Risk Based Process Safety

This is the basic philosophy detailed in the CCPS Guidelines for Risk Based Process Safety (CCPS, 2007a). Focus more priority on improving the elements that apply to the process areas with the highest potential process safety risk. Logically, more metrics (in addition to a base set of key metrics applied to all sites) will likely be used to track performance for those operations with the highest potential process safety risk. 

Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) identifies conditions that cause people to err and provides estimates of error rates based on past statistics and behavioural studies. Some examples of human error contributing to chemical process safety risk include ... 

Personal Mastery. Process safety is based on identifying process-related risks in advance and preventing accidents. Performance in this area is regularly reviewed using internal audits and official inspections. Technical safety systems and procedures, up-to-date protective equipment, and access to the appropriate safety data sheets are all used to ensure a high standard of health and safety ... 

Monitoring process safety performance based on both leading and lagging indicators is central to ensuring business risks are being effectively managed ... 

The What-if method is the simplest method to assess chemical process safety risks and is based on questions such as What if the mechanical or electrical integrity of the process, the control systems and work procedures all fail,. .. what consequences could arise in the worst case While the potential consequences are largely determined by the inherent hazard of the material and the quantity involved, the reviewer is focused on safety concerns, e.g. those arising from fire, explosion, toxic gas release, and environmental protection. 

Van der Schaaf, T.W. 1996. PRISMA A Risk Management Tool Based on Incident Analysis, International Conference and Workshop on Process Safety Management and Inherently Safer Processes, Center for Chemical Process Safety of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, New York. 

Furthermore, once every process component has been analyzed separately for worst case, stand-alone conditions, there is no additional safety risk created by joining the components into a system. That is, if every process component is fully protected based on its FMEA analysis, a y tern made up of several of these components will also be fully protected,... 

One of the most important elements of the PSM Rule is the process hazard analysis (PrHA). It requires the systematic identification of hazards and related accident scenarios. The PSM Rule allows the use of different analysis methods, but the selected method must be based on the process being analyzed. The PSM Rule specifies that PrHAs must be completed as soon as possible within a 5-year period. However, one-fourth of the PrHAs must have been completed by May 26, 1994, with an additional one-fourth completed each succeeding year. The highest risk processes were to be done first. A schedule for PrHAs must be established at the outset of a process safety management (PSM) program to give priority to the highest risk processes. PrHAs must be reviewed and updated at least every 5 years. 

Actually, before the Oklahoma City bombing, the anthrax attacks, and 9/11, OSHA and USEPA had already taken the initial steps to ensure safety and security in chemical production facilities and in other facilities that use, produce, or store listed chemicals. These steps were listed in OSHA s Process Safety Management (PSM) Standard and USEPA s Risk Management Program (RMP). Based on personal experience, having conducted VAs and modified VAs (wastewater) on both water and wastewater systems and having implemented RMP in a major U.S. wastewater system, we have to concur that these initial safety/security steps were quite effective. 

For most phase-transfer catalysed reactions, the rate-determining step is the interaction of the reactive substrate with the anionic species in the organic phase and, compared with the corresponding interfacial reaction in the absence of the catalyst, rate enhancements of 107 are not uncommon. The virtual absence of water from the organic phase under strongly basic liquiddiquid or soliddiquid two-phase conditions allows for the formation of water-sensitive anions, such as carbanions (Chapter 6), and obviates the need for strictly anhydrous conditions and the use of bases such as sodium hydride or sodamide, etc. The phase-transfer catalytic process consequently has lower safety risks and is environmentally more friendly. 

The Mary Kay O Connor Process Safety Center is conducting a number of projects on Development of Accident History Databases, Analyses of Accident History Databases, and Risk Assessment Based on Accident History Databases. One such project involves the compilation of incidents from various sources. 

The objective of the book is not to turn the reader into a specialist in thermal safety. It is to guide those who perform risk analysis of chemical processes, develop new processes, or are responsible for chemical production, to understand the thermal aspects of processes and to perform a scientifically founded-but practically oriented-assessment of chemical process safety. This assessment may serve as a basis for the optimization or the development of thermally safe processes. The methods presented are based on the author s long years of experience in the practice of safety assessment in industry and teaching students and professionals... 

Accountability. Accountability begins with a clear, explicit, and reasonably specific statement of a company s expectations, objectives, and goals. Example Process safety audits must be conducted based on the relative risk involved. ... 

Full Listing of Potential Process Safety Metrics to Consider (Based on Risk Based Process Safety Elements)... 

---