Ingenieur Vol.72 ingenieur October 2017-FA3 | Page 64

INGENIEUR
INTERNAL FACTORS EXTERNAL FACTORS
Strengths: Opportunities:
1. Established MC procedures/guidelines
2. Safeguarding of plant mechanical integrity
3. Cost-effective control 1. Development of inspection tools
2. Development of national standard
3. Development of PETRONAS MC system
Weaknesses: Threats:
1. Inconsistency in MC guidelines (Upstream and
Downstream projects)
2. Variation of guidel ines
3. People’s skill and competency
4. Lack of awareness
5. Last minute activities
6. Responsibility falls upon Contractor
7. Lack of proper planning and co-ordination
8. No standard MC system to implement
9. Owner/contractor resistance 1. Plant and operation safety/security
2. New technology in construction activities
3. New construction methods
Table 2: MC SWOT Analysis
The upstream project uses the term Hook-up
and Commissioning (HUC) whilst the downstream
project is already established in terms and
definitions of the construction and commissioning
phases. Nevertheless, this inconsistency in MC
definition can be improved similarly to the way
the Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE)
Management Systems Framework was imposed
on the standard Permit To Work (PTW) system
within all oil and gas operational units.
The advantages of an MC system is that it
can also be used as an agent of change in the
conventional construction method by merging
the Information Communication Technology (ICT)
in the MC verification and inspection methods.
Since Malaysia has yet to adopt the MC system,
an opportunity arises for the oil and gas industry
to push for the adoption of a systematic MC
execution.
The MC integrity checking activities are the
processes by which a newly constructed plant can
be safeguarded as per design or specification. This
strength creates quality control as early as at the
project start-up phase because the MC execution
control will involve multi-disciplined checking and
inspection processes. The inspection includes the
local Authority’s approval such as the Department
6
62
VOL
2017
VOL 72
55 OCTOBER-DECEMBER
JUNE 2013
of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) for
pressure vessels and issuance of a Plant Permit
To Install (PTI) and a Permit To Operate (PTO),
and a Fire Department for fire fighting systems.
In some cases, the challenge to an MC execution
plan is the resistance from both owners and
contractors to follow through with the MC activity.
They may not fully understand the whole picture of
MC execution but they are committed to delivering
the construction project on time.
RECOMMENDATIONS
(i) Application of Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) in MC
system
ICT application in an MC system can improve the
current MC database system especially for MC
punch list items. In normal circumstances, this
computer database is manually controlled prior to
updating the MC status. The MC daily co-ordination
meeting addresses this record through notification
and verification of a particular sub-system or
system that is supposedly completed, ongoing or is
a new issue found during physical inspection.