Failure to Use, Consult, or Understand Specifications

The value of up-to-date, practical specifications is well known to technical employees within chemical plants. But at times, specifications are not properly maintained or persistently communicated to other members on the plant team, to equipment suppliers, or to construction crews. Many of the incidents covered in Chapters 2, 4, and 6 could also be repeated in this chapter. The incidents that follow occurred primarily because clear, concise specifications were either not readily available or because no one took the time to consult these vital design or operating criteria. 

Failure to Provide Operating Instructions Cost 100,000 in Property Damages 

Up-to-date standard operating procedures are now required by U.S. regulations for all chemical companies who handle significant quantities of highly hazardous chemicals. However, in the 1970s as chemical plants grew and grew, not all of them had up-to-date procedures to cover every unique situation. 

An accidental fire interrupted the startup of a U.S. Gulf Coast Plant during a cold winter morning. The plant experienced 100,000 (U.S. 1978) of property damages. All it took to cause such extensive damage was less than 50 gallons (200 liters) of combustible heat transfer fluid. 

Lack of operating instructions and lack of rigid operating discipline were major contributing elements in this accident. Quick, decisive, cooperative efforts between operations and the emergency squad limited damages. Thankfully, there were no injuries. 

Plans were underway to return a reactor to service. This gaseous pha.se reactor requires a startup temperature in excess of 500° F (260° C). A natural gas-fired heater provides the heat energy to a circulating combustible heat transfer fluid and the heat transfer fluid flows through the reactor tubes until startup temperature is reached. 

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