Process safety newsletters

Hydrate Hazards – “When a hydrate forms it can plug piping, instrument connections, valves, and other equipment causing process upsets which may be hazardous. … Clearing a blockage from hydrate formation could be a routine or non-routine work activity that is hazardous if not done properly.”

Still Overflowing Tanks! – “With all of the complex operations going on in many process facilities, it is surprising that putting more material into a tank than will fit is a frequent contributor to major incidents.”

Safety Device or Control Device? – “Supervisors decided that the operator could be given other work to do while the tank was filling since there was a high level shutdown. No management of change review was done. A device that was intended to be a second layer of protection became the primary control. When the high level instrument failed, there was nobody in the area and the spill was actually larger.”

Plugged Flame Arrester Causes Explosion – “The flame arrester on an oil tank was corroded and plugged with deposits. This resulted in the tank ‘breathing’ through a sample hatch at the tank rather than through the flame arrester as intended. When it was hot, during the day, vapors would exit the tank through the hatch.”

More Repeat Incidents! – “If you use any hazardous materials, or if your process operates at hazardous conditions, you should understand what incidents have happened in the past with the materials and process conditions in your plant.”

Aging equipment, vulnerability, near misses, runaway reactions, and natural disasters in process safety newsletters

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Aging facilities and infrastructure – “Aging does not necessarily relate to how old a facility or piece of equipment might be. It is really about how well it has been operated and maintained.”

· Maintain a sense of vulnerability – Understand the hazards of your process and materials. Know what the worst-case incident is, and what safety systems and procedures are in place to prevent it. … Never think ‘it can’t happen here’ or ‘it can’t happen to me.’ It can!”

· Reporting and investigating near misses – “Following a major process safety incident, investigators often find that there were previous warnings and near misses. If these had been reported, investigated, and investigation findings implemented, the major incident could have been prevented.”

· Runaway reactions caused by contamination – “When you check safety information (safety data sheets, operating procedures, etc.) for materials in your plant, pay attention to possible hazardous reactions such as decomposition and polymerization as a result of contamination. Be aware of any specific contaminants of concern which are present in your plant.”

· Could your plant be impacted by a natural disaster?– “If you identify something which you think is important, and which is not covered by the existing plans, bring your concerns to the attention of your supervisors so the plans can be improved.”