Cogent Skills sits at the centre of the science industries and supports all levels of vocational training, qualifications and skills development across a wide range of industry sectors. One of the key focuses for Cogent Skills, as determined by employers is Process Safety Culture and Awareness. Their unique approach is to assist companies in improving process safety at three distinct levels (Strategic/Leadership Level; Tactical/Management Level; Operations Level) and establishing a strong organisational process safety culture, within the organisation.
Cogent Skills has worked with the industry led Process Safety Management Competence Programme Board (PSMCPB) to develop a comprehensive Process Safety Management Programme and a portfolio of courses which are underpinned with industry specific training standards designed to ensure relevance and secure impact. Members of the PSMCPB include CIA, HSE, BACS, UKLPG and key industry partners who continue to meet to ensure the relevance of the standards within industry.
Each of the Process Safety Management courses are relevant to COMAH and non COMAH sites, where operators are handling or processing potentially hazardous materials, and could be exposed and vulnerable to explosion, loss of containment or other major accident hazards which may pose a threat to the environment or general public. Cogent Skills can adapt their courses and select trainers so that the course is particularly relevant to the organisation.
The HSE has recognised that companies who adopt these standards can achieve effective Process Safety Management. The Better Regulation Executive (BRE) has recognised this training as good practice in addressing the Principles of Process Safety Leadership.
Ron Ramshaw, Health and Safety Manager at Interconnector said, “the Process Safety Leadership for Senior Executives course was very well received by all participants and it has helped improve our levels of Process Safety understanding – we couldn’t have done it without Cogent Skills!
In 2017 Cogent Skills will see the 8000th delegate go through the programme.
However, only 170 COMAH sites have taken part. The PSMCPB including the CIA have recognised that this is not enough. It is strongly advised that more Major Accident Hazard organisations adopt these standards to prevent major accidents occurring and limit the consequences to people and the environment as well as the business.
Andrew Mawson, Group SHE Manager at px Group commented, ‘the course syllabus matched almost exactly the level of process safety knowledge that we wanted our Process Safety Champions and Sponsors to have. In addition the course lends itself to training our next generation of process safety leadership. The Foundations course has been excellent. All attendees have been very positive and have said how much the course has increased their competence and allowed them to support the other sites in the improvement of process safety performance.”
Cogent Skills also understands that a company may have its own culture and this should be recognised and integrated when process safety training is designed and deployed. In order to enable this, there is a bespoke solution that can be adapted to any organisation in order to match the standards with existing policies, procedures, processes and systems.
This Program goes much further than increasing process safety awareness. It has also been designed to impact on business performance by:
• Reducing costly process incidents, downtime and maintaining process operations
• Improving stability, productivity and product quality
• Protecting & enhancing corporate image
• Enabling effective life cycle plant management and asset realisation
• Developing the tools and knowledge to implement a process safety culture through the business
“Before starting the PSM training, the companies focus was on the shift from personal safety to process safety. Following the training we have improved our process safety culture and performance through enhancing personal safety with process safety. Cogent played a central role throughout, and the fact the programme is developed by peer companies is very valuable. The participants noted it was the most relevant training they had ever been on.”
Tony Johnson, Production Support Manager, Huntsman Polyurethanes (UK) Ltd.
The key to safety is in your hands, is your process safety up to standard?
If you would like to find out more information about what is available, you can contact Cogent Skills on 01325 740900 or email industry@cogentskills.com
