RIVM report 2018-0004 - Addressing 'ageing' within the chemical industry - Companies on the risks resulting from ageing of chemical installations

In companies that work with chemical substances, incidents can occur because installations are outdated. This concern is often referred to in the Netherlands using the English terminology: 'ageing of the process industry' or 'ageing' for short. Since 2015, so-called Brzo companies (Major Accident Hazards Decree) have been required to identify and control the safety risks associated with aging and corrosion of their installations. As of 2017, Brzo inspection services pay attention to ageing of installations in their inspections. In preparation for the inspection, RIVM conducted a survey to gain insight into how much attention Brzo-relevant branches pay to ageing. Of the seventeen industry organizations approached, nine responded substantively. First, the survey showed that ageing is not yet explicitly considered in risk management at all industries. At the end of 2016, many companies are still at the beginning to include ageing. Most industry organizations do discuss ageing internally. Second, companies appear to use different definitions of ageing. In the 'narrower' definition, ageing is only about material degradation. The 'broader' one is not only about material degradation such as rust and wear, but also about aging of the techniques, procedures and knowledge used. Half of the industry organizations use the broader one. Meanwhile, several initiatives have been undertaken to get more attention to ageing in government and companies.

Significance score:

Clarity:

Outcome of survey on ageing process installations. Followed by DV2030 - baseline measurement of the state of assets. The DV2030 study showed that installations are actually becoming "younger" through continuous renewal and improvement. A second follow-up study was conducted under DV2030 which resulted in the Roadmap Asset Management.

Target Group(s):

• Policy makers
• HSE managers
• Strategic leadership
• Supervisors

Risk Theme:

• Process Safety - Asset Integrity Management - General