Why GAO Did This Study? Over 11,000 RMP facilities across the nation have extremely hazardous chemicals in amounts that could harm people, property, or the environment if accidentally released. Risks to these facilities include those posed by natural hazards, which may damage the facilities and potentially release the chemicals into surrounding communities. Climate change mayAccording […]
Ammonia (CAS# 7664-41-7) is an Extremely Hazardous Substance (EHS), listed at 40 CFR Part 355 Appendix A EPA website and Appendix B with a reportable quantity (RQ) of 100 lbs. Both ammonia and ammonium hydroxide (CAS# 1336-21-6) are listed as Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) hazardous substances at 40 CFR 302.4. Under
The RMP Amendments, finalized on January 13, 2017, included a requirement for owners or operators of a stationary source to engage in emergency response coordination activities (40 CFR §68.93). The regulatory text in 40 CFR §68.10(b) states that compliance with these activities must be completed by March 14, 2018. Because the RMP Amendments were not
Most formally educated or well-trained safety professionals are familiar with the Hierarchy of Controls. We use this approach daily in our work to reduce the likelihood of an event and/or the event’s severity. Mr. Kletz always had a different take on using this philosophy in process safety and as always – he nailed it!
Light hydrocarbon was released through a pinhole breach of an insulated process pipe. A plant operator detected an abnormal hydrocarbon odor and immediately responded as per site emergency protocol. A localized possible breach was identified, and the processing unit was safely shut down for further investigation. A 3-inch insulated pipe connecting process piping to
The CSB promulgated its Accidental Release Reporting Rule to help the CSB decide when to initiate an investigation into an accidental release, including whether to deploy a team of investigators to the site to do “all things necessary and proper” to initiate an investigation and obtain critical information about the incident. Upon arriving at the
The best birthday present a process safety engineer could ask for; especially on a birthday when a client is dealing with a tragedy. OSHA has “officially” announced the potential changes to the scope of the current PSM standard it is considering:
EPA is proposing to require all facilities with Program 2 and 3 processes to conduct a root cause analysis as part of an incident investigation for an RMP-reportable accident as defined under 40 CFR 68.42. This includes requiring the root cause analysis to include specific elements, requiring the use of a recognized investigation method, and
EPA is proposing a requirement in 40 CFR 68.67(c)(9) for some Program 3 regulated processes to consider and document the feasibility of applying safer technologies and alternatives as part of their PHA. This requirement applies to petroleum and coal products manufacturing processes (classified in NAICS code 324) and chemical manufacturing processes (NAICS code 325) that
The location of stationary sources, and the location and configuration of regulated processes and equipment within a source, can significantly affect the severity of an accidental release. The location of the stationary source in relation to public and environmental receptors may exacerbate the impacts of an accidental release, such as blast overpressures or concentrations of
Whether caused by a natural hazard or some other event, power loss at hazardous chemical facilities can lead to a variety of negative impacts. Pumps and compressors may stop running, stirrers may quit mixing, lights may go out, and instruments and controls may malfunction. These equipment outages can lead to tank overflows, runaway chemical reactions,
A hazard evaluation is defined as the identification of individual hazards of a system, determination of the mechanisms by which they could give rise to undesired events, and evaluation of the consequences of these events on health (including public health), environment, and property. These evaluations often use qualitative techniques to pinpoint weaknesses in the design
