Priorities at the PSA for technical and operational safety again concentrate on avoiding a major accident, and focus on barriers to prevent incidents happening or developing.
This recognises that the sum of technical, operational and organisational factors is crucial for determining whether barriers are functioning and effective at all times.
The PSA has often seen that barrier breaches cause accidents and incidents. So it will pay particular attention to seeing that companies establish and develop systems for managing safety-critical barriers.
Human, technological and organisational (HTO) relationships play a key role here.
Barriers are vital for maintaining safety in day-to-day operations. The challenge becomes all the greater when a number of different activities are pursued simultaneously –and when modification work and production coincide.
The PSA will accordingly give particular emphasis to the way companies deal with this aspect of barrier management.
Technical and operational barriers are one of PSA's main priorities for 2010