🔹 1. Safety and Compliance as Core Responsibility
As Head of Facility for the palm oil refinery and solvent extraction plant, I hold the overall responsibility to ensure that all operations, maintenance, and project activities are conducted safely, in full compliance with Malaysian regulations and applicable international standards.
Safety is not just a regulatory requirement — it’s embedded in our engineering design, operational culture, and continuous improvement system.
🔹 2. Design and Engineering Compliance
During the design and modification stage, I ensure all equipment and systems comply with relevant codes and standards.
For example:
- Boilers and pressure vessels – designed to ASME Section I / VIII and registered under DOSH Malaysia.
- Piping systems – follow ASME B31.3 for process piping.
- Storage tanks – built per API 650 / API 620.
- Fire protection systems – designed to NFPA 30 (flammable liquids) and NFPA 10/11/15/16 as applicable.
- Electrical and hazardous area design – follow IEC 60079 for explosion-proof equipment.
Before any commissioning, we conduct HAZOP (Hazard and Operability Studies) and Safety Integrity Level (SIL) assessments for solvent areas to ensure inherent safety and control layer effectiveness.
🔹 3. Operational Safety Systems
In daily operations, we apply multiple safety management systems:
- Permit-to-Work (PTW) system for hot work, confined space, and line-breaking activities.
- Lock-Out/Tag-Out (LOTO) during maintenance.
- Job Safety Analysis (JSA) before critical tasks.
- Gas detection and ventilation in solvent and extraction areas to prevent explosive atmosphere buildup.
We also ensure all operators are trained and certified under DOSH competency schemes — including boilermen, steam engineers, and chargemen.
🔹 4. Compliance Monitoring and Audit
We maintain compliance through regular inspections, internal audits, and external verification:
- Annual DOSH inspection for steam boilers, pressure vessels, and lifting equipment.
- Environmental monitoring under DOE regulations for effluent, air emissions, and solvent vapour recovery efficiency.
- Fire and safety audits with BOMBA and insurance assessors.
- Internal HSE audits and management reviews as part of our ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 system.
All findings are tracked with a Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) system to ensure continuous compliance.
🔹 5. Contractor and Workforce Safety
For contractors, we implement Safety Induction and Worksite Briefing before entering high-risk zones.
Every shutdown or maintenance activity is governed by Pre-Start Safety Review (PSSR) and Toolbox Talks.
We promote a safety culture through regular training, near-miss reporting, and “Stop Work Authority” empowerment — any employee can stop unsafe work without fear of penalty.
🔹 6. Documentation and Record Keeping
All engineering design documents, inspection certificates, and calibration records are controlled and traceable.
Equipment compliance is verified through:
- Manufacturer’s data reports (MDRs)
- Inspection Test Plans (ITP)
- Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) results
- Pressure test certificates and statutory approvals
This ensures full traceability and readiness for DOSH or insurance audit at any time.
🔹 7. Leadership and Continuous Improvement
As facility head, I conduct monthly safety committee meetings to review incidents, risk assessments, and compliance status.
We analyze leading and lagging indicators — such as near misses, PTW violations, and unsafe conditions — to improve proactively.
Lessons learned are shared across all shifts and sister plants.
I also encourage engineers under me to pursue Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and keep up with BEM and IEM standards, ensuring that our technical leadership remains current and competent.
🔹 8. Concluding Statement
In summary, safety and compliance in a palm oil refinery and solvent extraction plant are achieved through engineering design integrity, disciplined operations, competent personnel, and a strong safety culture.
My role is to integrate these elements so that we operate safely, efficiently, and always within legal and professional standards — in line with the responsibilities of a Professional Engineer under BEM Regulations.
🧠 Interview Tip
If the interviewer asks a follow-up like:
“What do you do when management asks to run equipment despite expired inspection?”
Answer firmly but professionally:
“I will advise management that operating without valid certification violates DOSH and BEM regulations. My duty as a Professional Engineer is to stop unsafe operations and immediately notify DOSH or the Plant Manager. Safety and compliance must always come before production.”
#engineer #SteamEngineer
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