Multiple activities occurring in the same or

adjacent areas, requiring coordination to prevent

hazards and operational conflicts.

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 Simultaneous Operations (SIMOPs)

Simultaneous Operations (SIMOPs) refer to multiple activities

occurring in the same or adjacent areas, requiring coordination
to prevent hazards, inefficiencies, and operational conflicts.

While SIMOPS is traditionally emphasized in large

construction projects, its principles are equally critical
for any situation where multiple operations overlap.

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 SIMOP INCIDENT
In October 2024, a Refinery experienced an H2S release that claimed the lives of
two workers and affected many others. The job involved a line-breaking (opening
a line) that occurred amongst two simultaneous maintenance operations.

The line break job occurred in one process unit that was undergoing extensive
routine maintenance activities (some aspects of the process were operational).
This area was next to another neighboring process unit undergoing a major
Turnaround (the process was fully shutdown).

Work crews moved between each maintenance activity. Safety protocols differed
slightly between each maintenance activity. While Permitting protocols were
similar, certain aspects could be different depending if the job was for the process
unit undergoing regular maintenance (some aspects of the process being
operational), versus a process undergoing a turnaround (the process was fully
shutdown). The same held for Blinding, gas monitoring and area access.

Due to contractor confusion of the requirements between the two activities and
poor communications, the wrong process line was opened, releasing sour gas. The
H2S not only killed a worker engaged in the line-breaking activity but also a worker
on the Turnaround in the adjoining process area.

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 SIMOPs

SIMOPs protocols are invaluable in various everyday operations beyond

large construction projects.
• Manufacturing & Production Facilities: When multiple teams handle
maintenance, equipment operation, and material handling in close
proximity, SIMOPS protocols help streamline workflows and prevent
accidents.
• Aviation & Airports: Ground operations involving fueling, baggage
handling, maintenance, and boarding require careful synchronization
to prevent delays and safety risks.
• Maritime & Offshore Operations: Activities such as loading cargo,
vessel movements, and underwater inspections demand strict SIMOPS
planning to avoid hazards.
• Warehousing & Logistics: Coordinating material loading/unloading,
forklift movements, and personnel safety in busy distribution centers
can be enhanced with SIMOPS principles.
Essentially, SIMOPS can be applied anywhere multiple operations
intersect, ensuring smoother coordination and minimizing risks.

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 SIMOPs

SIMOP should be identified as early as possible in the project planning stage and then
bought into the Project Execution / Commissioning Plan.

Focus will be on three main areas:

• The building of an SIMOPS Plan fostering an operations organization dedicated to

SIMOPS controls and continuous improvement. This overall plan that lays out the keys
to SIMOPS area definitions and the requirements in these areas such as PTW and
organizational responsibility.

• The development of a Matrix of Permitted Operations (MOPO) that clearly laid

out what activities were allowed to happen simultaneously in the same area or on the
same system.

• The use of a standard Permit To Work (PTW) system facilitated by SIMOPS area
plot plans. Allows for transition when switching from the construction PTW system
and allows the operators and the Contractor to become familiar with an Operations
PTW as they were both involved with work inside the operating plant. The SIMOPS
area plot plans are updated with input from all organizations involved. This input
makes it clear who controls specific permits in each area minimizing delays and
incidents caused by mismanaged PTW interfaces.

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SIMOPs PLAN

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 TASK / WORK ACTIVITY INVENTORY
• From the Project Plan, develop a list of all activities (tasks,
work activity, jobs, etc.) that are to occur. Along with the
listing, identify the location and timing for each activity.
• Sample List Of Project Activities

• Using the list of activities, and their associated location

and timing information, plot out the zones of the activities
on a SIMOPS Layout.

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Sample SIMOPs Layout

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 RISK ASSESSMENT & HAZARD ANALYSIS

Each job task or activity ideally should already have a JSA (Job Safety
Analysis) or a JHA (Job Hazard Analysis). However, usually the analysis
is internal to the job/task – that is, the hazards of doing the job/task
itself are assessed. If not also done, then the JSA/JHA should be
expanded to consider external factors – that is, how the job/task
presents a hazard externally as well as what external hazards could
affect the job/task.

Considerations for a SIMOPs Risk Assessment

• Identify the combined operations
• Execute Risk Assessment for EACH task separately
• Identify the additional hazards introduced by the SIMOPS;
• Assessing the relevant level of risk;
• Verify the adequacy of the planned control measure;
• Identifying additional risk reduction measure.

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 Sample List of
Hazards
(not all inclusive)

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 SIMOP PLAN
Planning of a SIMOP may consider:
• Asset integrity factors
• Environmental factors
• Equipment pressures & temperatures
• National rules and regulations
• International rules and regulations
• Operator rules and regulations

Also, there may be extra considerations, different to those of individual

operations:
• Clashes between decision makers at the same hierarchy, on each
operation
• Cultural differences if the different operations are done by different
companies
• Schedule clashes
• Physical clashes between equipment or third party interfaces
• Issues with maintenance access.
• Contractual implications, on all affected contracts.

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 SIMOP PLAN

Safeguards or mitigating strategies are then identified

which may include:
• Eliminating the SIMOPs by the scheduling or
permitting process Hierarchy
of
• Substituting work processes with less hazardous Controls
processes
• Separating the SIMOPs by distance
• Separating the SIMOPs by barricades, isolation or
engineering controls

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 Sample List Of
SIMOPs Risk Reduction Methods

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 ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
While a SIMOPS Matrix and the MOPO can define the plan
for managing SIMOPS, a means to clarify the roles involved
in SIMOPS as well as the Responsibilities and Authorities
personnel involved may have. Because each work activity
may have it’s own Authorized/Responsible persons(s), and
therefore a number of work activities will result in a number
or Authorities/Responsible parties, there can be conflict
amongst the decision makers on what gets done, when and
how the activity is executed.
To avoid these potential conflicts, the Roles &
Responsibilities in a SIMOP must be defined and agree in
advance. A RACI Chart is a typical tool used to define who is
Responsible, Accountable, Consulted or Informed only.

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 Example 1 RACI Chart

Responsible: These are the Accountable: This is the Consulted: These are the Informed: These are the
individuals who actually complete individual/body who carries the sign-off individuals who must be individuals who must be
the task or activity and are (“yes” or “no”) authority and has full consulted prior to a final informed after a decision or
responsible for action and/or veto power for process scope and decision or action. “Consult” action is taken because they, in
implementation. Responsibility is deliverables. It is important to clarify the implies two-way turn, may take action or make a
often shared, with each levels of accountability and to communication. decision based on the output.
individual’s degree of responsibility distinguish between management “Inform” is FYI and implies only
determined by the individual with accountability and operational one-way communication.
the “A”. accountability. Only one “A” can be
assigned to a task or activity and
authority must accompany
accountability.
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 Example 2 RACI Chart

Responsible: These are the Accountable: This is the Consulted: These are the Informed: These are the
individuals who actually complete individual/body who carries the sign-off individuals who must be individuals who must be
the task or activity and are (“yes” or “no”) authority and has full consulted prior to a final informed after a decision or
responsible for action and/or veto power for process scope and decision or action. “Consult” action is taken because they, in
implementation. Responsibility is deliverables. It is important to clarify the implies two-way turn, may take action or make a
often shared, with each levels of accountability and to communication. decision based on the output.
individual’s degree of responsibility distinguish between management “Inform” is FYI and implies only
determined by the individual with accountability and operational one-way communication.
the “A”. accountability. Only one “A” can be
assigned to a task or activity and
authority must accompany
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 MOPO – Manual Of Permitted Operations

In executing a successful SIMOPS, a standardized and

consistent direction as well a guidance to the Project
personnel and Site workers should be established. A
Manual address Of Permitted Operations can be used to
communicate how SIMOPS will be managed and guidance
when conditions or conflicting activities/operation arise that
could threaten safe operations.
MOPO is a visual tool that brings together a collection of
activities and situations that can occur at any one time. It
informs field staff and supervision which activities may be in
conflict with another activity, environmental influence or
which may cause an unplanned event.

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Example 1- MOPO

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Example 2- MOPO

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Example 3- MOPO

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Example 4- MOPO

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 PTW – Permit To Work

• All permits in the same area are cross referenced. This provides an
alert to the holder of a permit that other tasks are scheduled to
happen in the same area at the same time.

• Either the SIMOPS Layout or a visual plot plan of the area with the
concurrent activities mapped onto it allows for visualization of all work
taking place under the control of a permit. This “visual plan” allows
all participants to see where other activities many be taking place in
close proximity to their place of work. This can be setup on large, post
boards in high traffic areas improving overall situational awareness of
work in progress.

• On the Permits themselves a section is provided to identify all other

activities in immediate area that the Permitted work can affect as well
as how those concurrent activities can affect the Permitted work itself.

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 Sample SIMOPs Checklist
of Permit To Work

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 Sample SIMOPs Checklist
of Permit To Work (cont’d)

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 Sample SIMOPs Checklist
of Permit To Work (cont’d)

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 Sample SIMOPs Checklist
of Permit To Work (cont’d)

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I post with humility. The information that I have posted is based on:
❑ SIMOPS Planning - Shell Oil
❑ SIMOPS Execution Overview – Exxon/Mobil
❑ SIMOPS General Plan – SASOL Lake Charles Ethane Cracker/LLDPE EPC Project
❑ Safe Work Practice - Simultaneous Operations, CCPS SWP
❑ Having the opportunity to benchmark the top performers in industry/business. How they achieved
top quartile performance. Not their apparent performance but proven results.
❑ 40 years of experience implementing successful safety programs in many different companies and
facilities.

I want to help build the safety profession by sharing with colleagues.

And in the process start a movement – a new, radically different way to approach Safety.

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