Facilitation of RCM and CHAZOP using ReliaSoft RCM++ | HolisticAM
Industry: Nuclear Science
Services Required: RCM and CHAZOP workshop facilitation
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Holistic Asset Management (HolisticAM) partnered with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) to conduct RCM and CHAZOP studies of their new beam lines as part of their Bright expansion project. The objective was to provide ANSTO with detailed assessments of the maintenance requirements and potential controllability, hazard, and operability issues associated with the six new beam lines being constructed as part of the Bright expansion project. HolisticAM mobilised a specialist Reliability Engineer who provided remote facilitation services collaborating with ANSTO Physicists, Design Engineers, Control System Engineers, and safety experts to conduct the studies. The project has been running since mid-2020 and is forecast to continue until late 2023.
The Australian Synchrotron is a major research facility located in Clayton, a technology and innovation hub of southeast Melbourne. It is one of Australia’s most significant pieces of scientific infrastructure. Scientific research and innovation using synchrotron light span hugely diverse areas of activity and has led to advances that bring benefits to Australia and internationally.
THE CHALLENGE
ANSTO’s synchrotron facility is in the midst of a significant expansion project that will double the number of operational beam lines. A critical aspect of this project requires ANSTO to obtain formal approval from the Australian nuclear regulator (ARPANSA) prior to operating each new beam line, and the requirement to demonstrate a comprehensive risk assessment and mitigation process is vital to this effort. HolisticAM is supporting ANSTO in this effort by facilitating detailed CHAZOP studies for inclusion in their submissions to ARPANSA.
THE SOLUTION
HolisticAM are providing two key services for this project:
- Facilitation of RCM workshops to define maintenance requirements for the new beam lines
- Facilitation of CHAZOP studies to identify and rank potential issues with the controllability, hazards, and operability of the new beam lines
A specialist Reliability Engineer utilised ReliaSoft RCM++ to facilitate numerous online workshops with teams of ANSTO Physicists, Design Engineers, Control Systems Engineers, and site safety specialists.
The use of ReliaSoft tools enabled us to streamline the capture and reporting of information arising from each workshop and provided significant time and efficiency advantages for ANSTO when compared with traditional RCM and CHAZOP information systems.
Online workshops were typically scheduled weekly and participants were encouraged to dial in from their chosen location. The flexibility provided by our adoption of online facilitation allowed the workshops to continue, uninterrupted, throughout the pandemic, and hence maintain the overall Bright project timeline with regard to ARPANSA submissions.
THE RESULTS
HolisticAM continue to successfully engage with each of the ANSTO beam line teams. To date we have completed eight separate studies (three RCM and five CHAZOP) and are currently working through the ninth with the tenth study set to commence shortly.
We have submitted eight detailed reports to ANSTO, with five of these ultimately contributing to ARPANSA submissions.
Next steps – HolisticAM will continue working with ANSTO to complete the RCM and CHAZOP workshops for the Bright project. We will also be conducting RCM studies of the existing Injection System, Booster Ring, and Storage Ring assets in the near future.
THE ADDED VALUE
This project will deliver several value-adding outcomes for ANSTO:
1. Detailed analyses to support their submissions to the Australian nuclear regulator for authorization to operate the new beam lines
2. Insight into the maintenance requirements for the new beam lines
Practical exposure for 30+ ANSTO staff members in the theory and application of RCM and CHAZOP processes.
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