OSHA inspected 42 refineries between June 2007 – February 2009. Below is a summary of violations for 30 refineries. A bit of history.
[Read more…]OSHA NEP Fines
on Risk & Safety
A listing in reverse chronological order of articles by:
- Greg Hutchins (editor) — CERM Risk Insights series
- Doug Lehr — Equipment Risk and Reliability in Downhole Applications series
- Sanjeev Saraf — Operational Risk, Process Safety series
How to Create an Effective Work Breakdown Structure
Guest Post by John Ayers (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
There are numerous papers and documents on the internet regarding a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). The question is how do you create one for a new project. This paper explains how.
[Read more…]Equipment Failure Modes
An existing equipment in a refinery may display flaws/damages that either existed during manufacturing or were induced during service. Let us briefly look at pre-service flaws and service-induced deterioration.
[Read more…]How to Select the Ideal Project Team
Guest Post by John Ayers (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
I have some experience with the Enneagram personality method. I found it to be accurate and useful. I suggest it is a good method to consider using to select your project team. The paper starts with a brief description of the Enneagram basics and then explains tips that can be used to select your team. Two figures are included to help explain the basics. You can go online and get a lot more detail information about the Enneagram method.
[Read more…]Group Additivity Approach For Estimating Reactive Hazards
During process development or plant operation it is often necessary to estimate energy of reaction based on chemical formulae representation alone. This heat of decomposition represents the potential energy that can be released and is therefore a measure of explosion potential. One can therefore envision that estimation of heats reaction based on chemical similarities should be possible similar to Benson’s group additivity for estimating heats of formation.
[Read more…]Systematic Evaluation Of Reactive Chemical Hazards
Evaluation of reactive chemical hazards can range from simple paper-based calculations to highly complex testing and modeling. This post is aimed to help you formulate a systematic strategy for evaluating reactive chemical hazards in your facility. I will divide the various approaches in three tiers – simple to complex.
[Read more…]Importance of Cultural Change in Transformations
Guest Post by John Ayers (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
I am a curious about some of the new project team theories or methodologies that have arisen in the past 20-30 years that are undergoing a resurgent today primarily due to COVID -19 effect on the workforce. These theories are designed to improve performance and functioning of a project team by making people feel comfortable about speaking up and being creative without the fear of repercussion. Google and other Agile companies are in the process of implementing these methods.
[Read more…]Regulating Reactive Chemicals
Recently, members of Congress sent a letter to OSHA chief, Jordan Barab, to expand PSM standard to address reactive chemicals.
Reactive chemicals have gained increasing attention since the Chemical Safety Board (CSB) released its report on reactive chemicals in 2002. Now I have been working in the area of reactive chemicals since 1999 and let me assure you that one cannot say let us regulate chemical A because it is a reactive chemical.
[Read more…]Being Setup for Failure
Guest Post by Joseph Paris (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
Employers don’t hire people – or assign them a project or task – in the hopes they will fail. And employees don’t take on a job, project, or task in the hopes they will fail. On the contraire, the expectations all around are that the outcome will be successful.
Certainly, sometimes the outcomes are not successful. But these unsuccessful outcomes are generally more tolerated – even expected – in companies that are in their early stages or have a company culture that is more entrepreneurial and not so risk adverse. And when an unsuccessful outcome in such companies occurs, it’s usually a disappointment (and you certainly don’t want to make being unsuccessful a habit), but it’s not usually a negative mark on the employee.
[Read more…]What Is Inherent Safety?
A process is described as inherently safer if it reduces or eliminates one or more process hazards and this reduction or elimination is accomplished through changes that are permanent and inseparable.Below are strategies for achieving inherent safety:
[Read more…]Best Way to Monitor Risk Mitigation Plans
Guest Post by John Ayers (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
Based on over 30 years’ experience with project risk management, the best way I found to monitor risk mitigation plans is to incorporate them into the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS). The reason is each month (or week) when the IMS is reviewed the risk mitigation plan is also reviewed. Since the IMS is linked, a slip in a mitigation plan step can readily be seen as well as the potential impact it may have on the project.
The question is How is the risk mitigation plan integrated into the IMS? This paper will explain how it tis done. [Read more…]
Lithium Battery Fires: How To Decide If You Should Recall?
In rare cases, lithium batteries can catch fire.
Lithium battery fires have resulted in recalls in the recent past – a few notable ones are indicated in the table below.
[Read more…]System Engineers Rule Robotic Design
Guest Post by John Ayers (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
Robots are developed to address a problem. For example, automating a production line. To achieve this goal, a multidiscipline engineering team is required.
The question is which engineering discipline should I study? I suggest you get a degree in System Engineering. This paper will explain why.
[Read more…]Dust Explosion: Size Does Matter
We have been burning wood since days of the caveman. But did you know that wood can also explode?
Logs of wood will not explode but fine dust can lead to a fire and explosion. Let us see why.
[Read more…]Supply Chain Risk Management
Almost daily, we hear of some problem in the supply chain. A few weeks ago, a container ship got stuck in the Suez Canal and hundreds of ships were backed up with no place to go. As well, original equipment manufacturers in Europe missed critical parts because of their Just in Time delivery practices.
[Read more…]