One of the process safety event occured due to a valve could not be operated well in time just because F key was not available.
To address such an issue, what should be the consideration?
F key not available
Re: F key not available
Actually, this should not be taken just as-is.
In my opinion, such critical valves which play role in controlling the escalation so that a major accident hazard could be prevented should be falling under a critical barrier to maintain. The valve does not seem to be any other valve, and that is the very reason that it caused a process safety event.
Recommendations should be stronger, and before that, it is required to be ensured that observations are correctly made.
In my opinion, such critical valves which play role in controlling the escalation so that a major accident hazard could be prevented should be falling under a critical barrier to maintain. The valve does not seem to be any other valve, and that is the very reason that it caused a process safety event.
Recommendations should be stronger, and before that, it is required to be ensured that observations are correctly made.
Re: F key not available
This is actually to understand the criticality.
For any valve that must be operated within X minutes to prevent escalation, is the operating key/tool guaranteed available at point of use, at all times?
What I see here is to create a short list of valves that are:
Required for emergency isolation / depressurization / diversion
Referenced in operating procedures, ESD cause & effect, alarm response, emergency response
Used for loss of containment control (API 754 Tier 1–3 learning)
Now what I think is required to be done to avoid any such instance in future is to consider the following:
Replace with handwheel / lever where feasible
Use quarter-turn with lever + locking method
Convert to powered actuator (pneumatic/electric/hydraulic) with:
Local pushbutton + remote operation (DCS/ESD)
Fail-safe position defined (fail-close/fail-open)
Use ESD valve where this valve is genuinely critical
If the valve is genuinely needed for safety mitigation, the best fix is: don’t make safety depend on a missing tool.
At least that is what I would do myself with my team on immediate basis before another such scenario happens.
For any valve that must be operated within X minutes to prevent escalation, is the operating key/tool guaranteed available at point of use, at all times?
What I see here is to create a short list of valves that are:
Required for emergency isolation / depressurization / diversion
Referenced in operating procedures, ESD cause & effect, alarm response, emergency response
Used for loss of containment control (API 754 Tier 1–3 learning)
Now what I think is required to be done to avoid any such instance in future is to consider the following:
Replace with handwheel / lever where feasible
Use quarter-turn with lever + locking method
Convert to powered actuator (pneumatic/electric/hydraulic) with:
Local pushbutton + remote operation (DCS/ESD)
Fail-safe position defined (fail-close/fail-open)
Use ESD valve where this valve is genuinely critical
If the valve is genuinely needed for safety mitigation, the best fix is: don’t make safety depend on a missing tool.
At least that is what I would do myself with my team on immediate basis before another such scenario happens.
Re: F key not available
This is what exactly is important to consider.
Dlew, I hope you have a multidisciplinary team with you doing all the thorough work on this.
I would go for an elimination of the risk like suggested by ivani1.
"Not a single valve highlighted as a mitigation to avoid any escalation in HAZID /HAZOP requiring an F-key to operate."
Inviting all too many variables, may suitable for other cases but in these, preventing a major accident hazard.
Dlew, I hope you have a multidisciplinary team with you doing all the thorough work on this.
I would go for an elimination of the risk like suggested by ivani1.
"Not a single valve highlighted as a mitigation to avoid any escalation in HAZID /HAZOP requiring an F-key to operate."
Inviting all too many variables, may suitable for other cases but in these, preventing a major accident hazard.
ivani1 wrote: 21 Jan 2026, 08:00 This is actually to understand the criticality.
For any valve that must be operated within X minutes to prevent escalation, is the operating key/tool guaranteed available at point of use, at all times?
What I see here is to create a short list of valves that are:
Required for emergency isolation / depressurization / diversion
Referenced in operating procedures, ESD cause & effect, alarm response, emergency response
Used for loss of containment control (API 754 Tier 1–3 learning)
Now what I think is required to be done to avoid any such instance in future is to consider the following:
Replace with handwheel / lever where feasible
Use quarter-turn with lever + locking method
Convert to powered actuator (pneumatic/electric/hydraulic) with:
Local pushbutton + remote operation (DCS/ESD)
Fail-safe position defined (fail-close/fail-open)
Use ESD valve where this valve is genuinely critical
If the valve is genuinely needed for safety mitigation, the best fix is: don’t make safety depend on a missing tool.
At least that is what I would do myself with my team on immediate basis before another such scenario happens.