This is another great process safety report that is FULL of learning opportunities; a MUST READ for process safety professionals and those involved in their facility’s process safety efforts. The last article discussed the famous 1974 Flixborough Explosion in the UK. This catastrophe was a bit closer to home in Pasadena, TX and is considered to […]
It may be a sutle suggestion to most, but it is a SCREAMING recommendation to those who struggle daily to get their process safety efforts embedded within their management group. Too often process safety is delegated to a “one-person” team. If there is a full-time environmental or safety professional on site, then RMP/PSM is almost
On August 23, 2010, at a refrigeration plant in Alabama, approximately 32,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia was unexpectedly released into the atmosphere from a cracked pipe on the suction header on the plant’s roof and a broken evaporator coil in Freezer #5. The plant was evacuated and an inspection was initiated by OSHA. On February
Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP) gratings can offer a number of attractive advantages over traditional steel gratings such as enhanced environmental resistance, reduced through life costs and the promise of significant mass savings. However, this preliminary study has demonstrated that the current fire certification of FRP gratings by a standardised (ASTM E119 cellulosic fire) time-temperature curve
Most safety professionals are aware of the “Hierarchy of Controls: 1) Elimination/Substitution, 2) Engineering Controls, 3) Administrative Controls, and 4) PPE. Most safety professionals also know this basic principle of industrial safety is often times very difficult to get management buy-in; especially when a safety professional is bold enough to mention eliminating a hazardous chemical for a lesser hazardous
Before I begin, nothing I am going to say in this article is required by OSHA or EPA; however, keep in mind that OSHA and EPA process safety requirements are the BOTTOM OF THE BARREL when it comes to true process safety. So with that said, let’s discuss PHA scenario likelihoods. Regardless of methodology used,
As most, sadly not all, safety professionals will attest to, there is a hierachy of four (4) controls we use to manage risks: 1) Substitution/Elimination, 2) Engineering Controls, 3) Administrative Controls, and 4) Personal Protective Equipment. In process safety environments, the hazards are often times so great that ALL FOUR layers may be needed. What
There have not been many “catastrophic accidents” in the refrigeration industry to study in great detail (PLEASE do NOT translate this into something it is not). But there is one such realitively recent (2008) that occured in Korea and claimed the lives of 40 workers. Although Korea does not have a comparable process safety management
The photo above is showing the progression in failure of a commonly used PSM component associated with Mechanical Integrity. The material starts out white as paper (as shown at the bottom of the photo) and turns darker color through it’s progression to failure. In it’s final state it had lost all of its elasticity and
Have you ever wondered how relaible your relief devices actually are? Ever wondered why five years is the mximum baseline timeframe for testing and replacement? As a result of years of testing, The National Board has accumulated a good deal of data that helps us analyze the quality and reliability of relief valves. We can
Most have seen the amazing CCTV footage from the 2007 ammonia release from the ag business in Seward, IL, but those two videos leave a lot of questions. This posting is a follow-up video regarding the trucking company’s clean-up plan and contains a news video that gives us some perspective on the area’s layout. In
I have discussed Stress Corrosion Cracking in refrigeration vessels and have been asked “if it can occur in vessels, can it occur in our piping too”. The short answer is YES. But I want to state again, I am NOT a metallurgist and I am not the person to contact about your SCC concerns. I
