Safety observations Observation process

With a common intermediate from the Medicinal Chemistry synthesis now in hand in enantiomerically upgraded form, optimization of the conversion to the amine was addressed, with particular emphasis on safety evaluation of the azide displacement step (Scheme 9.7). Hence, alcohol 6 was reacted with methanesul-fonyl chloride in the presence of triethylamine to afford a 95% yield of the desired mesylate as an oil. Displacement of the mesylate using sodium azide in DMF afforded azide 7 in around 85% assay yield. However, a major by-product of the reaction was found to be alkene 17, formed from an elimination pathway with concomitant formation of the hazardous hydrazoic acid. To evaluate this potential safety hazard for process scale-up, online FTIR was used to monitor the presence of hydrazoic acid in the head-space, confirming that this was indeed formed during the reaction [7]. It was also observed that the amount of hydrazoic acid in the headspace could be completely suppressed by the addition of an organic base such as diisopropylethylamine to the reaction, with the use of inorganic bases such as... 

Alkad A process for improving the safety of alkylation processes using hydrofluoric acid as the catalyst. A proprietary additive curtails the emission of the acid aerosol that forms in the event of a leak. Based on observation of G. Olah in the early 1990s that liquid polyhydrogen fluoride complexes (of amines such as pyridine) depress the vapor pressure of HF above alkylation mixtures. Developed by UOP and Texaco and operated at Texaco s refinery at El Dorado, TX, since 1994. A competing process is ReVAP, developed by Phillips and Mobil. 

The second type of monitoring Sis are constructed from tools such as (safety) inspections, and (safety) observational programmes. These tools are numerous, van Steen (van Steen, 1996) amongst others provides an overview of many different technical and human based inspections utilized by different companies in the chemical process industry. The aim of this type of tool is to check the presence and effectiveness of technical and human safety measures. This safe way of working is compared with standards (technical and human) and expert opinion to indicate... 

M. Witczak, J. Patton, and J. Korbicz. Fault detection with observers and genetic programming application to the DAMADICS benchmark problem. In Proceedings of the 5th IFAC Symposium on Fault Detection, Supervision and Safety for Technical Processes, pages 1203-1208, 2003. 

The serious toxicity observed in dogs is not observed in primates A stable IV formulation has now been identified An effective dose and a dosing regimen have been cliaracterized A process to reduce the high cost of goods has been achieved The human safety observed is as predicted... 

They should also have been formally trained on the particular machines that are in use on the packaging line, particularly in safety and observation, and have a thorough knowledge of how the marketable pack should look at all stages of its packaging. There should be SOPs for codes of dress, discipline, line processing, clean-down, etc. Training records should be archived. 

Perhaps the definitions we hear most about today are those that define behavior-based safety as a process of involving workers in defining the ways they are most likely to get hurt, thus getting their involvement and thus some buy-in, asking the workers to observe other workers to determine progress in the reduction of unsafe behaviors etc. [p. 2],... 

Malfunctions of the PCE safety system must be discovered by regularly observing the process variables and checking their plausibility by the operating team. External damage of equipment has to be detected by visual examination. It must be repaired immediately. 

In the U.K. nuclear power industry, no empirical evidence of a link between poor profitability and poor safety was observed, since the privatized nuclear plants were highly profitable following deregulation. A contributing factor to this financial success was the fact that the structure of the U.K. privatization process provided significant subsidies for nuclear power. These subsidies helped to ensure the profitability of the country s privatized nuclear operating company in the years immediately following privatization, and may have prevented adverse effects due to fmancial difficulties. 

One of the most widely used classes of organic particles and powders are colorants. Certain wavelengths of the visible spectrum can be reflected and absorbed by colorants, the human eyes observing these physical processes as the appearance of color. Colorants are now an inevitable part of everyday life. Other organic particles are widely applied in such domains as optics, mechanics, medical diagnostics, catalysis, automotive, building and safety. The physical process itself differs from those such as fluorescence in which the material itself can emit light [6]. 

There is no one best way to perform observations— techniques and methods depend on the organization and the existing safety culture. It is recommended each site tailor the observation process to its particular needs. If a site benchmarks to another site, the suggested strategy is to use the benchmark sites approach as a guide but develop specific procedures to accommodate the process locally. 

Behavioral safety is a process to improve behaviors at all levels, not just a sequence of activities, meetings, and observations (Pounds... 

The only empirical approach to improving safety that has proven to be effective is a behavioral safety process. Behavioral safety is the only approach that has routinely produced significant reductions in incidents in well-designed research studies. The approach involves employees using a systematically developed checklist as the basis for feedback on critical safety practices observed in work areas (1998, p. 49). 

The recognition of hazards is of primary importance. After workers and supervisors have been trained regarding hazard identification, their understanding of Occupational Safety and Health regulations will help identify jobs, equipment and machinery, areas, and industry processes that have exhibited hazards in the past. It will be your responsibility to identify the potential for hazards, or the existence of hazards within your workplace. Some tools used for identification have been presented in the form of hazard hunts, job hazard analysis, and job safety observations, while other techniques provide the means to prevent and control existing hazards. 

Success of any behavior-based safety process relies on trust among the employee (observers), management, and the employees being observed. Observers are trained to ask the employee for permission to make an observation where feedback is immediate. When this occurs, this is a win-win situation for everyone. One key to remember is when providing employees feedback you need to consider how you would like to be approached. The way you say the words and how you act toward the employee are keys to successful two-way communication. Observers need specific training in how to observe and provide feedback in a positive, constructive manner. 

Integrate the precursor identification and remediation process with existing systems audits, safety observations, and other safety systems. 

Used effectively process safety indicators can provide an early warning, before catastrophic failure, that critical controls have deteriorated to an unacceptable level. The use of process safety performance indicators fits between formal, infrequent audits and more frequent inspection and safety observation programmes. It is not a substitute for auditing, but a complementary activity. 

As the size of the list grows to encompass more behaviours (a result of ongoing accident experience and the desire to eradicate all accidents by adding more safety critical behaviours) the whole system can become unwieldy because too may behaviours are included in the observation process. 

Based on these results, Du Pont refined its approach to safety into its present Safety Training Observation Program (STOP). Du Pont promotes STOP extensively both within and outside the company. STOP involves a process of layered safety audits in which each layer of management conducts a regular safety audit, typically every week. A manager enters an area and finds its superintendent then they conduct a safety audit of that area. On a different week, the superintendent chooses an area supervisor and they conduct a safety audit. Further, all management personnel conduct a formal audit each week in one of the work areas for which they are responsible while also conducting informal observations of both safety practices and safe work conditions at all times. 

Researchers have not yet conducted extensive research into the importance of the individual components of these studies, though Komaki s (1986) research suggests that the observation process may be the most critical element of the package. Conducting research into the effectiveness of each of the components of behavior-based safety is difficult because each component contributes to only a part of the effectiveness of the intervention package. The studies that have investigated the individual components of this approach are included below. 

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