i) ONE hazard; (1)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply

by Diego Bello Palacios - Wednesday, 1 October 2014, 3:44 PM

(a)
(i) ONE hazard; (1)
Fire and Explosion, as gas cloud coming into contact with an ignition source.
1. pressure safety valve

2. blanks attached to the open pipework
3. thorougly applied permit-to-work system that supports the maintenance
work carried out and equipment affected .
1. activation of deluge system

2. emergency shutdown procedures performed accordingly

Explosion - plant suffered catastrophic damage,
casualties, fatalities, spillage
Barrier models are very effective tools to present chain of events in which hazards and
consequences are graphically associated in a way that workers participation can be
encoraged when identifying the required control and recovery measures.
It is required by law, cosulting workers when elaborating safety case and risk
assesments.

Show parent | Reply


Hello everyone,
I have received only one answer to this question this week. Thank you Diego.
This is a Bow Tie model, which is a risk assessment tool explained in Element 1of the
course. This question regularly confuses students, despite the principle being quite
simple once it is understood. The TOP EVENT is the incident (in this case the
explosion). The hazards are what can cause harm, and the hazard control barriers are
what prevent the hazards from causing harm. Obviously if these fail then we are likely
to have a TOP EVENT occur. The Recovery measures are measures which are triggered
AFTER the incident, in order to minimise the Consequences (i.e. reduce damage and
injuries).
Once you understand the above, then this is an easy 6 marks.
a) i) ONE hazard: either the flammable gas or the ignition source.
a) ii) TWO hazard control barriers. The pressure safety valve and the blank. The valve
was removed, and the blank failed.
a) iii) TWO recovery measures. These are triggered AFTER the TOP EVENT. The deluge
system and the emergency shutdown are both recovery measures. Again, both failed.
a) iv) ONE Consequence. The consequence is NOT the explosion. That is the TOP
EVENT. The Consequence is "catastrophic damage" to "a hydrocarbon gas plant and
nearby plant".
b) Part b is a change of subject. Involvement of all workers is recommended for a
variety of reasons:
o They understand the hazards better than most people, particularly given their
practical experience.
o They can contribute to what control measures are likely to work in practice.
o They often have specialist skills and knowledge, and a cross functional
approach is required to ensure a comprehensive assessment.
o Involvement of workers is often a legal requirement, particularly in countries
which use safety cases and reports.
Full marks to Diego, well done!
Best regards,
Will Taylor


Hello everyone,
This week's question has rolled over from last week. If someone would like to submit a
practice answer I will review it.
(i) ONE hazard; (1)
Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply

by Diego Bello Palacios - Wednesday, 1 October 2014, 3:44 PM

(a)
(i) ONE hazard; (1)
Fire and Explosion, as gas cloud coming into contact with an ignition source.

1. pressure safety valve
2. blanks attached to the open pipework
3. thorougly applied permit-to-work system that supports the maintenance
work carried out and equipment affected .
1. activation of deluge system

2. emergency shutdown procedures performed accordingly

Explosion - plant suffered catastrophic damage,
casualties, fatalities, spillage
Barrier models are very effective tools to present chain of events in which hazards and
consequences are graphically associated in a way that workers participation can be
encoraged when identifying the required control and recovery measures.
It is required by law, cosulting workers when elaborating safety case and risk
assesments.

Show parent | Reply


Hello everyone,
I have received only one answer to this question this week. Thank you Diego.
This is a Bow Tie model, which is a risk assessment tool explained in Element 1of the
course. This question regularly confuses students, despite the principle being quite
simple once it is understood. The TOP EVENT is the incident (in this case the
explosion). The hazards are what can cause harm, and the hazard control barriers are
what prevent the hazards from causing harm. Obviously if these fail then we are likely
to have a TOP EVENT occur. The Recovery measures are measures which are triggered
AFTER the incident, in order to minimise the Consequences (i.e. reduce damage and
injuries).
Once you understand the above, then this is an easy 6 marks.
a) i) ONE hazard: either the flammable gas or the ignition source.
a) ii) TWO hazard control barriers. The pressure safety valve and the blank. The valve
was removed, and the blank failed.
a) iii) TWO recovery measures. These are triggered AFTER the TOP EVENT. The deluge
system and the emergency shutdown are both recovery measures. Again, both failed.
a) iv) ONE Consequence. The consequence is NOT the explosion. That is the TOP
EVENT. The Consequence is "catastrophic damage" to "a hydrocarbon gas plant and
nearby plant".
b) Part b is a change of subject. Involvement of all workers is recommended for a

variety of reasons:
o They understand the hazards better than most people, particularly given their
practical experience.
o They can contribute to what control measures are likely to work in practice.
o They often have specialist skills and knowledge, and a cross functional
approach is required to ensure a comprehensive assessment.
o Involvement of workers is often a legal requirement, particularly in countries
which use safety cases and reports.
Full marks to Diego, well done!
Best regards,
Will Taylor


Hello all,
Here is this week's question. To submit an answer please login to the new site by
following the links in the automated email you receive.

Best regards,
Will Taylor

Reply

by Daniel Ngodigha - Tuesday, 16 September 2014, 3:49 AM

The operational control measures are as follows:
- Ensure all permits are closed out and the equipment is ready for startup
-Ensure de-isolation of equipment is completed as required in the de-isolation plan
-Ensure no simultaneous operation interfers with the start-up operation
-Ensure spades and blanks are removed as stated in the plan to ensure free flow of
Process fluids.
-Ensure vents or bleed points and drains are close and or spaded where required to
prevent leaks.
-Ensure all measuring instruments are calibrated so they record accurate data or
parameters
-Ensure all alarms and gas and fire detection systems are tested and working fine
-Ensure all ESD systems, relief valves and deluge systems are tested and should work
on demand.
-Ensure leak and pressure testing of pipelines and vessels as been done as required
-Ensure vessels or hydrocabon tanks are inerted to displace oxygen before

introduction of process fluids
-Ensure emergency response plans is in place and reviewed.

Show parent | Reply

by Diego Bello Palacios - Tuesday, 16 September 2014, 12:26 PM

1. Emergency plan in place,
2. Adherence to recommendations, procedures and controls of a PTW
3. Competent supervision of the operation, ideally by managers who have
suppervised start ups before.
4. Competent and fully trainned workers should take part on the startup.
5. Control ignition sources, if possible elimination of them.
6. Confirmation of replacements in kind, fixes have been maintained or
replaced up to the required standard.
7. Reconect all isolations reconnected, all blanks removed
8. All safety systems must be operational
9. Confirmation that all systems are tested before start-up
10.Management of overrides - e.g. accurate recording figures will show when
equipment is operated beyond its limits

Show parent | Reply

by Will Taylor - Friday, 19 September 2014, 8:10 AM

Hello all,
Thank you for your answers. That's a perfect answer from Daniel with some good
technical points. Diego, your answer on this occasion lacks some of those technical
points and you focus a little too much on the generic management system answers.
You will find that startup and shutdown is covered in Element 2.
If anyone is interested in the answer to this question, I would refer you to Daniel which
is perfectly outlined and covers more than enough markworthy points.
Best regards,
Will Taylor
standard operating procedure QUESTION

by Diego Bello Palacios - Thursday, 11 September 2014, 6:40 AM

Hi Will and Fellow candidates,
Here is a question on SOP's and my attempt to solve it, Would spend a minute on it and
help making a perfect answer? I want to know what's missing and most of all, I want to
answer it the NEBOSH way, as always correction and feedback are very welcome.
Thanks.
Regards,
Diego
(c) Describe the style in which a standard operating procedure should be written to aid
understanding. (2)
(a)
SOP's are a series of established steps, forms and methods for conducting affairs that
companies have in place in order to accomplish services or supplies to be consistently
delivered every time while attaining the required quality level.
(b)
o The SOP’s makes it easy to find out what policies and procedures are in place to
handle repetitive situations/tasks.
o It eases the identification of deviancy in a system when something goes wrong.
o Practicing SOP accordingly contributes to continuously improving the levels
of quality as the company expands.
o A well-written SOP are a lifeline to new employees to be able to know how
things work, it’s a time-saver as it shortens the learning curve for employees.
o When key staff members leave or are off duty, work does not have to stand still.
By referring to the SOP someone else can take over the urgent tasks and do
them correctly the first time.
o SOP simplifies delegating tasks because organograms include clear details on
who is responsible for what, short job descriptions and contact details for each
staff member. It enables workers to identify at a glance where to find help,
advise or an authorization.
o Operators, suppliers, contractors and subcontractor and other parties involved
on a project will know what they are getting every time. As SOP specifies ways of
dealing with stakeholders queries, payments, follow-ups etc., so that every
party is treated fairly and equally, enhancing their interactions.

(c) Describe the style in which a standard operating procedure should be written to aid

understanding. (2)
SOPs should be written in a concise, step-by-step, easy-to-read format. The

information presented should be unambiguous and not overly complicated. The active
voice and present verb tense should be used. The term "you" should not be used, but
implied. Also, use a flow chart to illustrate the process being described. In addition,
follow the style guide used by your organization, e.g., font size and margins.
Sentences like “Make sure that you clean out all of the dust from the air shafts before
you begin using them” should be avoided. A clear SOP would say: “Remove all dust
from air shafts before use”.

Reply
Re: standard operating procedure QUESTION


Hello Diego,
As usual, your answer is exemplary. I would imagine you would gain top marks for this
answer.
Best regards,
Will Taylor

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at 3 posting(s) in 2 days

Question time January 3rd 2017

Here is this weeks practice exam question.

You can either anwer on this forum or directly to me at

(a) Identify typical causes of incidents with pipelines across land (4)

(b) Outline control measures that protect pipelines across land (4)

(Oil and gas support tutor)

Re: Question time January 3rd 2017

Re: Question time January 3rd 2017

Regards, Keith Walters.

Past Exam Question for December Candidates - 5

Here is this week's question. I look forward to your answers.

a) Outline the meaning of a qualitative risk assessment. (4)

b) Outline how a quantitative risk assessment differs from a qualitative risk

Student Support Tutor

Re: Past Exam Question for December Candidates - 5

Advantages 1 cheaper as expertise is often founed within the organisation.

2 quicker as it does not require computer software to do.

3 Can be used for low and high risk situations.

2 Does not put a figure on the risk.

3 It is somebody's opinion so these can vary

Re: Past Exam Question for December Candidates - 5

Differences between qualitative and quantitative risk are:

1. qualitative risk assessment look at individual risks descriptively

Re: Past Exam Question for December Candidates - 5

o qualitative risk assessment is a subject approach as it is based on

o Quantitative risk assessment requires the use of expertise to be carry

A Qualitative risk assessment is based on the knowledge & expertise of the

Re: Past Exam Question for December Candidates - 5

Thanks very much for the answers you've submitted.

- It is a subjective technique, conclusions are based on the knowledge and

- Identifies hazards, and prioritises the necessary control measures.

- Uses broad categories of classification for likelihood and severity to get a

- Quantitative RA is based on data, statistics, and consequence modelling,

- Quant RA can provide objective probabilities of certain events occurring. Qual

- Quant RA requires significant expertise to carry out, and sophisticated

- Qual RA is relatively cheap, but Quant RA will involve significant cost.

Student Support Tutor

Q: A contractor is to be chosen for a large and complex task.

Identify documents that could be used to decide whether the contractor is

Here is this week's question:

(a) Outline reasons why a weld may be defective. (4)

(b) Identify techniques used for inspecting welds. (4)

Student Support Tutor

Re: Past Exam Question for December Candidates - 6

o over load.when a storage vessel or pipe is over loaded,this may cause

ast Exam Question for December Candidates - 4

Here is this week's question.

a) Identify the information which should be found on a permit-to-work form.

b) Outline the functions of a permit-to-work. (2)

Student Support Tutor

Re: Past Exam Question for December Candidates - 4

3. Precautions that need to be taken during task.

5. Authorisation 's required for work to commence.

6. Procedures to be taken in case of emergency.

7. List any conflicting workparties that need to be informed of this permit.

8. List any isolations.

Re: Past Exam Question for December Candidates - 4

Re: Past Exam Question for December Candidates - 4

Re: Past Exam Question for December Candidates - 4

Thank you for your answers to this question.

Christopher Cummins, in this case it is very obvious which sub-questions you