Technical integrity - An engineer's view

Assuring technical integrity in any process plant design is essential to ensure that there will be no harm done to people or damage to the environment. This applies whether the design is for a new facility or a small modification to an existing facility. The findings of a recent study show that there is some confusion over the use of procedures for plant modifications and that the level of competence of personnel can sometimes be a problem. This means that technical integrity is not always assured. Companies must be reminded that quality assurance procedures do not absolve them from responsibility or legal liability for the performance of their facilities. In this respect too much reliance may be placed upon the existence of these procedures and not enough attention focused on ensuring the competence of the personnel who operate them. Further findings of the study highlight a need to provide engineers with focused training to ensure that they have a clear understanding of the importance of ensuring technical integrity of design of process plants and are competent to do so.