How Can Process Safety Failures Impact Engineering Projects?

Process safety is a critical part of engineering, particularly for projects involving complex processes, hazardous materials, or high-risk operations.

When process safety is neglected, people can die. The consequences can also be severe for the environment. There is also a strong likelihood of asset damage and financial loss. Reputational damage is likely too. 

Understanding the impact of process safety failures and how to prevent them is essential for engineers, project managers, and decision makers alike.

The Importance of Process Safety in Engineering

Process safety focuses on hazards identification, assessing risks, and implementing safeguards to prevent incidents before they occur. Unlike occupational safety, which primarily protects individual workers, process safety aims to prevent catastrophic events affecting entire facilities or communities. 

Failing to prioritise can have huge implications for engineering projects.

Unplanned downtime, regulatory penalties, financial losses, and long-term reputational damage are all potential outcomes. Inadequate hazard identification or poorly designed safety systems can allow minor issues to escalate into major incidents, affecting not only the current project but also future operations.

Real World Examples of Failures 

History demonstrates the consequences of neglecting process safety.

The Texas City Refinery explosion in 2005, caused by poor management of flammable hydrocarbons, resulted in 15 fatalities and hundreds of injuries, highlighting failures in hazard assessment and organisational safety culture.

In 2010, the BP Deepwater Horizon offshore project suffered a catastrophic blowout due to overlooked warning signs and insufficient risk mitigation. This led to 11 deaths, widespread environmental damage, and billions in financial loss.

Even earlier, the Flixborough chemical plant explosion in the United Kingdom in 1974 demonstrated the dangers of making process modifications without adequate hazard analysis, resulting in 28 deaths and significant industrial disruption.

These examples show that process safety failures can affect chemical plants, oil and gas operations, manufacturing facilities, and more.

Causes and Consequences 

Process safety failures often stem from incomplete hazard identification, poor risk assessment, human error, and equipment or process design flaws.

In engineering, when hazards are not properly recognised or assessed, the safeguards put in place may be ineffective or insufficient. Even a well-designed system can fail if operators are not properly trained or procedures are unclear and not followed.

Organisational culture also plays a role. A weak safety culture, where people feel unable to report hazards or managers fail to prioritise safety, often underpins high-profile failures. The consequences for engineering projects are wide-ranging. 

Financial costs include equipment damage, project delays, regulatory fines, and increased insurance premiums. Delays often follow accidents as investigations, redesigns, and remedial work are required.

Reputational damage can undermine client confidence, reduce investor trust, and affect a company’s brand. Regulatory and legal consequences may arise if projects fail to comply with health and safety regulations or fail to implement international design standards or industry good practice. 

Incidents can also affect employee morale and retention, with staff confidence and engagement impacted long after the event.

Preventing Failures 

Preventing process safety failures starts with integrating safety into every stage of a project. Early hazard identification, structured risk assessments, and robust control measures are essential.

Engineering controls, such as pressure relief systems, alarms, and fail-safe designs, reduce the probability of catastrophic events. Where safety critical tasks occur, people need to be properly trained, procedures need to be clear, and Human Factors studies should be carried out to understand the cause of and to help minimise human error. 

Regular audits and reviews of safety systems can help identify emerging risks or weaknesses in existing processes. Continuous monitoring, combined with lessons learned from past incidents, ensures that projects remain as safe and efficient as possible.

Regular audits and reviews of safety systems can help identify emerging risks or weaknesses in existing processes. Continuous monitoring, combined with lessons learned from past incidents, ensures that projects remain as safe and efficient as possible.

Above all, fostering a strong safety culture, where reporting hazards and open communication are encouraged, is crucial for keeping operations safe and projects on track. 

A team that prioritises safety is better equipped to anticipate risks, respond effectively to emergencies, and protect both people and the business.

How Can 6 Engineering Help? 

At 6 Engineering, we help businesses manage process safety risks proactively, ensuring hazards are identified, risks are assessed, and effective controls are implemented.

Our team works across industries from chemical processing to manufacturing and energy applying structured risk assessment techniques, HAZOP studies, and compliance expertise to protect your projects.

Get in touch with 6 Engineering today to discuss how we can support your process safety risk assessment and prevent costly safety failures in your engineering projects.