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POISE UGM 2024 aimed to drive innovation among students from chemical engineering and related fields to address sustainability challenges, particularly the industrial impacts on human health and the environment.

Composed of Agnes Silvia Lee, Ahmad Affandi Ridwan Nurul Haq, and Devina Eldiana Nugroho, the Safety First Team secured 3rd place after competing against participants from universities across Indonesia. The final stage was held on October 10, 2024, at the UGM GIK Building. They proposed safety mitigation strategies titled "Handling of Ammonium Carbamate Leak at Petrokimia Gresik Using HAZID, HAZOP, Risk Assessment, LOPA, and ALOHA."

The team started by identifying potential causes of the problem to understand the root causes and underlying mechanisms. Next, they visualized how the incident panned out. They arranged the entire series of events that led to the incident, illustrating how and why it occurred—from the initiating event to the end outcomes. They applied two methods to identify relevant hazards: "We did it using Hazard Identification (HAZID) and Hazard and Operability (HAZOP)," shared Agnes.

The Safety First Team explained that HAZID served to identify potential hazards in general. Conversely, HAZOP focused on system operability by ensuring that all parameters functioned as intended and did not lead to operational failures.

The team also performed other methods to assess the risks associated with the incident, namely fault tree analysis (FTA) and event tree analysis (ETA). The former helped pinpoint the root causes of the problem, such as corrosion from leaks or mechanical failures like valve damage. Meanwhile, the latter evaluated how the incident could have proceeded from one event to another—such as corrosion or a faulty valve system that could have caused a leak—and how mitigation efforts like alarms, plant shutdowns, or regular inspection could have prevented it from escalating.

They also used layers of protection analysis (LOPA) and ALOHA in their study. LOPA was useful in examining the effectiveness of existing protection layers, such as basic process control systems (BPCSs), pressure relief systems (PRVs), corrosion inhibitors, or operator alarms. Lastly, ALOHA, a hazard modeling software, was used to model the extent and impact of gas leakage.

Based on their risk analysis, the team provided both technical and educational recommendations. "On the technical side, we recommended material repairs to minimize corrosion risks, the installation of additional safety devices, and routine maintenance. On the educational side, we recommended awareness campaigns for nearby residents to educate them about potential hazards, evacuation procedures, and early signs of hazardous gas exposure in order to prevent similar incidents in the future," described Ridwan.

The three students shared their arduous journey in securing third place. Their main challenge was that they had not yet taken the Process Plant Safety course, which was the core subject of the competition. At the same time, they also had to manage their busy schedules filled with lectures and assignments.

Reflecting on their experience at POISE UGM 2024, the team encouraged fellow students to not be afraid to try new things—especially competitions—as they offer valuable opportunities for growth. Competitions also allow students to explore topics they have never encountered before.

Reporter: Raja Parmonang Manurung (Mining Engineering, Class of 2021)
Indonesian Editor: M. Naufal Hafizh, S.S.
Translator: Ariq Ramadhan Teruna (Chemical Engineering, Class of 2021)