When more becomes less: Re-examining permit-to-work, procedures, and communication as risk-management controls

Chemical Process Industries (CPIs) play a central role in the global economy, contributing substantially to employment, exports, and GDP in South Africa. However, Major Accident Hazards present significant risks to operations, human life, the environment, and economic stability. Many incidents arise from human and organisational factors (HOFs) or equipment failures, making an understanding of human factors essential within complex CPI environments. Organisations in high-hazard settings often respond to operational failures by modifying procedures rather than addressing system-level weaknesses. This typically increases procedural volume, detail, and communication demands, yet failures in communication, especially during shift handover, remain major contributors to industrial accidents worldwide, raising concerns about the effectiveness of procedure-driven interventions. This study examined employees’ perceptions of HOFs, focusing on procedures, communication, permit-to-work (PTW), risk management, competence, and incident occurrence. A quantitative survey was administered to 339 respondents selected through simple random sampling from a population of 2,834 employees in a South African CPI facility. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) was used for exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. Survey data and participant comments (n = 36) were analysed to assess how procedural volume, communication frequency, and PTW practices influence maintenance-related risk. The results show that: increasing procedures or making them more detailed does not enhance risk management performance; increasing communication events does not improve risk management; and PTW serves as a vital safety barrier, with deficiencies in PTW significantly raising operational risk. These results challenge assumptions that more procedures or communication inherently strengthen safety, highlighting the importance of usability, clarity, and PTW integrity instead. • Risk management plays a pivotal role in mitigating systemic safety challenges. • Inadequate Maintenance, inspection, and testing contribute to accidents in CPIs. • Safety-critical communication mitigates human error • Permit-to-work systems improve safety and maintenance effectiveness. • Persistent disconnect between procedures and the realities of maintenance work causes accidents