Management of Safety Critical Equipment is essential for any high-hazard site. Without a structured approach, key safety systems can fail, leading to catastrophic outcomes. At OTECSA, we help organisations identify and maintain equipment that protects against major incidents—ensuring both safety and compliance.
Why Managing Safety Critical Equipment Matters
Safety Critical Equipment (SCE) refers to systems or components that, if failed, could lead to a major accident. This includes pressure relief valves, emergency shutdown systems, alarms, and other protective devices.
Proper management ensures:
- Improved reliability and performance of safety systems
- Compliance with regulations such as COMAH
- Reduced risk of human and technical error
Our Step-by-Step Approach
OTECSA follows a structured methodology to assess and manage safety critical equipment:
1. Risk Identification
We start by identifying hazards and evaluating potential major accident scenarios. Typically this is through hazard studies such as HAZID and HAZOP, or carrying out a Major Hazard Summary Review.
2. Safety Critical Equipment (SCE) Identification
The definition agreed for each client can vary slightly, however generally any equipment used as a final protection or mitigation layer is listed as Safety Critical Equipment.
3. Performance Standards Definition
For each item of SCE, we help to define performance standards for clients. This includes how often inspections or testing is needed, and what acceptance criteria must be met. Performance standards are based on industry guidance, standards or good engineering practice depending on the type of equipment.
We recommend clients then develop SCE key performance indicators (KPIs) to help keep track of progress in managing the equipment. This may include indicators such as percentage of equipment inspected on time, or the number of items failing performance tests.
This process ensures that each piece of equipment is managed proactively—not reactively.
The Results Speak for Themselves
Our clients experience clear benefits through our approach to Safety Critical Equipment Management:
- Enhanced reliability of protective systems
- Alignment with regulatory expectations (especially COMAH)
- Stronger safety culture and awareness among site teams
- Fewer equipment failures and emergency incidents
Take the Next Step Toward Safer Operations
If you’re ready to improve your site’s safety and compliance, get in touch. OTECSA offers expert support in Management of Safety Critical Equipment tailored to your operations.
📩 Contact us today to learn more.