Content area
Full Text
When a plant goes ``boom,'' most operators wish they had a single integrated-database of plant operating procedures, material safety datasheets and emergency response actions, that they can refer to. This would cut their response time and could save lives. ``To unify regulatory-compliance efforts, the CPI need to merge various databases to create a universal one'', says Gerry Mullaney, business development manager for Resource Development Corp. (Birmingham, Mich.).
As more and more companies in the CPI update their computer infrastructure, developing a universal database is quickly becoming a reality. Companies are starting to integrate regulatory-compliance software with other programs, such as enterprise-resource planning (ERP), electronic-document-management systems (EDMS) and computerized maintenance-management systems (CMMS).
While each of these packages has some regulatory compliance capabilities, these are not their main focus. ``For example, an ERP system can track real-time data for fugitive emissions, which falls under compliance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA; Washington, D.C.) regulations,'' says Bruce Warren, president of Warren Forthought, Inc. (Angleton, Tex.), ``but it can't tell the operator what to do in case of emergencies, which can lead to violations of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Washington, D.C.) regulations.'' Companies must focus on regulations from multiple agencies, including OSHA, EPA, the Department of Transportation (DOT) and International Standards Organization (ISO; Geneva, Switzerland).
Shell Oil Co. (Houston, Tex.) has been working towards integrating its many databases for over five years. ``The goal is to have one database for all operations, rather than have individual ones for various functional groups,'' says Charlie Gillard, chief information officer for Shell's Deer Park Refining Co. The firm is currently implementing SAP AG's (Walldorf, Germany), ERP system, R/3. ``We are investigating approaches to integrating R/3 with our process historian...