Hickson and Welch

Health and Safety Executive, The Fire at Hickson and Welch Ltd., HSE Books, Sudbury, UK, 1994. 

Hickson and Welch, Castleford, UK Runaway Reaction and Jet Fire... 

Very little information is contained in the report about Hickson s impact on the environment. No figures are reported for emissions to water or air, although they are given for hazardous waste. Specific mention is made in the report of a new effluent plant under construction at Hickson and Welch (Castleford), and the installation of a sprinkler system with fire-water storage in Italy. 

We are grateful to Hickson and Welch Ltd., Castleford, England for a Research Scholarship (for J.W.C.) and for help and interest in this work. 

The Fire at Hickson Welch Ltd." A report of the investigation by the Health and Safety Executive into the fatal fire at Hickson fit Welch Ltd., Castleford on 21 September 1992. HSE Books 1994. 

Many of these same considerations apply when planning a maintenance turnaround. The incident at Hickson Welch s facility, detailed in Appendix A-l, is a vivid reminder of the necessity to know what reactivity hazards are present and to plan and act accordingly. 

For highly exothermic reactions the so-called HEX reactors present a very promising option. The basic common feature of all HEX reactors is much more favorable heat transfer conditions in comparison with conventional reactors (heat transfer coefficients typically 3500-7500 W/m2K, heat transfer areas up to 2200 m2/m3). A HEX reactor developed by BHR Group Ltd. (Figure 14) was able to decrease the by-product formation in one of ICI Acrylics processes by 75% (41) and to decrease the processing time in a Hickson Welch fine chemical process from 18 hours to 15 minutes, saving 98.6% of batch time (42). 

The organizational change at Hickson Welch left them vulnerable to this process safety incident. There was some evidence of a loss of corporate knowledge when people changed positions. The area manager was now responsible for maintenance activities, which was a new role responsibility, and the workload was not... 

Health and Safety Executive Investigation Report, The Fire at Hickson Welch LTD, Castleford, 1994. 

Formula CH3(CH2)ioCH20S03H H2NCH2CH2OH Properties M.w. 327.47 anionic Toxicology TSCA listed Uses Surfactant for shampoos, bubble baths emulsifier in the mfg. of rubber latexes and for resins bactericidal detergents Trade Name Synonyms Akyposal MLS 30 [Kao Corp. http //www.kao.co.jp]] Aremsol MA [Hickson Welch Ltd... 

In addition to reducing performance efficiency, the employment of operators with substandard competence levels within safety-critical systems can have grave consequences. For example, a review of major accidents in the hazardous industries indicated that a lack of operator skills and/or knowledge led to the errors that contributed to the accidents analyzed (Wright et al., 2003). Wright et al. (2003) also referred to the Southall rail crash, the Piper Alpha oil rig disaster, the Longford Esso Gas plant explosion, and the Hickson Welch fire as examples of incidents where staff incompetence played a part and where staff competency levels were not sufficiently tested by the organizations involved. 

The supervision of process control teams is a key factor in ensuring plant efficiency and safety. Previous research in various domains has identified the key role that effective supervision plays in the efficiency of subordinates work performance. Further, various studies have identified poor or inadequate supervision as a key contributory factor in accidents and incidents within complex sociotechnical systems (e.g., BOMEL Consortium, 2003 Brazier, Gait, and Waite, 2004). For example. Brazier et al. (2004) highlighted the Texaco oil refinery, Hickson Welch, Nobel, and Piper Alpha explosions as examples of accidents in which inadequate supervision was evident. 

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