Technological regulations as an instrument for ensuring safety at oil refining facilities

The paper analyses the functional role of technological regulations as a basic instrument for managing industrial safety at oil refining facilities. Within the framework of the study, the limitations of the traditional system for managing technical documentation are critically examined, and the potential of modern digital solutions digital twins, automated process control systems (APCS) and artificial intelligence tools for overcoming these limitations is analysed. Particular attention is paid to practical issues of integrating Management of Change (MoC) processes and audit procedures with digital systems for monitoring production conditions and for tracking compliance with regulatory requirements. The central thesis of the paper consists in substantiating that the effectiveness of regulations is directly determined by the speed and quality of their adaptation to changing real operating conditions. To achieve this objective, methods of systems analysis, comparative analysis and synthesis of accumulated practical experience are applied. In the concluding part, the proposed conceptual model of a live regulation is formalised and its advantages are demonstrated from the standpoint of reducing operational risks. The results presented are addressed to process engineers, industrial safety specialists and managerial personnel of oil refining enterprises.