SIMOPS is an acronym for Simultaneous Operations in safety, referring to the management of risks when two or more high-risk activities occur concurrently in the same location. It is a critical process used across industries like oil and gas, construction, and chemical manufacturing to identify and mitigate the potential for conflicts and new hazards that arise when activities overlap. Effective SIMOPS procedures include a comprehensive risk assessment of both individual and combined operations and require careful planning and coordination between different work groups.
- Definition: SIMOPS refers to conducting two or more work activities at the same time and in the same or adjacent areas, which can complicate safety assurance efforts.
- Risks: These overlapping activities can create new, unforeseen risks or increase the severity of existing ones, such as equipment collisions, fire hazards, or interference between different operations.
- Management: To manage SIMOPS safely, companies implement a systematic approach that includes:
- Conducting multi-disciplinary risk workshops.
- Performing hazard analyses that consider the interactions between concurrent activities.
- Establishing a clear hierarchy of control and a permit-to-work system to manage activities.
- Ensuring communication between involved parties through meetings and toolboxes talks.
- Appointing a "Simultaneous Operations Leader" (S.O.L.) to oversee coordination and risk management.
- Industries: While prominent in the oil and gas and chemical sectors, the principles of SIMOPS are applicable to any industry where concurrent work could introduce safety hazards, such as construction, industrial manufacturing, and heavy machinery operations.
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