Reynolds Wrap Up: Do Your Higher Priority FEMI Procedures Emphasize the Importance of “Why”?

Executive Summary

This Reynolds Wrap Up (RWU) is all about the importance of writing our internal FEMI procedures, practices, and standards to include not just the “what-when-who-how” aspects of everything that must be known and accomplished to keep our equipment safe and reliable, but also covering the “why” aspect of the vital steps in each FEMI document. By diligently addressing all the important "what-when-who-how" aspects, FEMI procedures become invaluable resources that promote safety, efficiency, effectiveness, and successful task completion within any organization [1]. Plus, if inspectors and other users of our documents know “why” all the important “what-when-who-how” aspects are included, we are more likely to get compliance with our FEMI procedures because knowing “why” helps users to understand the purpose and value of the requirements, the recommendations, and all the other included information and activities in the document. When users understand the “why,” they are more likely to support getting everything done right in accordance with the procedure.

Introduction

Having participated in 125+ FEMI/PSM audits of various refining, gas and petrochemical operating sites in North America – and even a few worldwide – over the last 58 years, I can confirm that most FEMI procedures that I have reviewed cover the “what-how-when-who” aspects reasonably well; but most do not cover the importance of the “why” aspect. Emphasizing why things must be done in accordance with the procedure is equally as important as telling the reader what needs to be done, how it needs to be done, when it needs to be done, and who needs to be involved.

Our internal FEMI procedures, practices, and standards are the second most important layer in the FEMI pyramid of management systems to achieve operational excellence [1]. It’s important not to focus only on the “what-how-when-who” aspects when we write internal FEMI procedures, practices, and standards. Focus should also be on explaining the “why” in all these documents to provide understanding of the value of doing a task/job in accordance with the documented procedure. Knowing the “why” helps people stay focused on implementing procedures as written, as opposed to “cutting corners” or ignoring important steps because of a demanding workload. Emphasizing the “why” aspect helps the reader understand and appreciate the importance of following the procedure precisely and not falling into the “normalization of deviation” trap (subject of a future RWU). When inspectors understand “why” every aspect/step in the procedure is important to achieve the desired end result, they are more likely to understand and support the content of the procedure.