A Focus on Continuous Improvement in Safety at Dow
Originally published in Dow's 2022 INtersections Progress Report
Two key initiatives were launched in 2022 to reduce unplanned events, in particular, Process Safety Containment Events (PSCEs). Both provided global guidance with the flexibility to tailor at the site and plant level.
PSCE REDUCTION EFFORT
In April 2022, Operations and EH&S leadership implemented a new PSCE Reduction Effort. This global effort was designed so that on-site teams identified and addressed specific needs and challenges. Team members
– Dow and contractor – were encouraged to identify potentially unsafe scenarios and mitigations to prevent the occurrence of PSCEs. Leaders increased the amount of time spent in the field with their teams to help set and maintain workplace expectations. This tailored approach allowed us to focus on the most critical opportunities and make a quick impact.
This effort was critical to make a quick impact and it was complemented later in the year with the launch of a new campaign: “Prevent. Protect. Respond.” This campaign emphasizes executing fundamentals with excellence and is designed so that facilities can individually customize the focus to address their greatest needs.
UNPLANNED EVENT REDUCTION SUMMIT
Leaders from around the world who work in EHS&S and Operations gathered to discuss and address unplanned events globally, with an emphasis on one of our most challenged regions – the United States and Canada. The global team identified four key areas of focus and teams accountable for progress in each area:
- “Staff to win” by ensuring optimal people resources and expertise at challenged sites and facilities
- Implement improvements to ensure equipment safety and reliability through fixed-asset preventive maintenance
- Establish targets based on the severity of consequence in order to guide corrective actions and prioritize resources
- Continue to use technology to minimize the risk of unplanned events
