INGENIEUR
if the location of the plant is a sensitive / receptor area , or near to residential areas such as villages or housing estates .
The awareness and commitment of the top management of the plant is key to ensuring an effective plant maintenance programme and the implementation of continuous monitoring of asset integrity . Such commitment can prevent the occurrence of major hazardous accidents such as leakage of hazardous materials , fire and even explosions .
The European Union Major Accident Reporting System ( EU-MARS ) study between 1980 and 2006 , in the European region , shows that almost 96 incidents of stress containment failure are due to plant ageing mechanisms . The cumulative impact of these incidents resulted in 11 deaths and 183 serious injuries , and brought economic losses of more than GBP170 million .
In Malaysia , industrial installations which are classified as high-risk are those which have been operating for more than 15 years ; these can also be categorised as ageing plants . In addition , installations without structured and organised maintenance programmes will face further increase in the risk of major accidents due to ageing as a result of their ineffective asset integrity management .
In this regard , the Department of Safety and Health Malaysia ( DOSH ), Petroleum Safety Division , has taken the initiative in 2017 , in collaboration with University Technology Malaysia ( UTM ), to conduct an Integrity Management and Deterioration Control Study on the ‘ Ageing Plant ’, to collect data related to asset integrity , facility management and information related to occupational safety and health in workplaces categorised as Major Hazard Installations .
As a result of the study , a system called Plant Ageing Management System or Ageing Plant Management System ( APMS ) was developed . This management system requires all installations subject to Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazards ( CIMAH ) Regulations 1996 , as well as installations in the power plant sector that have been operating for more than 15 years , to conduct a selfassessment of their asset integrity management system through the Ageing Plant Information System ( APIS ) system . The system uses Self Operator Self- Assessment ( SOSA ) which will evaluate all asset integrity management practices that have been adapted by the installation party according to the POPMAR model , described by the HSE ( 2010 ) guide Managing Ageing Plant : A Summary Guide , Health and Safety Executive , UK . It will assess how they identify the specified design of installations and measures made to prolonged their operations based on their dynamic inspection , testing and maintenance programme . It will also trigger how they manage their asset or equipment condition derived from known inspection history such as the corrosion history , operational performance , which can contribute to how the plant has degraded . They need to identify the necessary processes to be performed for determining and carrying out more detailed inspections , and to positively justify what is needed to keep the plant going as opposed to rebuilding it . They also need to review and compare the original design of their asset with up-to-date design principles and consider measures to reduce risk to as low as practicable . Additionally they need to establish fitness-for-service and remnant life assessment techniques in order to re-evaluate the structural integrity of their asset . The APIS system will also prescribe specific Risk Control System ( RCS ) instructions for the installation based on their asset integrity assessment , which can guide the installation to develop adequate asset integrity management and manage their ageing plant issues effectively .
The department emphasised the APIS system to increase awareness among the installations of the risks posed by the ageing factor of an asset and the importance of an effective asset integrity management system .
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of implementing an ageing plant enforcement strategy are as follows : a . Ensure that all installations categorised as Major Hazard Installations ( MHI ) are registered and conduct Site Operator Self-Assessment ( SOSA ) through the Ageing Plant Information System ( APIS ). b . Assess the extent of awareness and commitment of the installation management subject to the CIMAH Regulations on issues related to the
18 VOL 90 APRIL-JUNE 2022