The leading independent provider of smart safety solutions, HIMA, is speaking at the Singapore Safety Case Symposium to address the functional safety aspects of the new legislation for process plants and bulk storage facilities.

This symposium, from 14 to 15 March and organised by TÜV Rheinland, focuses on facilities that are considered a Major Hazard Installation (MHI) under the new Workplace Safety and Health regulations. HIMA’s expert will speak on the role of functional safety in helping industry practitioners currently administering and overseeing the safety case for their facility to understand how to fulfil the technical requirements of the new legislation.

Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower has introduced the Major Hazards Installations (MHI) Regulations under the Workplace Safety and Health Act, to be implemented from the last quarter of 2017 through 2019. The core feature of the MHI Regulations is the Safety Case Regime where the submission of a safety case is compulsory. The Safety Case Regime is a structured set of documentation that sets out how major accidents are prevented and the risks to people and environment mitigated at MHIs.

Sujith Panikkar, Senior Consultant Functional Safety/ Safety Instrumented Systems, HIMA Asia Pacific, who will be speaking at the symposium, said: “The safety case and functional safety are closely related. Moreover, the functional safety aspect of building the safety case tends to be the most important, and also the most technically complex. Many working in MHIs will need assistance in building their safety case to comply with regulators. So through our collaboration with TÜV Rheinland, we hope to help those tasked with this challenge.

“The complex operating environment and the presence of large amounts of hazardous chemicals at MHIs mean that any accident can potentially result in catastrophic consequences. Therefore, strict compliance with the legislation is essential in ensuring a safe work environment in MHIs.”

Panikkar will address during his session: functional safety, safety instrumented systems and the safety lifecycle; functional safety documentation; the link between this documentation and technical aspects of the safety case submission. Plus, those attending will be given assistance in identifying gaps in their safety documentation so that timely action plans can be implemented before the safety case submission deadline.