How petrochemical industry survive in post-COVID-19: A STAMP-based system science research and recommendations for large-scale sociotechnical systems

Abstract

The COVID-19 profoundly impacts petrochemical manufacturing, and different organizations have specific response measures to such major public health incidents. Notably, As a representative interdisciplinary subject in systems science and systematics, work system and safety in Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) research can play an essential role in investigating the humans and organizations of the petrochemical industry. Although the global outbreak has gradually stabilized, this industry has experienced a challenging period in 2020. How does they survive this struggle? Is there a predicament with their responses? How can HFE researchers apply the knowledge of system safety to the future development of petrochemical manufacturing? Therefore, This research conducts Accimap and System Theoretic Accident Modeling Process (STAMP) analysis for one representative oil refinery in China. This procedure is a qualitative data analysis in the system security discipline. The researchers investigate the relationship between human and organizations in the context of the epidemic from the systematic perspective, discover related problems, thereby consider the future of petrochemical manufacturing.The highlights of this research are: the application of STAMP to COVID-19 research, which is a knowledge innovation of practice in system security; Using the comprehensive wisdom of safety science from the systematic perspective; Applying qualitative data, and exporting highly visual information diagram to interface with readers in a wider range of expertise, creating in more potential possibilities.The researchers use Accimap to process the qualitative data in large-scale socio-technical systems and build a complete and transparent organization diagram; Also, The researchers use STAMP to locate deficiencies in its system control process. Consequently, this research uses the data results, combine with the current situation of international petrochemical industry, to put forward guiding recommendations for its development in the post-pandemic era.