Governance Event

Any entity within the asset integrity management system that is subject to governance controls — formal creation, modification, approval, and audit trail requirements. Governed artifacts include assets, failure modes, RBI assessments, risk register entries, MOC requests, inspection plans, action items, and formal risk acceptance decisions.

A chronological record of system activities, decisions, and data changes that provides documentary evidence of the sequence of events that have affected a specific operation, procedure, or artifact. In asset integrity management, the audit trail records who made what change, when, why, and with what authorization, creating an unbroken chain of evidence for regulatory compliance and forensic investigation.

A data record that cannot be altered, deleted, or overwritten after creation. Immutable records use mechanisms such as cryptographic hash chains, append-only storage, and database-level enforcement (triggers and policies) to ensure that historical data integrity is preserved. Any correction to an immutable record is made by creating a new record that references and supersedes the original.

A checkpoint in a governed workflow where an authorized person must review and explicitly approve before the process can proceed to the next stage. Approval gates enforce segregation of duties, ensure that decisions are made by personnel with appropriate authority, and create auditable decision points. Each gate has defined entry criteria, review requirements, and authority levels.

A systematic process for evaluating, approving, implementing, and documenting changes to process equipment, technology, procedures, or organizational structure that could affect safety, health, environment, or operations. MOC ensures that all changes are reviewed for potential hazards, that appropriate safeguards are implemented, and that affected personnel are informed and trained before the change is implemented.