Celanese had several process safety incidents and near misses in 1996. Although there were several root causes, this article will address only one of them; human error. The system which was developed by Celanese to improve this human element is the conduct of operations system. The conduct of operations system has improved process safety performance of the human element by focusing on three operational areas: training, procedures, and general operations. Conduct of operations is a proactive approach to improve the current practices, improve the support systems and the behavior of the operator. The benefits include the following: Consistent application of training and procedures Reduction in human error, and Less process safety incidents This article will describe the need for and the content of conduct of operations system as implemented by Celanese. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2009