Criticality-Safety Organization

The high-temperature crude corrosivity of distillation units is a major problem in the refining industry. The presence of naphthenic acid and sulfur compounds increases corrosion in the high-temperature parts of the distillation units and hence equipment failure became a critical safety and reliability issue. Most of the acids have the formula R(CH2) C00H, where R stands for the cyclopentane ring and n is greater than 12. In addition to R(CH2) COOH, a host of other acidic organic compounds are also present. 

Seek and use appropriate inputs from the safety organization when making safety-critical decisions... 

As an alternate or addition to scenario assessments, simulated exercises or dry-runs could be developed to test the effectiveness of the new organization. This could be similar to table-top exercises commonly run by companies to test the effectiveness of the emergency response plans as well as the use of process simulators to test response of operations personnel to process upsets. The assessment should verify that individuals can complete their critical safety responsibilities in a reasonable amount of time. 

There are usually between 60 and 80 critical safety activities (elements) that mnst be controlled to constitnte an effective safety system. These elements may vary from organization to organization and from industry to industry. The emphasis on individual elements will also vary according to the nature of the process, culture of the workforce, and category of business, such as mining, the iron and steel industry, transportation, the fishing industry, manufacturing, etc. 

C. The CHO for the organization. This person could be the head of the Health and Safety department or the chairperson of the chemical hygiene committee. However, neither of these persons would normally be able to devote full time to this work and it is a critical, full-time position. The responsibility may be delegated to another person, most probably in the health and safety organization. The chemical hygiene committee should function to define policies and provide oversight of the program, while the health and safety staff should provide the daily operational support. The duties of the CHO should include ... 

Safety-analysis capabilities are contained within the Nuclear Facility Operations and Nuclear Technology Programs organizations. These organizations produce Safety Analysis Reports for both reactor and nonreactor nuclear facilities, primarily in TA-V. Other organizations provide specialized safety-analysis support in the form of mechanistic accident-progression analysis, heat transfer, structural analysis, neutron transport, nuclear criticality safety, and other areas upon request. 

Requirements for an independent review and appraisal system for nuclear facilities were originally contained in canceled DOE Order 5480.6 (DOE 1986). These requirements were implemented by means of the Sandia two-tiered independent safety review, as described in the NFSC and RCSC charters. The RCSC performs an annual review of HCF operations that involve radiological and criticality safety, and advises the line organization (responsible for the safe operation of HCF) on these matters. Additional information on the NFSC and the RCSC can be found in Section 17.3.3.3. 

Vn.9] INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR STANDARDIZATION, Nuclear Energy — Fissile Materials — Principles of Criticality Safety in Storing, Handling, and Processing, ISO-1709, ISO, Geneva (1995). 

VII.15] ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT, International Handbook of Evaluated Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiments, Rep. NEA/NSC/DOC(95)03, Vols I-VI, OECD, Paris (1995). 

Used originally as a reliability tool, the FMEA is now often used to identify and prioritize safety problems associated with hardware failures. This is usually done by including a risk assessment code (RAC) in the analysis (Table 14-1). (Note When a RAC or other method of quantifying is used to identify critical safety items, some organizations and analysts call the technique failure mode and effects criticality analysis [FMECA].)... 

The important thing to keep in mind is that you want to keep open, two-way communication flowing between all departments of the organization. In this way, you can stay on top, and in tune with, the critical safety-related issues of the entire company. 

Comments on the standard, Nuclear Criticality Safety in Operations with Fissionable Materials Outside Reactors, are, of course, dependent on the reviewer s experience and the safety principles and organizational structure with which he is familiar. So, to put my comments in perspective, it will be helpful to recount briefly the separations operations and the personnel organization at the Savannah River Plant. 

The fact remains that nearly all experts in this field are currently employed by national laboratories or industrial organizations. Few university faculties include a specialist in criticality safety. The educational gap could be filled by short courses and institutes. The U.S. Atomte Energy Commission has not supported a proposal for such a course. The Nuclear Criticality Safety Division of the American Nuclear Society has considered the need for such courses, and promotion or possible cosponsorship should be vigorously encouraged. 

Other DOE field organizations use a variety of techniques to ensure nuclear criticality safety. One such technique is to provide specific DOE approval of individual operations, i.e., DOE sign-off On individual procedures. Another technique is to have site representatives who play a close support role in the contractor s procedural development. Each of these techniques Would probably involve close liaison with the contractor in his safety committee actions and his surveillance activities. 

Work on this standard was begun in 1968 by a woric group containing representatives of industry, research, and government organizations. The first draft was submitted for comment in June 1979. Twelve subsequent drafts were prepared over a five-year period, some in response to recommendations from the American National Standard Committee N16. Subcommittee 8 of the ANS Standards Committee approved this standard in 1974. It was then adopted by the ANSI in May 1974 as ANSI N16.8-1975/ANS 8.10, Criteria for Nuclear Criticality Safety Controls in Operations Where Shielding Protects Personnel. ... 

The three steps of the criticality safety evaluation—contingency analysis, limit determination, and control specification—are presented in a document generally referred to as a Nuclear Criticality Safety Evaluation (NCSE) (although some sites separate out the first step into a separate document referred to as a Nuclear Criticality Safety Assessment (NCSA)). Within a given organization or processing site, the structure and format of NCSA/NCSEs are usually strictly proscribed for consistency of development and ease of use. 

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