Snapped this pic on a PSM-covered process. Can you see what it is? Yep, it’s a gauge; a Safety Critical gauge at that. But can you read the gauge? I took the pic at no zoom, so you can get a feel for the level of challenge in reading this “safety critical” gauge, which is […]
Snapped this pic this week and thought it would be a great pic to start a discussion about Car-Sealing valves in their OPEN position. And yes, Car Seals are for more than just Pressure Relief Systems. In the pic below, there are two (2) valves that are candidates for Car Seals; one (1) of the
Whenever I facilitate a PHA for a client who is serious about the exercise, I always create a visual on a white board so the team can methodically discuss ALL the safeguards/barriers/controls that are present to PREVENT-PROTECT-MITIGATE the event being studied. It looks like this:
CO2 as solid particles can cause electrostatic discharge! In September 1953, an aircraft fuel storage farm was taken into use in Niederstedem, Germany. The automatic fire extinguishing system, which used CO2, was demonstrated to visitors on the roof of the storage tank. The tank containing an explosive mixture suddenly ignited and exploded. 29 people lost
I guess we are never too old to learn new tricks! This week, I came across a practice that I was 100% certain I was being “punked.” The practice is called “welding,” but it’s done on a Polyethylene Plastic tank! Technically, it meets the definition of “welding”… Welding is a fabrication process that joins materials—typically
Over the past decade, we have received dozens of requests from both current and new clients seeking to move to 19% Aqua Ammonia, so the process is NO LONGER RMP-covered. (NOTE: OSHA only covers 44% or higher Aqua Ammonia; EPA begins its coverage at 20%). This is taking the “inherently safe” approach to process safety.
Some clients have their processes/storage in the middle of a neighborhood, and I mean in the middle of a neighborhood, as we see on TV and postcards. Beautiful tree-lined streets with kids riding their bikes and moms pushing their baby strollers. Of course, the facility came first, in the 1950’s, and then the encroachment. As
Recently, we were involved in a serious incident in which a group of contractors was overcome by a “highly toxic gas” (as defined by the state’s Fire Code) that escaped from a compressed-gas cylinder. This container, along with 42 other containers with various hazardous materials, was stored outside in an unmarked area. The contractors had
A chemical company experienced two major uncontrolled releases of highly corrosive acids. In January 2020, approximately 300,000 litres (8,000 gallons) of hydrochloric acid leaked from the site, releasing toxic gases that forced the closure of local businesses and schools and caused residents to evacuate their homes. A second incident in August saw 87,000 litres (23,000
This video has been viewed over 1 million times, and I hope those views are by those people who write Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). I have never counted how many SOPs I get involved in each year, but I know it’s 100+ across all my clients. My involvement, with my comments and questions, draws a
Here is an old clip from MASH demonstrating my point… order of steps MATTERS in an SOP.
As I noted in 2007, the #1 cause of process vessel deflagrations is the manual additions of powders to process vessels which have a flammable atmosphere. NFPA 77 covers this hazard with several solutions, yet many facilities are either not aware of these risks and solutions or simply have their head buried regarding these catastrohic
