One of the key challenges in preventing major process safety accidents in an operating plant is the lack of an integrated system/model that brings together the risks posed by the deficiencies / deviations on the safety critical barriers, for operational decision making. Based on this context, a model/framework was developed for assessing and visualizing the accumulation of process safety risks arising from safety critical barriers impairments in petroleum facilities in Niger-Delta Nigeria. Based on the review of the model, the need for an intelligent web-based software was identified. An exploratory study was therefore undertaken through extensive literature review and focused group participants, to develop a conceptual framework for an intelligent web-based software for process safety cumulative risk visualization. The results from the study make it evident that the conceptual framework provides a novel approach in developing an intelligent web-based software using artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, for real time visualization of process safety cumulative risk picture.
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, cumulative risk assessment, major accident prevention, petroleum operations, process safety
