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Whitestone International College of Innovation delivers quality-assured, standards-aligned programmes that integrate academic rigour, industry relevance, and digital fluency to develop principled leaders who deliver measurable impact.

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Whitestone International Diploma in Process Safety Management

The Whitestone International Diploma in Process Safety Management (PSM) is a 12-month vocational programme designed to provide a structured, practice-oriented foundation in managing major accident hazards in process and high-hazard industries.

Course Overview

The programme integrates four core dimensions:

Foundations of process safety and major hazard risk – principles, terminology and differentiation from occupational (personal) safety.
Process-hazard identification and risk analysis – awareness of methods such as HAZID, HAZOP, bow-tie analysis and risk matrices at vocational–intermediate level.
Layers of protection, engineering and procedural risk controls – containment, relief, interlocks, operating envelopes, PTW, MoC and integrity management at support level.
Management systems, leadership, culture and continuous improvement – regulatory expectations awareness, performance indicators, incident learning and safety culture.

It is intended for individuals who work in, or aspire to work in, oil and gas, petrochemicals, chemicals, fertilisers, refining, pharmaceuticals, bulk flammable or toxic storage, terminals, power generation and other major hazard facilities, as well as engineering contractors and service providers to these sectors.

Learners will explore how organisations identify and assess process hazards, design and maintain barriers, manage changes, control work, monitor performance and learn from incidents, always under the authority of competent engineers, safety professionals and statutory duty holders. The emphasis is on supporting process safety systems and culture, not on independent design or approval of high-hazard processes.

This diploma is vocational and non-regulated. It does not qualify learners as process safety engineers, chartered/registered engineers, competent persons for statutory inspections, or authorised signatories for safety cases, permits, design approvals or regulatory submissions. It does not authorise them to design relief systems, safety instrumented functions, hazardous-area installations, or to act as a process-safety consultant of record. Such responsibilities require additional accredited qualifications, substantial industry experience and, where applicable, registration with relevant professional bodies and competent authorities.

Why This Course is Important?

Catastrophic events in process industries have shown that failures in design, operation, maintenance and management can cause loss of life, long-term environmental damage and severe business interruption.
Conventional workplace safety (slips, trips, falls) is not enough; organisations must systematically manage low-frequency, high-consequence events arising from loss of containment and hazardous reactions.
Effective process safety management depends on operators, supervisors, maintenance, engineers and HSE personnel who understand process hazards, respect operating limits, and support robust barrier management.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this programme, participants will be able to:

Explain core concepts in process safety, major accident hazards, barriers and layers of protection, and articulate how process safety differs from occupational safety.
Contribute at support level to process-hazard identification and qualitative risk assessment activities, using structured tools under the guidance of experienced practitioners.
Describe the roles of inherent safety, technical and procedural controls in preventing loss of containment, controlling escalation and mitigating consequences.
Support implementation of process safety management elements such as operating procedures, permit-to-work (PTW), isolation and LOTO, management of change (MoC), competency management and contractor control.
Assist in process safety performance monitoring, basic data collection, action tracking and incident learning, in line with organisational systems.
Demonstrate awareness of regulatory expectations, standards, and industry good practice at conceptual level, and appreciate the importance of compliance and ethical escalation.
Promote process safety culture and leadership behaviours within their sphere of influence, encouraging reporting, learning and disciplined operations.

Target Audience

Individuals in or aspiring to roles such as Process Operator, Control Room Operator (support level), Production/Operations Supervisor (support level), Maintenance Technician, Process Safety / HSE Coordinator, Engineering Technician or Project Support in high-hazard industries.
Staff in oil and gas (upstream, midstream, downstream), petrochemicals, chemicals, fertilisers, pharmaceuticals, terminals, LPG/LNG facilities, power generation and related sectors.
Engineers and technicians from mechanical, chemical, electrical, instrumentation, maintenance or operations backgrounds seeking structured process-safety understanding.
HSE professionals and safety practitioners who wish to strengthen their knowledge of process-safety concepts, language and management system elements.

Entry Requirements

A recognised higher secondary qualification, diploma, or equivalent, preferably with prior study in engineering, science, technology or related disciplines
Some exposure to, or strong interest in, process industry operations, engineering or HSE
Proficiency in English (IELTS 5.5 or equivalent recommended) to engage with technical reading, procedures, standards at awareness level, and incident case studies

Programme Structure & Modules

Module 1 – Foundations of Process Safety & Major Hazard Industries

Process safety vs occupational safety:
Differences in hazard types, timescales, frequency and consequences.
Major accident hazards:
Flammable, explosive, toxic and reactive hazards at high level.
Process safety concepts:
Hazard, risk, barriers, escalation, layers of protection, and “line of defence” thinking.
Major hazard sectors and facilities:
Refining, petrochemicals, chemicals, gas terminals, storage, power and related industries.
Historic incidents and lessons (conceptual, non-graphic):
What went wrong in major accidents and how systemic weaknesses contributed.
Roles and responsibilities:
Process safety responsibilities of leadership, engineers, operators, maintenance and contractors, and the contribution of this diploma holder.

Module 2 – Process Hazards, HAZID, HAZOP & Risk Assessment (Awareness Level)

Process hazards overview:
Pressure, temperature, flammable materials, toxic substances, reactions, runaway, and unintended mixing.
Hazard identification (HAZID) awareness:
Structured brainstorming, guidewords at conceptual level, typical outputs and actions.
HAZOP awareness:
Purpose, scope, team roles and guideword-based review of P&IDs at awareness level (not training to chair or lead HAZOP).
Qualitative risk assessment concepts:
Frequency, consequence, risk matrices, ALARP principle at conceptual level.
Bow-tie and barrier thinking:
Visualising threats, top events, consequences and barriers at support level.
Documentation and follow-up:
Recording actions, tracking recommendations and understanding the importance of closing out studies.

Module 3 – Process Design, Safeguards & Layers of Protection (Awareness Level)

Inherently safer design (awareness):
Minimise, substitute, moderate, simplify – conceptual illustrations.
Primary containment and process equipment:
Vessels, piping, valves, pumps, compressors at high level; integrity and design envelopes.
Instrumented and mechanical safeguards (conceptual):
Trips, interlocks, alarms, shutdown systems, relief and venting, dikes, remote isolation awareness.
Safety instrumented functions and systems (SIF/SIS) awareness:
Concept of safety functions, SIL levels and lifecycle at overview level; not design training.
Operating envelopes:
Normal, alarm and shutdown limits; importance of respecting boundaries.
Human and organisational safeguards:
Procedures, training, supervision and verification as layers of protection.

Module 4 – Operational Process Safety: Procedures, PTW, MoC, Maintenance & Integrity

Operating procedures and work instructions:
Purpose, content and use; links to process safety and abnormal situation management.
Control of work and permit-to-work (PTW) systems:
Hot work, confined space, line breaking, isolation and LOTO at awareness and support level.
Maintenance and asset integrity:
Preventive maintenance, inspection and testing, critical equipment registers, and defect reporting.
Management of change (MoC):
Scope, triggers, review and approval steps for changes to process, equipment, people or documents.
Start-up, shutdown and transient operations:
Higher-risk phases; structured procedures and checks.
Contractor management:
Integrating contractors into PSM elements, clarifying roles and controls.

Module 5 – Process Safety Management Systems, Standards & Performance

Process safety management (PSM) frameworks:
Awareness of key elements common in recognised PSM models (e.g. policy, risk assessment, procedures, training, emergency planning, performance monitoring) without jurisdiction-specific legal advice.
Regulatory expectations (awareness only):
High-level understanding that different countries apply major hazard regulations, safety case / safety report regimes, and enforcement – without interpreting specific laws.
Policies, standards and procedures:
Role of company standards, engineering practices and corporate requirements.
Process safety performance indicators:
Leading and lagging indicators at conceptual level (e.g. barrier health, SCE backlogs, loss of containment incidents).
Audits and reviews:
Internal assessments, gap-analysis exercises and process safety reviews at awareness level.
Assurance and governance (conceptual):
How leadership obtains assurance regarding process safety performance.

Module 6 – Incident Investigation, Emergency Preparedness, Culture & Leadership

Incident and near-miss reporting:
Importance of reporting and learning; avoiding blame culture.
Basic incident investigation awareness:
Immediate vs underlying vs root causes; simple tools such as 5 Whys and basic cause-and-effect diagrams.
Emergency preparedness and response (awareness):
Roles, communication, drills and interfaces with public emergency services; understanding one’s own role in plans.
Human factors and organisational learning at conceptual level:
Work environment, procedures, competence, supervision, fatigue and workload considerations.
Process safety culture and leadership:
Visible commitment, questioning attitude, empowerment to stop unsafe operations.
Personal responsibility and ethical escalation:
Speaking up, documenting concerns, using formal channels and respecting professional boundaries.

Awarding Body

Whitestone International College of Innovation

United Kingdom

Qualification Type

International Diploma – Vocational Qualification

(Industry-aligned qualification issued by Whitestone International College of Innovation, UK)

Assessment & Certification

Assessment Methods Include:

Written assignments on foundations of process safety; hazard identification and risk assessment awareness; safeguards and layers of protection; operational process-safety controls; PSM systems, standards and performance; and incident investigation, emergency preparedness, culture and leadership.
Practical tasks such as simple hazard and barrier reviews, development of PTW or MoC checklists, preparation of basic process-safety KPIs, and drafting of communication or awareness materials.
Scenario-based exercises requiring learners to interpret process-safety situations, identify barrier weaknesses, and propose proportionate, ethical responses within their role.
Reflective activities on major-accident case studies, personal responsibility and process-safety culture.
Final Capstone Project: Process Safety Improvement Plan for a High-Hazard Unit, with a structured written report and/or presentation.

To obtain the diploma, learners must successfully complete all module assessments and the capstone project in line with Whitestone’s academic standards.

Certification:

On successful completion, participants will be awarded:

Whitestone International Diploma in Process Safety Management Issued by Whitestone International College of Innovation, United Kingdom

Benefits of Attending

Provides a robust, industry-aligned foundation in process-safety concepts, language and management practices for high-hazard industries.
Equips learners to support process-safety systems, barrier management and safe operations as part of multidisciplinary teams in major hazard environments.
Enhances employability in support-level roles such as Process Operator, Operations/Production Supervisor (support level), Maintenance Technician, Process Safety / HSE Coordinator, Engineering Technician or Project Support, subject to employer and jurisdictional requirements.
Helps organisations strengthen major-hazard risk awareness, management-system implementation, performance monitoring and learning from incidents, supporting compliance and excellence.
Creates a strong platform for further study in Process Safety, Chemical/Process Engineering, HSE Management, Risk and Safety Engineering, and for progression towards recognised professional and postgraduate process-safety qualifications, where the learner meets entry criteria.

Industry Alignment

The programme reflects widely recognised principles of process safety management and major-hazard control, including:

Emphasis on systematic identification and management of process hazards, barrier thinking and layers of protection.
Focus on integration of technical, operational and organisational controls through structured PSM elements.
Recognition that sustainable process safety performance depends on competent, disciplined and ethically responsible practitioners at all levels, working within clear frameworks of engineering, operations and regulatory oversight.

£2000

£ 0

Industry-focused programmes with global standards.
Practical skills for real-world success.
Academic excellence with career-ready outcomes.

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Progression & Academic Pathways

Graduates of the Whitestone International Diploma in Process Safety Management may:

Progress to higher-level diplomas or degrees in Process Safety, Chemical/Process Engineering, Safety and Risk Engineering, HSE Management, or related disciplines (where entry criteria are met).
Enhance their suitability for roles in process-safety coordination, HSE roles in major hazard industries, operations and maintenance positions with explicit process-safety responsibilities, and project-support roles in engineering and EPC organisations.
Use this diploma as a structured foundation for additional professional development, such as specialist process-safety courses, PSM elements training, recognised postgraduate certificates in process safety, or sector-specific major-hazard training, in line with national regulations, industry standards, professional-body requirements and employer expectations.

Together We Learn, Together We Grow

At Whitestone, we believe in collaborative learning where students and faculty grow together through knowledge and experience. Our supportive community fosters teamwork, innovation, and shared success.

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