Chemical Process Safety (PSM/RMP)

The following incident is a precautionary example of the potential hazards of improperly depressurizing piping to remove a hydrate.  During production operations, a control room operator observed a decrease in gas lift pressure supplied through a pipeline to a remote well location. The control room operator notified the onboard platform operators of the pressure drop…...

The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) requires businesses that store and/or manufacture, process, or use certain chemicals to complete the Tier II (EPCRA 311 and 312) Report and/or the Toxics Release Inventory (EPCRA 313) Report, also called the Form R. Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act focuses on risk management for accident…...

The investigation has found that the direct cause of the leak was corrosion under the insulation in a 4″ pipe for heavy naphtha from the distillation tower.  The lack of inspection and repair meant that the corrosion had continued long enough for a hole to form in the pipe. Piping and equipment in a refinery…...

Line Break is commonly associated with OSHA’s Highly Hazardous Chemicals in its PSM standard and EPA’s Extremely Hazardous Substances in its RMP rule.  But SAFTENG members know I use Line Break Safe Work Practice (SWP) outside the PSM/RMP process battery limits.  I apply this SWP to energy sources such as steam and even water when…...

How times have changed in 30 years regarding “materials of construction” in hazardous materials processes.  I grew up in process safety, seeing nothing but metallic piping systems; today, I bet I see piping systems made from non-metallic products upwards of 25% of the time.  This is becoming increasingly acceptable in one specific process I do…...

Most PSSR forms we encounter simply regurgitate OSHA’s 1910.119(i)(2). If the user is thoroughly knowledgeable of what each of these four (4) line items entails, we may be able to execute the PSSR appropriately. Let’s look at these four line items, especially the first line. 1910.119(i)(2) The pre-startup safety review shall confirm that prior to…...

The two (2) terms sound similar and will conjure up similar images when we hear them, but they are used in the ASME B31 piping standards in very different ways and apply to different groups. To state it very simply, the EXAMINATION is what the owner/operator does to pass the INSPECTION, which is what the…...