Safe facility design

The prime responsibility of the ACS Committee on Chemical Safety (CCS) is the encouragement of safe practices in chemical activities. The CCS serves as a resource for chemical professionals mainly in the United States in providing advice and counsel on the handling of chemicals, and it seeks to ensure safe facilities, designs, and operations by calling attention to potential hazards and stimulating education in safe chemical practices. The CCS also provides advice to other ACS units on matters related to chemical safety and health. A variety of publications are available free on its Web site. ... 

Pulp and paper mills are subject to a section of the CAA that states that stationary sources using extremely hazardous substances have a general duty to initiate specific activities to prevent and mitigate accidental releases. The general duty requirements apply to stationary sources that produce, process, handle, or store these substances, regardless of the quantity. The general duty clause requires facilities to identify hazards that may result from accidental releases, to design and maintain a safe facility, and to minimize the consequences of releases when they occur. 

This book applies a systems philosophy to the preliminary process design and cost estimation of a plant. In doing so, it tries to keep in perspective all aspects of the design. There is always a tendency on the part of designers to get involved in specific details, and forget that their job is to produce a product of the desired quality and quantity, at the lowest price, in a safe facility. What is not needed is a technological masterpiece that is difficult to operate or costly to build. 

An important safety feature is provided by the spring in an actuator. It can be designed to position a control valve in a safe position if a loss of supply air occurs. On a loss of supply air, the actuator in Figure 36 will fail open. This type of arrangement is referred to as "air-to-close, spring-to-open" or simply "fail-open." Some valves fail in the closed position. This type of actuator is referred to as "air-to-open, spring-to-close" or "fail-closed." This "fail-safe" concept is an important consideration in nuclear facility design. 

Hendershot, D. C. 1991. Design of inherently safer process facilities. Texas Chemical Council Safety Seminar, Session D, Inherently Safe Plant Design, pp. 2-22. 

The presence of hydrogen sulfide in oilfrom the Jayfield required complex facilities to produce salable oil and gas. The modular-facility design concept permittedfull allowable production to be attained in minimum time. Although expensive and potentially hazardous, production of sour oil and gas can be accomplished safely and without damaging the environment. 

Because there is always risk when equipment, instrumentation, and human activity are involved, there is no method of making a plant completely safe. However, facilities can be made inherently safer by careful examination of all aspects of design and management, using modem techniques that are now available. If we are to improve our process safety performance and our public image, inherently safe process design coupled with inherently safe process management is imperative. 

The development of the standard maintenance facility design as presented (Figure 1) concludes that both operational and environmental requirements can be accommodated. It satisfies a real need for a facility that will provide a safe and productive environment for the maintenance of toxic chemical munitions. Also that safety, security, and environmental criteria are stringent but the facility design as presented will comply with those known requi rements. 

The human factor engineering is an essential element of the control room facility design and Man-Machine Interface (MMI) design and its principles are systematically employed to ensure safe and convenient operation. Operating experience review analysis, function analysis, and task analysis are performed to provide systematic input to the MMI design. 

A systematic combination of activities, procedures, and facilities designed to ensure and maintain a safe and healthy workplace. 

The acceptance criterion for the resolution of GSI 103 is that the site chosen for a commercial nuclear generating facility shall be designed to accommodate a maximum expected flood from precipitation without jeopardizing the safe operation of the facility, in accordance with the guidance given in SRP 2.4.2, Rev. 3 and SRP 2.4.3, Rev. 3. Also, the facility design, including structures, systems, and components important to safety, shall meet the criteria specified in 10 CFR 50 Appendix A (GDC 2). 

In this section, the General Duty Clause (Section 112(r)(l)) reqiiires that owners and operators of stationary sources producing, processing, and storing extremely hazardous substances have a duty to identify hazards associated with an accidental release, design and maintain a safe facility, and minimize the consequences of any accidental releases that occur. 

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