Process Safety Beacon

The monthly CCPS Process Safety Beacon (CCPS, Beacon) is designed for manufacturing personnel, describing actual accidents, the lessons learned, and the practical means to prevent a similar accident in other plants. Similarly, the United Kingdom s Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) Loss Prevention Bulletin (IChemE, LPB) is another major source of safety case studies for the process industries. Included with each LPB issue is a Powerpoint Toolbox Talk on one... 

Center for Chemical Process Safety, Conferences and Events Web site, http //www.aiche.org/Conferences/Specialty/GCPS.aspx Center for Chemical Process Safety, Process Safety Beacon Web site, http //www.aiche.org/ccps/publications/beacon/index.aspx... 

The Process Safety Beacon is a regular news bulletin issued by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers in their Chemical Engineering Progress magazine. The Beacon reports on actual events show how they occurred and highlight lessons learned. 

Hopefully you already are very familiar with the superb process-safety-awareness qualities of The Beacon [11]. If not, each installment is a 1-page lesson, free of charge and loaded with contributions from a team of volunteer experts. It is full of practical and sage wisdom. A recent article entitled CCPS Process Safety Beacon A Tool to Promote Process Safety Awareness for Frontline Plant Workers [12], by Dennis Hen-dershot, John Herber and George M. King, gives the ideal introduction ... 

The Beacon is available monthly, ready to download from a website in about 30 languages. It is estimated that more than 250,000 people read this valuable publica-tioa If you wish to subscribe, fill out a form on the CCPS website at https //www. aiche.oig/ccps/iesouices/process-safety-beacon. 

CCPS Process Safety Beacon, AICbE, published monthly, http //www.aiche.org/CCPS/ Publications/Beacon/index. 

Hendeishot DC, Berber John, King GM. CCPS process safety beacon a tool to promote process safety awareness for front hne plant workers. Process Safe Prog 2011 30 405-7. 

A fixed roof tank contains liquid with a vapor space above it, as illustrated in Figure 12.1. When the tank is being filled, vapors are discharged through the vent. If the vapors are hazardous or detrimental to the environment, they will be discharged to a scrubber system and/or a flare. The vent must be big enough to handle the maximum flow of liquid into the tank, as demonstrated by two Process Safety Beacon reports CCPS (2002) and CCPS (2003) in which the vents were not big enough and tank rupture occurred. 

The Process Safety Beacon (CCPS, 2013) warns of the dangers associated with strong oxidizers such as sodium permanganate. If inadvertently mixed with reducing agents such as sodium thiosulfate, even in small quantities, an exothermic reaction will occur. The heat generated may be sufficient to create a serious hazard. 

CCPS (Center for Chemical Process Safety), 2001. Process Safety Beacon. 

Don t pop your top, 2003. Process Safety Beacon. Center for Chemical Process Safety. Geyer, T.A.W., Bellamy, L., Astley, J., 1990. Prevent Pipe Failures due to Human Errors. Chemical Engineering Progress. 

Center of Chemical Process Safety, AIChE. Beacon - messages for manufacturing personnel. Fire caused by hose repaired with duct tape July 2007. 

Beacon - messages for manufacturing persormel. Mechanical integrity center of chenucal process safety, AIChE, May 2015. 

The Beacon provides a monthly process safety message aimed at front line process plant workers-operators, technicians, shift foreman, mechanics and other... 

The CCPS Beacon Committee strives to focus the topics on what plant workers need to know in their jobs, hazards they need to understand and recognize, and actions they can take in their regular work to prevent process safety incidents. 

Hopefully you are very familiar with the superb process safety awareness provided by the monthly publication of the Beacon. This tool was fiilly discussed in the earlier chapter, which discussed the need for imease, or keeping a sense of vulnerability, but it will be paraphrased here. The Beacon is a 1-page image rich lesson sponsored by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). It is available free of charge and loaded with contributions from a team of international volunteer experts. 

This fourth edition was developed after my retirement from industry and into the part-time consultant business. Today there are so many additional resources. The introductory chapter has been rejuvenated and reinforced with today s statistics. There are four new chapters. I was able to get help from the Mary Kay O Cormor Process Safety Center (College Station, Texas), supporters of the Lake Area Industries/ McNeese University Engineering (Lake Charles, Louisiana) Partnership, the US Chemical Safety Board case studies, and the Btmcefield Investigation reports. There was also some excellent additions of material from the Beacon - a monthly feature of the Center for Chemical Process Safety. 

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