In the oil and gas industry, Management of Change (MOC) is one of the most critical processes to ensure process safety, operational continuity, and regulatory compliance. Yet, despite its importance, MOC is often treated with surprising negligence, with many organizations relying on outdated tools like Excel spreadsheets and email chains to track and approve changes. This approach, while seemingly convenient, is fraught with risks that could lead to severe incidents, as history has painfully shown.

For decades, Excel and email have been the go-to tools for MOC management in the oil and gas sector. The reasons behind this reliance are simple:

1. Familiarity and Accessibility: Everyone in the organization knows how to use Excel, and email is ubiquitous. This familiarity eliminates the need for additional training or software adoption efforts.
2. Cost Efficiency: Excel and email come at no additional cost to the company since they are typically bundled with existing software licenses.
3. Flexibility: Users can customize Excel sheets as needed, adding columns, rows, or comments as the situation demands.

However, this apparent convenience comes with significant drawbacks. Tracking changes to a live Excel sheet becomes cumbersome, prone to version control issues, and lacks robust audit trails. Emails, on the other hand, are easily lost in inboxes, making it difficult to maintain a clear and complete history of approvals and decisions. These shortcomings are particularly alarming given the critical nature of MOC in ensuring process safety.

The Problem with Current Tools

While some organizations have moved away from Excel to dedicated MOC software, the transition has not been smooth. Many existing tools in the market are clunky and rigid, making it difficult for companies to adapt them to their unique workflows. For instance:

• Customizable Approval Processes: In many cases, MOC approval processes vary based on the type of change or the facility involved. Most current tools lack the flexibility to accommodate these nuances, forcing companies to resort to workarounds that dilute the system’s effectiveness.
• Complex Forms: Forms are often over-engineered, making them cumbersome for employees to fill out, delaying the MOC process. This leads to frustration and often results in employees bypassing the system altogether.

These limitations highlight the pressing need for modern, intuitive, and flexible MOC solutions tailored to the oil and gas industry’s specific requirements.

The Way Forward: ehs tools 

To prevent such incidents and enhance overall process safety, the oil and gas industry must modernize its approach to MOC. This includes:

• Adopting Dedicated MOC Software: Purpose-built tools that are flexible, user-friendly, and capable of handling complex approval workflows should replace Excel and email. These tools should also include robust audit trails and automated reminders to ensure no step in the process is missed.
• Customizable Workflows and Forms: Companies need systems that allow them to tailor approval processes and forms to their specific needs, rather than forcing them into a one-size-fits-all approach.
• Emphasizing a Safety-First Culture: Employees at all levels must understand the importance of MOC in preventing process safety incidents. This requires ongoing training and reinforcement of safety-first principles.

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