Facility Siting Issues

It may be desirable to discuss facility siting issues at the beginning of the PrHA sessions. As a minimum, comments and assumptions about siting and plant layout can be included in the PrHA analysis documentation, such as on HAZOP study worksheets. Table 3.2 provides a sample checklist for worker/co-located worker exposures. A sample checklist for facility siting issues is presented in Table 3.3. 

From today s Process Safety Management perspective, we should say a lack of process safety culture prevailed. We should also say human factors and facility siting issues contributed to this incident. The gas-fired heater was originally adjacent to the process with no separation. The accidental heater fire destroyed adjacent process equipment at several levels of the structure. Detailed discussion on the human factors and the facility siting issues are beyond the scope of the one-minute modification... 

The CCPS publication Guidelines for Hazard Evaluation Procedures, Second Edition (Ref. 3) provides considerable information on various hazard evaluation techniques that may be employed. Evaluating hazards affecting buildings in process plants may be performed as part of a review focused specifically on the siting issue or as part of a more comprehensive review intended to identify and evaluate all facility hazards. 

The utilities are those provided by facilities outside the specific plant boundaries. These costs may be obtained from publications issued by the Federal Power Commission4 or Chemical Week s plant site issue. The amounts of each needed can be obtained from the energy balance and/or the unit ratio material balance. 

This section discusses general layout and spacing guidelines as they apply to fire protection issues. For complete discussion of facility siting and layout, refer to Guidelines for Facility Siting and Layout (CCPS, 2003b). 

Many of these wastes are effectively disposed of during operations. However, current permit requirements and other process limitations have resulted in significant quantities of these wastes accumulating on-site. Hydrolysate from the neutralization of the VX stockpile at Newport, a unique liquid waste stream among the wastes generated at the active chemical agent disposal facility sites, has also accumulated on-site. Specific quantities, issues, and comparisons associated with each of the main waste streams generated at the active disposal facilities are detailed in the remainder of this chapter. 

Availability Company specifications Wall loss Cause Other facilities Enviromnental issues Legal issues Company standards Union requirements Benefits Location Site restoration Availability Specialty repair items ... 

Facility siting, including where the facility is located geographically, other facilities located near the facility of interest, and other outside environmental or operational issues that could impact the facility... 

Since such siting choices are made only rarely the word siting in this chapter also includes decisions to do with the layout of major operating units within a facility. For example, in an oil refinery, the relative locations of units such as the Cat Cracker, Alkylation, and Boiler House can be considered to be siting issues. Once their location has been decided upon, then layout decisions are made with respect to individual equipment items such as distillation columns, heat exchangers, and fired heaters. Regardless of which word is used, many of the issues discussed in this section apply equally well to both. 

Postaudit Process The postaudit process consists of preparation of a draft report, preparation of a final report, development of artion plans, and follow-up. A draft report of the audit findings should be prepared shortly after the completion of the on-site audit. The draft report usually undergoes review and comment by facility personnel involved with the audit, experienced auditors not involved with the subject audit, functional specialists, and attorneys. The review of the draft report is done to assure that a clear, concise, and accurate report is issued, and not to modify or change the findings. Once this review procedure is completed, a final report can be issued and distributed based on a distribution list provided by the facility personnel. The final audit report should be issued in a timely manner and meet the time requirement specified in the audit plan. 

An essential part of the on-site visit is the physical inspection of the toller facility—the walk-through. It offers the opportunity to confirm interview responses, observe work practices, interview employees, and note general housekeeping, soil contamination and safety issues. 

The Study Director/Principal Investigator should ideally discuss all multi-site studies with QA personnel prior to study initiation (or prior to the issue of the protocol amendment if work is not detailed in the protocol). When acting as Study Director, a copy of the current GLP certificates should be requested from sub-contracted facilities and should be retained in QA. 

The HAZWOPER was developed to protect the health and safety of workers engaged in operations at hazardous waste sites, hazardous waste treatment facilities, and emergency response locations. HAZWOPER covers issues such as training, medical surveillance, and maximum exposure limits. 

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