New research from Sphera, a leading operational intelligence platform, reveals the operational impact of recognising process safety risks too late. In a survey of 203 EHS, process safety and operations professionals, 63 per cent said their organisations had experienced one or two operational disruptions or production delays in the past 12 months because risk conditions were recognised later than desired, while 34 per cent reported three to five.
Key findings from the Sphera research
- 63 per cent reported one or two disruptions or production delays in the past 12 months because risk was recognised late, and 34 per cent reported three to five.
- 59 per cent said their process safety systems were fully integrated. Across the full sample, nearly all respondents reported disruption.
- Among respondents with mostly or partially integrated systems (41 per cent of the sample), 93 per cent spend at least an hour each week manually connecting risk information. The average is 4.4 hours per week, and 28 per cent spend six to ten hours.
- 22 per cent cite connecting risk studies, including PHA and HAZOP, with permitting, barrier management and EHS systems as their biggest barrier management challenge.
- 88 per cent say it is important that AI provides recommendations while humans make the final decision.
As industrial operators look to reduce unplanned downtime and strengthen process safety, the findings suggest that greater attention is needed on how quickly organisations can connect existing safety information and identify changes in risk before they escalate.
“Speed to identification is everything when it comes to preventing serious safety incidents,” said Paul Marushka, president and CEO of Sphera. “The warning signs are often already in the data, but recognising them too late can have significant consequences for people and operations.”
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