A wise plant manager told me this in my first year in the petrochem industry. I am paraphrasing
When it comes to our primary containment systems (he was speaking to piping in this discussion) – if it is not done darn near perfect, all we have to do is wait a while and bad things will just begin happen. But when it is done darn near perfect (as required by ASME B31.3) AND we have the evidence/documentation to show us it was, then it will take some lame brain to cause us to have a bad day and that sir is why I am always on your’s and the Op’s Managers ass to be sure those SOPs and Training are in place. The maintenance team is just my sleep aid that confirms the primary containment systems are still in good shape.
Claude Bloom was the kind of plant manager every safety professional should have started their career with – demanding with high expectations, but would spend hours with you explain process safety and why he was so demanding. I can’t even remember all the API and CCPS training courses he sent me to so that I could get a clear picture of what process safety management is really about. Those commitments to safety professionals seem to be a lost art these days, and it is sad and reflected in how PSM/RMP is managed at so many facilities.