Safety function analysis in an industrial production process

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of this work was to identify and assess safety features on a production line of paper manufacturer called Renova. The assessment includes technical as well as organisational factors. The study was carried out through the evaluation of safety functions (SF), either present or absent in the system analyzed. Methods: The methodology applied was the SFA (Safety Function Analysis), which was developed by Harms-Ringdahl in 2001 and was updated further, in 2011 (draft version). The analytical framework was applied in two processes (raw material loading and transversal cut of log) of a production line (Line H4) of Renova. Results: In the first process analyzed (raw material loading), 47 safety functions (SF) were identified and evaluated, whereas 36 SF were assessed in the second case (transversal cut of log). The evaluation has shown that most of the SF considered are in good condition and being well monitored, therefore they do not need any improvements. In contrast, this work has also identified a number of safety functions that need essential improvements. Conclusions: As a consequence of this SFA analysis, the author proposes a number of specific recommendations to improve safety and the system’s performance in general. Since Renova is a manufacturer of paper products, fire safety is of paramount importance and one of the most relevant recommendations is perhaps the implementation of thermo graphic tests to identify possible hot spots that may originate a fire.