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Procedia Engineering 46 (2012) 285 287

1st International Symposium on Innovation and Technology in the Phosphate Industry

[SYMPHOS 2011]

Risk Management of Major Industrial Complex Sites: Key Success

Factors OCP Example
Stephane Barraulta, Herve Marzala, Francis Chevalierb,*
a

MARSH RISK CONSULTING, Tour Ariane, 5 Place des Pyramides, Puteaux, 92800, France
b
APSYS, 22 quai Gallieni, Suresnes, 78200, France

Abstract
Large industrial complex sites are exposed to risks that can affect safety of employees and surrounding populations, challenge their public
image and also impact their shareholding. They have to establish an organisation and engage a risk management approach which can
allow them to take reasonable decisions and engage adapted actions. This approach goes beyond the simple respect of applicable
regulations. Mining and phosphate processing in mining sites and chemical complex sites are obviously confronted with this need to
control the various risks associated with accidents at workplace, but also those which are considered as major risks for the environment
generated by hazardous materials used in the process.
The objective of this intervention is to present the active approach adopted by OCP to map the various risks at its various sites, and to
evaluate them and define an organization and an improvement actions plan to ensure management of these risks.
Key success factors of effective risk management have been identified as the design of processes and equipment (safety in design) taking
into account the safety behavior of the OCP personnel, the establishment of an organization that provides change tracking and control, the
knowledge of the hazardous zones to the off-site populations in order to ensure the land-use planning around the sites, and the definition
of emergency plans. This approach is part of a process of on-going improvement of safety control introduced by a large international
group, with the objective to be recognized as a leader in safety and to develop a reliable and sustainable safety culture.

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Keywords: Industrial complex sites OCP Risk management Key success factors Safety overview - Risk study Emergency plans
SMS analysis

1. Introduction
Risk Management of industrial systems is based on a set of risk analyses carried out by sector: technical, human,
organizational, environmental, and financial. However to achieve risk management, we have to take into account
interactions between these different types of risk: the technical risks associated with components of these systems, the
individuals who operate these systems, the environmental context, the physical hazards and the applied regulations.
Aware that the risks may have consequences on people, property and environment, internally but also externally of its
chemical complex and mining sites, OCP Group is committed to a voluntary approach of Risk Management, in order to
position itself as a leader in safety.

Corresponding author. Tel.: +33 142 04 81 83; fax: +33 142 04 57 08

E-mail address: francis.chevalier@apsys.eads.net

1877-7058 2012 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of the Scientific Committee of SYMPHOS 2011
Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license. doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2012.09.474

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Given the ambition of the OCP, the methodology used to achieve this "safety study" was based on four steps:
The safety overview;
The risk assessment (risk study);
The completion / update of the emergency plans;
The analysis of the Safety Management System (SMS).

2. Safety overview
Achieved within 3 mining sites and 2 chemical plants throughout visits and interviews, this safety overview helped to
make an assessment of the current situation related to 19 themes representing key topics to be processed regarding safety.
The analysis is based on Moroccan and French regulations, but also on good practices in safety.
Following the visits, interviews and review of existing documentation, results helped to map the level of safety control at
the different sites of OCP. This helped to position OCP Group compared with current regulations and good practices, but
also to compare sites within the same sector (mine or chemistry).
Mapping formed the basis for the development of targeted actions plans that enable to act immediately on identified
vulnerabilities.
In addition, OCP Group has established a process of cross-audits to monitor and enhance the implemented actions plans.
In conclusion, following the identification of areas to improve and the implementation of the targeted actions, an
effective improvement has been observed at safety management level.
3. Risk study
Maximal securing of industrial sites and a complete and thorough identification of risks they generate on off-site
populations are a key objective.
Risk studies were performed by comparison and / or use of the French regulatory reference (Environmental Code,
General Regulations of Extractive Industries or RGIE), and they have been adapted:

To the nature of the practiced activities of OCP (mining and phosphate processing in mining sites and in chemical
complex sites);

To the hazardous properties of the materials (sulfur, ammonia, sulfur dioxide, sulfuric acid, flammable liquids ...).
In particular, risks studies on chemical complex sites and phosphate processing units (washing, drying and calcining
units) of mining sites were conducted using the methodology of the Safety case used for SEVESO AS sites, according to the
French regulation.
These risks studies have allowed highlighting:

Deviations from the regulatory base-lines and from good practices of design and operation;

Risks considered as unacceptable following risk analysis, given their level of criticality according to the probability of
occurrence and the severity of consequences;

Hazardous phenomena whose effects go outside of the borders of the site, and considered as unacceptable for the
safety of off-site populations.
These findings help to enrich improvement actions plan on design, training, operations and maintenance aspects, and also
to map effects areas in case of major accidents that allow OCP to ensure the land-use planning around its sites.
In support of these risk studies, a diagnosis of the safety behavior of OCP employees was also conducted at each site,
crossing the views of different actors involved in safety management (direction, middle management, and executive staff).
Following these diagnoses, improvement axes on the control of the Safety Management System (SMS) have been
identified in order to initiate a sustained improvement process for a responsible safety behavior.
4. Emergency plans (Internal Operation Plans)
Based on the Risk studies, the emergency plans or Internal Operations Plan, were performed on chemical complex and
mining sites (phosphate processing units).
An Internal Operation Plans is a decision support tool usable in internally by the operator on site and externally by
emergency services, upon occurrence of major accidents identified in the Risk studies. Its contents meet good French
practices.
It focused on the control of significant and representative potential accidents within the boundaries of the site.
Actions have to be implemented to transform this "documentary" Internal Operation Plan in an "operational tool", such
as:

Staff training on emergency situations management,

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Conducting exercises (or drills) to test the in-house emergency deployment, coordination means and emergency
response unit operation,
Coordination with external emergency services and authorities.

5. Analysis of the Safety Management System

A management system of health and safety at work is a part of the overall management system of the company. Adoption
of this system is the expression of a comprehensive and management-oriented approach of the company. It is based on a
well-known baseline and follows a process of change that needs to be animated and sustained. Integrate health and security
management at work is a good practice of prevention.
Such a system combines people, policies and means in order to improve performance of a company at health and safety
levels.
The continuous improvement principle (PDCA) is at the core of the system:

The commitment of Management and the definition of the Policy are the bases of SMS;

Planning and implementation take account of identification, analysis and risk management;

Assessment presents methods for measuring system performance;

Improvement actions handle various preventive and corrective measures to be taken.

This voluntary approach is headed to:

Anticipate change;

Increase responsiveness and performance of the Company in risk prevention;

Limit malfunctioning that could affect Health and Safety;

Ensure overall consistency with other management approaches.

The advantages of this approach are:

Include the interest of managing health and safety at all levels within the Company;

Integrate Health and Safety in Company policy;

Develop independence of the Company in terms of prevention;

Encourage a multidisciplinary approach, with involves the employees (consultation, participation);

Make identification and a priori evaluation of risks a keystone of Health and Safety at workplace;

Integrate prevention into premises, equipment, workplace and working methods conception;

Analyze the root causes of accidents work and occupational diseases.

The choice of the baseline is not important: important key is to have an organized Safety and Health Management
System.
Aware of the issues raised by the establishment of a Safety Management System, OCP Group had already taken steps in
this direction, but wanted to make an analysis of the existing SMS in order to identify a targeted actions plan to improve and
optimize it.
A documentary analysis was performed according to OHSAS 18001 v2007 standard requirements, and an analysis of the
on-site application of safety management practices was conducted during the diagnosis about the safety behavior of OCP
employees (as an accompaniment of risk studies). The combination of these two analyses conducted by the APSYSMARSH Group has established observations, and therefore identified targeted actions to implement.
Thus, one of major identified actions includes change of existing HSE organization at sites level, in order to:

Take into account organizations and constraints of each site;

Ensure independence and integration principles of decision;

Define position of HSE Director and Occupational Medicine;

Define the actions perimeters, responsibilities, resources and needed skills.

6. Conclusion
All of these studies aim to improve and enhance actions implemented by OCP Group. It relied on MARSH APSYS
Group to position OCP in relation to regulations and good practices, with the aim to effectively act on identified
improvement areas.
OCP Group has initiated a comprehensive approach of identification and management of risks that may affect staff and
off-site populations. This is indicative of a strong willing to position itself as a leader in safety.