Human Factors Engineering in FLNG Projects D. Chandrasegaran, H. Al Sharifi, M.H. Mohd Noor, and M.K. Abdullah, TechnipFMC

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1 Human Factors Engineering in FLNG Projects D. Chandrasegaran, H. Al Sharifi, M.H. Mohd Noor, and M.K. Abdullah, TechnipFMC This paper was prepared for presentation at the Gastech Conference held in Tokyo, Japan, April This paper was selected for presentation by an Gastech program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper have not been reviewed by the Gastech Conference and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not necessarily reflect any position of the Gastech Conference, its officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written consent of the Gastech Conference and the authors is prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of where and by whom the paper was presented. Abstract Human Factor Engineering (HFE) addresses interactions in the work environment between people, a facility and its management. FLNG projects bring new HFE challenges with more equipment items that are often larger and often more sophisticated than previously deployed offshore. Deployment of HFE is most cost efficient when started in the early design stages. Timely application of HFE can bring many benefits such as: Designing to allow operation and maintenance throughout the facility s life considering every single task requiring handling of mechanical components and verification of the FLNG operation and maintenance teams resources. Holistic material handling system design Better construction planning This paper will present the findings and lessons learned from engineering and construction of recent offshore LNG facilities by TechnipFMC. The perspective of operation and maintenance teams is considered in the HFE process to ensure that past experience and needs are incorporated in the new design. The findings and lessons learned are summarized under keywords for further discussion and recommendation. Codes, standards and guidelines that are relevant to HFE and material handling are discussed to establish if there is adequate coverage of the requirements for the design, construction and operation of FLNG. Although the discussions of human factors are based on case studies from offshore facilities such as FLNG and large gas processing platforms, the observations and recommendations could be extended to other types of oil and gas facilities. Keywords: Facilities, Operations, Maintenance, Material Handling, Human Factors Abbreviations: BBS Behaviour Based Safety HFE Human Factors Engineering DDE Detailed Design Engineering HMI Human Machine Interface FEED Front End Engineering Design HSE Health, Safety and Environment FLNG Floating Liquified Natural Gas LNG Liquefied Natural Gas FPSO Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading MH Material Handling

2 2 Human Factors Enginering in FLNG Projects 1. Introduction Global liquefaction capacity stands at 301MTPA. This is almost double the capacities 10 years ago. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has projected that global energy demand will rise and is set to grow by 30% by year In addition, natural gas demand growth fares best in this projection, even though there would be a shift in capital expenditures towards low carbon environment. Looking at these scenarios, investments on LNG facilities are expected to increase in the foreseeable future. LNG facilities cover liquefaction, regasification, land storage, and distributions, which are mostly land-based. Recent technological developments have made it possible for similar facilities to be built and operated offshore. This has since become a reality in the LNG sector with the achievement of the first gas on Petronas first FLNG unit, SATU, on December This technology had been under development for years, combining the design and installation of liquefaction units with a traditional floating production, storage, and offloading facility; enabling the development of stranded offshore gas resources economically. The design, construction and operation of FLNG units present significant challenges compared to an onshore plant - vessels motions, relatively small and congested environment, and harsh marine conditions. Therefore, these constraints present further risks on the human factors front in the work environment and much technical and human factors challenges that need to be tackled. In this paper, the deployment of human factors engineering in FLNG Unit projects in general will be discussed. The benefits of HFE in early design stages of FLNG projects will be highlighted. Considering the novelty and the new technologies in FLNG projects, there is a lack of design and operation references. Nevertheless, proven standards, good engineering practice, and valued operators experience form the basis of design. Lessons learned during the engineering and construction of FLNG units by TechnipFMC are shared here. Perspectives of past experiences of designing, constructing and operating similar facilities are taken into account during the HFE process. In addition, codes, standards and guidelines that are relevant to HFE and material handling are discussed. 1.1 Overview of FLNG Units FLNG unit is a versatile floating LNG facility that relates to many technical skill sets that require prior knowledge and experience. These include natural gas liquefaction, design and construction of large FPSO units, and the design of the riser and mooring system that link offshore gas fields to the floating unit. With FLNG units, stranded offshore gas resources could be monetised well, especially when 60% of the world s natural gas is located in areas which conventional rigs and pipelines cannot access. FLNG technology presents the hybridization of a 5-step process into a compact structure. These are: 1) Resources: extraction of natural gas from the wellheads to the floating unit; 2) Pre-treatment: extracted natural gas processed on board prior to liquefaction; 3) Liquefaction: liquefies natural gas to approximately -150 C and shrinks the gas volumes;

3 Human Factors Engineering in FLNG Projects 3 4) Storage: the liquefied natural gas is stored in dual membrane type cargo containment system before offloading; and 5) Offloading: LNG is offloaded to the LNG carrier for delivery Figure 1 encapsulates these steps in a sequential diagram. Resource Pretereatment Liquefaction Storage Offloading Figure 1: FLNG 5-Step Process Figure 2: Overview of know-hows required to develop FLNG LNG production in the offshore setting presents serious challenges - bearing in mind that FLNG whether in a large or small scale will be amongst the largest and most complex capital investments in the oil and gas sector. Among them are: 1) Every part of conventional LNG facility needs to fit in a fraction of footprint of a land-based facility, concurrently without compromising the level of safety; 2) LNG containments must be able to withstand the forces due to sea waves and current motions, affecting facility safety, integrity, reliability and operations; 3) Safety concerns such as eliminating ignition sources and cryogenic spills, reducing flammable inventories, and providing a safe haven for operating personnel; 4) Equipment for FLNGs are generally larger and heavier than that of FPSOs. In addition, FLNG may have a number of tall vertical columns and exchanger as part

4 4 Human Factors Enginering in FLNG Projects of the process system. Performance of these equipment is critical to maintain the availability and production of the FLNG unit; and 5) There is little historical data available to benchmark weight and cost estimates. Nevertheless, past experiences in building offshore modules and FPSOs would help to provide some confidence in this area. In addition, lessons learned from designing and building FPSOs and onshore LNG modules could be integrated when executing FLNG projects. FLNG projects, once it overcame its challenges, present significant gas field development opportunities in the offshore oil and gas sector. Figure 2 shows the technology know-how required to develop this FLNG innovation. 2. Human Factors Engineering Human Factors Engineering in the oil and gas sector are interpreted more broadly and is approached at a multidisciplinary level; encompassing people, environment, equipment, organisation and work. This is done with the aim of addressing risks issues, reducing consequences of human errors and improving user acceptance of the facilities or equipment. In fact, major players in the industries recognise that human factors engineering has a significant role in ensuring quality, safety and fit for the purpose the equipment and facilities are used in the oil and gas industry. Figure 3 presents the model for human factors based on the OGP model. Facilites & Equipment workspace design maintenance reliability physical characteristics Management leadership procedures hazard identification risk assessment training commitment change management People human characteristics behaviour fitness stress fatigue Figure 3: A human factors model based on OGP

5 Human Factors Engineering in FLNG Projects Human Error Generally, we come across human error many times as a cause for mishaps in the workplace and facilities while operating, constructing or designing. Rarely, it is due to a single mistake by any one person; as shown by Reason s Swiss cheese model. Therefore, it is important to know where the deviations occur and understand where simple human failure may prove detrimental to the facilities. Human errors generally could be defined in two groups, which are skill-based and rulesbased; relating to slips and mistakes. Other than that, violations are defined where operators deliberately carry out an action contrary to the procedures. Lapses are due to failure of memory. Slips arise from the right intention of the operator, but where fault occurs during execution. Meanwhile, mistakes occur during decision-making based on the operators knowledge or the procedure concerned. Once we understand the nature of the errors that we may make, it is necessary to consider the management of these errors when engineering the system, equipment or facilities. These would be the main aim of Human Factors Engineering during the project execution. 2.2 Facilities and Equipment Facilities and equipment is one of the components of the HF model; in consideration of physical characteristics, workspace, maintenance and reliability concerns. Also, it covers a wide range of topics from initial design up to the labelling at completion. In this section, three key items will be elaborated on, which are the equipment design, facilities and workstation design, and HMIs. The main aim when performing equipment design is to address the relationship between man and machine (or equipment) in a synergistic manner. People have different traits such as physical capabilities and skills that need to be matched with the equipment s design parameters. These overlapping areas could be summarised in nine-point human factors design principles: Suitability Simplicity Labelling Accessibility Detectability Availability Logic and consistency Flexibility Conformity with user experience These design iterations which should be taken care of holistically should consider the processes involved and the people who operate it. Tools such as BBS and standards provide guidance to achieve these principles. Meanwhile, for workplace and facilities, a good design is reflected when it satisfies biomechanical, physiological and psychological needs of the users. It should accommodate to the extremes of the user population and be physically accessible. Also, other environmental conditions such as lighting and comfort are considered. Facilities operation and maintenance cost time and resources. Operators must be able to access the equipment safely and easily. Apart from that, equipment must be designed for easy

6 6 Human Factors Enginering in FLNG Projects maintenance. Task analysis and checklists methods could be used during the early design stage to assess potential HF issues and appropriate interventions could be made in time. Human-Machine Interfaces or more commonly known as HMIs, key purpose is to interact with the control systems. Botches when dealing with control systems usually result in catastrophic events. HF elements that involve HMIs are the ergonomics with the computer equipment, operators interaction with the software, and individual human characteristics. Significant technological leaps in the past decades have made it more reliant on control software and its various display devices. Also, process control software information are being delivered in a compact manner; audio and visually. Therefore, audio visual devices or VDUs design are becoming more important and necessitates for HF intervention. Presently, there is not a single set of guidelines or standard that addresses all the HF concerns related to it. Nevertheless, there are guidelines documents from other industries which could be adopted. 2.3 People The People component relates to the individual contribution; in terms of skills, perceptions, communications, fatigue and more. At times, it overlaps with human machine interface subject. A few key topics under this subject are touched on in the succeeding paragraphs. Training is related to development of skills within the people or available human resource. They tend to be trained in many areas; some are skill-based, technical or managerial. An overall training and human resources development programme should be established in any organisation. This would enable the workforce to meet the ever-changing demands, technical needs and hazards of operation. The issues here revolve around the training design, its quality, and alignment with job needs. Many incidents at the workplace occur due to breakdown in communications. In any situation, intention and meaning must be transmitted correctly. Therefore, a feedback system should be present to ensure that correct information is transmitted. One form of communication is through writings or documents. Documentation should be designed from the users perspective, considering users perception of experiences, knowledge and psychology. There are document design guidelines from a number of sources that could assist in the development of new documents and reviewing existing ones. In current times, it is important to have documentation and information that could transcend the cultural differences and is effective in conveying the necessary intent and information. Environmental factors such as lighting, noise, vibration and temperature are also aspects that fall under People. These factors should be within the comfort range of the operators. Staffing levels should commensurate with the workload available. In other words, adequate resources are provided to complete the task in hand. Ideal workload should be sufficiently challenging to get the worker s attention and interest as well. There are specific design tools available to assess the needs of the operator (from environment condition to workloads) and implement the requirements during the design phase.

7 Human Factors Engineering in FLNG Projects Management Systems A management system refers to the structure where the work is carried out. It could be broadly linked to procedures, planning, safety practices, competencies management, change management and emergency preparedness. All these and many more should contribute positively to the risk management within the organisation. One of the key management elements within the organisation is safety culture which will be elaborated here. Every organisation endeavours to develop a positive health, safety and environment climate throughout its people; which in turn, impacts the HSE performance. When members of the organisation engage in HSE as a value system, it would be meaningful and practical for them to take action on it, especially on their day-to-day tasks - consequently contributing to successful business performance to the organisation as well. There are many theoretical models available to develop a safety culture in an organisation; the focus would be on Schein s, Cooper s and Reason s. These also have evolved to a certain extent to suit the organisational needs. Positive outcomes are expected in terms of hardware, management system, people, behaviour and organisational climate factors when safety culture programmes are implemented successfully. For instance, a good plant design and working conditions will be tangible results that could be achieved with positive safety culture. Many safety culture improvement programmes have been conducted successfully worldwide and the interest is growing also. In the end, it would help the personnel in project and operating plant have a good understanding on how their individual behaviour influences safety performance and to take ownership of improvement actions throughout the project life-cycle. 2.5 Material Handling All offshore facilities including FLNGs comprise many sub-systems that require routine inspection, maintenance and repairs, ensuring they achieve the intended production and reliability. In order to facilitate such activities efficiently, material handling as a specialty topic has been of much interest in recent years. During the engineering stage, MH methodology, accessibility and equipment are identified as well-procured. In the oil and gas sector, many operators have defined manual handling limits at 25 kg for a single person. Consequently, MH equipment will be utilised for lifting of parts that exceed the pre-determined limits. Also, customised solutions or complex methodology will be employed to complete the MH and maintenance activities. For example, an offshore platform crane is a major feature of material handling system within the platform specifically, for personnel transfer and equipment transfer. For these reasons, platform cranes can be considered among the most high-risk and high-demand equipment, hence inspections and maintenance of platform cranes are scheduled throughout its life. Provisions to carry out maintenance activities are usually included as part of its supply for instance, jib cranes to lift lube oil drums, and walkways along the crane boom to inspect the wire rope. Gas turbines for offshore use are designed for that as they are able to withstand harsh climates and heavy-duty usage. As such, condition-monitoring and preventive maintenance must adhere to a strict schedule. Gas turbine frames and casings are generally split axially to lift them from the top. Without removing the rotor, variable inlet guide vanes can be removed radially, and bearing liners can be replaced using an integral monorail hoist within the package.

8 8 Human Factors Enginering in FLNG Projects 3. Industry Guidance on HFE Application of HFE had been scattered all over the oil and gas industry, succinctly said inconsistent. However, efforts had been shown to implement HFE programme in major capital projects in recent years. Lessons and experienced gained through this implementation are of great value to the industry; improving safety records. The succeeding paragraphs will give an overview of the current state. Regulators are major drivers in coming up with the requirements, ensuring compliance and raising the expectations on HFEs. Several regulators and industry bodies such as Norway s Petroleum Safety Authority and American Bureau of Shipping have come up with their HFE design standards and guidelines for the oil and gas sectors within their jurisdiction. Some of the oil and gas companies have also cited the design standards and developed their in-house or project specific HFE documents. For example, company specific design manual is created to provide guidelines on egress dimension for a plant access and layouts. The International Association of Oil and Gas Producers had produced a practical document that gives an overview of recommended HFE activities over five main project phases. This documents reflects a simplistic model that could implemented in a cost effective way compared to earlier mentioned HFE design standards of which are more comprehensive. Looking from far, it could be said there are sufficient HFE reference documents for the oil and gas sector. Also, a list of commonly agreed HFE methodologies could be established for the offshore project with concurrence with all industry players. Nevertheless, the application of it remain inconsistent so far due to various reasons. 4. Integrating HFE in FLNG Projects Safety performance has improved with the application of human factors programme, especially in reducing accident rates. In the past decades, many oil and gas operators had taken significant steps in integrating human factors requirement as part of the project design process, realising that HFE programmes are most efficient during the design phase. This is when hazards could be designed out. Also, mitigation plans such as procedures and barriers are put into place effectively. Subsequently, verifications are done during the construction and commissioning phase. Active implementation of HFE programmes during project phases will deliver facilities that are better in terms of cost, safety, reliability and maintainability. 4.1 Engineering Design HFE implementation through the project lifecycle could be summarised in three stages. These are conceptual, FEED and detailed engineering stages. The succeeding paragraphs will elaborate more on this. First and foremost, leading HFE integration in the project environment is a large responsibility. They are important tasks that are handled by HFE Specialist and HFE-focused engineering group. In addition, this should also be advocated by the project management team and the operating client or end-user; who have the benefit of influencing project direction. HFE Specialist is required to have the appropriate academic qualification and experience in this field. In addition, engineers within the focus group shall be HFE-trained as well. Usually, qualifications that should be attained by the HFE-focused engineering team are well defined

9 Human Factors Engineering in FLNG Projects 9 by the operating client or end-user. A qualified, credible and experienced HFE team is essential in determining the successful implementation, especially in giving the right direction to all project team members on HFE matters from conceptual to handover of the facilities. During the conceptual phase, HFE strategy or a high level HFE plan will be spelt out. Also, HFE Specialist and associated team will be assembled to formulate the required philosophy and in ensuring that the key design documents take into account the HFE design requirements and its activities. HFE design requirements are compiled by the HFE Specialist from existing technical references and standards that will be mandated by the Client or end-user. These requirements are then imparted to all the design documents including design basis memorandum and layouts. HFE strategy will define that HFE principles shall be applied during the early design phase, where it can have a critical impact on the usability and operators HSE concerns, and an appropriate level of HFE activities are outlined. At this stage, HFE screening exercise will be executed with the project team. Product of the conceptual phase will be HFE Plan for the subsequent FEED phase. This describes the HFE tasks that should be performed during the next project phase. It also establishes the work scope such as review workshops, schedules, deliverables and responsibilities of those involved in implementing it - contractors and vendors. HFE activities during FEED phase will be based on the HFE plan developed earlier. Key activities here covers detailed HFE specifications development, HFE analysis and verification. The point to note is that HFE activities during the FEED phase are most critical, where all activities are design-focused and HF risks are mitigated through design. In general, sub-systems within the facility will be analysed using HFE tools and methodologies. HF analysis during FEED may encompass these: Safety critical task analysis; Valve criticality analysis; and 3D model reviews. In addition, certain scope may require more detailed study efforts and this could be cascaded to next phase. These special studies may include: Alarm management; Material handling; Manning assessment; and Human machine interface for process control. HFE awareness training is provided to all project team members by the HFE Specialist and his/ her team. The content and length of training should be customised to the target groups such as designers and engineers. The HFE-focused team will also be providing assistance to the engineers and designers in order to allow transfer of key outcomes from the HF analyses and studies promptly; whether through documents, drawings and layouts. The FEED phase HFE activities are concluded with an HFE report that demonstrates all analyses outcomes and recommendations that have been implemented or justified accordingly.

10 10 Human Factors Enginering in FLNG Projects In the detailed design engineering phase, HFE activities revolve around validation and ensuring the contractors follow through with the implementation. Here, significant information from vendors and suppliers will be received and updated into the design documents. It may be necessary for specific HFE analysis to be conducted to provide input for other engineering, safety and risk studies based on the current information. In addition, the HFE Specialist and his/ her team will assist the vendor in improving their design and addressing HFE requirements. This could be achieved by means of guidelines, checklists or specific review sessions. Other than that, development of operation and maintenance documentations and procedures may require input to ensure adherence to HFE design requirements. Similar to the FEED phase, an HFE report will be issued to mark the closure of HFE activities in DDE phase. 5. Lessons Learnt and Discussions Based on recent execution of FLNG projects, it would be useful to consider some of the lessons learned for future improvements and approach that could be taken to address it. 5.1 HFE as Part of Safety Culture Management commitment needs to be demonstrated by integrating HFE as an important point in the safety culture messages. Even though the importance of HFE in the project and its benefit are evident in the long run, this has to be reflected in the project environment itself. This has to be shown clearly to all of the project team members and evident in their day to day activities. For example, a project office should provide ergonomically suitable workstation and furniture to reflect the commitment to HFE. In a nutshell, consistency should be reflected between the safety culture messages and HFE implementation in the project. 5.2 Prioritising Resources At times, it has been viewed that adherence to HFE requirements are not necessary. It may even cost more in terms of money, effort and time. It is imperative that for successful integration of HFE in a project, the HFE is mandated through design specifications, contractor s bidding package and others. This could only be achieved through focused effort and adequate provision of resources. Professional HFE practitioners with the approapriate qualifactions must be available to convey the HFE agenda and advise on it. Project management team should ensure that adequate resources are provided for HFE activities in terms time, staffing and budgets. 5.3 Training on HFE Principles Generally, HFE awareness session will be conducted before the design activities goes into full swing, especially during the FEED phase. This training usually lasts between 2 hours to 4 hours. However, a good understanding of HFE principles could only be established with field experience coupled with classroom session. For long term development of designers with HFE knowledge, this aspect should be considered as part of the competencies development within the engineering team. Then only, any HFE issues at design level could be tackled promptly. In addition, awareness training should be expanded to suppliers, vendors, inspectors and others as required.

11 Human Factors Engineering in FLNG Projects Operating Experience FLNG Unit are the first being deployed in offshore environment. Therefore, many of the equipment and systems suppliers have almost no prior experience constructing and operating it for the offshore environment. As highlighted earlier, equipment is larger and expected to fit in smaller footprint area; all these pose additional challenges to the designers and operators. Nevertheless, this should be taken as the first benchmark case and where experience will be built upon. 5.5 Single Point of Reference for HFE It is very important that HFE design inputs are consistent throughout the project lifecycle. HFE design input shall be based on the correct standards and have been agreed with the operator client or end-user. Most of the time, HFE related information are located across many clients general specifications and even with the experience client personnels. Therefore, it would be most efficient to implement the Golden Book approach, whereby all the HFE references are consolidated in a single reference point. This will also be used to audit HFE implementation from operability, maintainability and egress point of view. 5.6 Vertical module arrangements In the FLNG layouts, equipment and process modules are arranged vertically to optimise the foot-print requirements. There will be scenarios that equipment location and its critical valve and auxiliaries for frequent access will be located on another level. These arrangements should have followed by smooth movements, clear identification and instruction for an efficient operation. Therefore, during critical tasks analsyis, these scenarios should be considered for detailed evaluation. When possible, such arrangements should be minimized all together. Other than that access, handling and escaper routes should be at the same level between one module to another. 5.7 Crane Operation On the major equipment related to operation and maintenance activities is crane. Location of the crane on the FLNG is usually determined during FEED phase. Location should enable lifting sequences done in a safe and efficient manner. Line of the sight from the crane operator s cabin to the laydown or maintenance areas should not be hindered by equipment or other decks. Otherwise more operation personnel would be required to coordinate the lifting activities and incurring higher operation costs. 5.8 Efficient Reviews It would be expected to have numerous review sessions in order to produce a good design that take into account the multiple stakeholders interest. Design progress of each equipment and process module may differ due to the complexities and information level. HFE reviews which are too brief tend to overlook critical area or design changes that may have impact on operations. HFE reviews should be conducted at the appropriate time when the design is mature and all the concerned parties available. Then, the findings would be significant and meaningful. In short, good reviews done at the right time produces good results.

12 12 Human Factors Enginering in FLNG Projects 5.9 Material handling equipment selection Material handling equipment includes hoists, cranes, trolleys and any other aids that intends to reduce the human effort during operation and maintenance activities. Due to the novelty of the process, many of the equipment will have special tools and equipment that need to be deployed offshore. A calculated approach must be taken considering the needs and practicality to have it available onboard FLNG all the time. Some of the requirement could be streamlined, so that a reduction in quatities and storage could be achieved. 6. Conclusions The importance of implementing HFE in projects is evident. This would contribute positively to the quality and reliability of FLNG facilities and others related to it. The project team including the managers and designer have the responsibilities of ensuring successful implementation of HFE principles in the project to benefit the end-user many years into the operation phase. Nevertheless, it is acknowledged that the journey has just started with the first FLNG put into operation. Acknowledgement Authors thank and acknowledge the support provided by TechnipFMC in presenting this paper in Gastech Conference References Center for Chemical Process Safety. Human Factor Methods for Improving Performance in the Process Industries. NJ: Wiley-Interscience, Chandrasegaran, D., M.H. Mohd Noor, S. Sevah, and E. T. Lok. "A Review: Operational Perspective into Cohesive Design of Offshore Facilities." Offshore Technology Conference Asia. Kuala Lumpur: Society of Petroleum Engineers, International Energy Agency. World Energy Outlook Paris: International Energy Agency, OGP. Human Factors Engineering in Projects (Report No. 454). International Association of Oil & Gas Producers, Robb, Martin, and Gerald Miller. "Human factors engineering in oil and gas - a review of industry guidance." IEA 2012: 18th World congress on Ergonomics - Designing a sustainable future Union, International Gas. "2016 World LNG Report." n.d.