Chemical Process Safety (PSM/RMP)

B31.3 requires that each piping system be leak-tested to ensure tightness prior to initial operation [¶345.1]. B31 imposes certain restrictions on the types of leak tests which may be used, some general requirements for conducting leak tests, some preparation requirements for leak tests, some specific requirements for each type of leak test, and some record…...

Failures in effective process safety leadership/process safety management can be linked to historical Major Accident Hazard (MAH) events such as Piper Alpha, Buncefield and Texas City amongst others. In 2018, HSE flagged concerns about the offshore industry regarding stagnating safety performance and challenged the industry to respond, leading to the adoption of the Principles of…...

I am always amazed at the lack of a basic understanding of atmospheric pressure and process pressures/vacuums. My Intermediate 3-Day PS course and my Advanced 5-Day PS course have a single slide, and every time, I find I have to spend an hour explaining to the class what PSIG is and how it’s different from…...

As we have discussed before, energy isolation in a process is VERY DIFFERENT than energy isolation in a manufacturing plant. And the work we do as part of achieving a Zero Energy State (ZES) is the evacuation of hazardous energy. And man, have I seen some hockey setups to evacuate serious hazardous materials! Here is…...

I talk a lot about “safe locations” when we discuss Pressure Relief Device (PRD) discharge. The phrase “safe location” is used in just about every PRD RAGAGEP; however, none of them DEFINE or QUANTIFY the phrase, leaving it open to some poor designs. Here is a case where two workers were doing work 30′ under…...

At 11:00 a.m. on April 10, 2023, Employee #1, 55, was performing maintenance on the refrigerant lines of a Liquid Chiller used for air conditioning at an airport terminal. Employee #1 was removing the Electronic Expansion Valve (EEV) from the hot gas bypass line. The line contained R-22 refrigerant and compressor lubricating oil at a…...

Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) gas is unstable and decomposes, sometimes violently, into Cl2 and O2 (with a 50% increase in gas volume). When storing chlorine dioxide (ClO2), it is commonly kept in CHILLED WATER because its solubility in water significantly increases at lower temperatures, making it more stable and allowing for higher concentrations to be safely…...

“Police told media outlets that the leak happened late Saturday night at Vanguard Culinary Group. Crews had a hard time reaching valves that were attached to three tanks, each of which holds up to 500 gallons of ammonia. Officials say the leak was caused by a failure in the plant mechanical system. No evacuations were…...

Not everyone seemed comfortable turning over NH3 Refrigeration Codes and Standards to the IIAR. In November, Wisconsin updated its State Code on Mechanical Refrigeration. One of the requirements that caught my eye is the INSTALLATION INSPECTION documentation the state will require before issuing the operating permit: (2) INSTALLATION INSPECTION. … the following documents shall be…...

The Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) Program identified and regulated the security of high-risk chemical facilities using a risk-based approach. Pursuant to section 5 of the Protecting and Securing Chemical Facilities from Terrorist Attacks Act of 2014. Authorization had been granted for CFATS until July 27, 2023. Congress did not act to reauthorize the program…...