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Sanjeev Saraf — Active Contributor

Author of Operational Risk, Process Safety articles.


This author's archive lists contributions of articles and episodes.

About Sanjeev Saraf

Reduce risks, Increase Uptime, Reduce costs

I did my first litigation support work in 2000.

Since then I have been obsessed with preventing future failures. Some of these failures can have catastrophic consequences.

Having tried various techniques, learning / unlearning “latest” paradigms, it is clear we have a long way to go!

But instead of thoughtful work, what I mostly see are platitudes and oversimplifications. No keen practical insights!

I want to change that.

by Sanjeev Saraf Leave a Comment

Why Inherent Safety Should Be A Part Of Security Regulation

Why Inherent Safety Should Be A Part Of Security Regulation

A few weeks ago [note: written in August 2010], Senator Frank Lautenberg proposed Secure Chemical Facilities Act (S. 3559) to the Senate committee on Homeland Security. The bill mandates Inherent Safer Technology (IST) or Inherently safer design (ISD) at high-risk chemical facilities.

Knowing the uncertainties surrounding the mere definition of  inherent safety, one could say that it is preposterous to mandate IST. IST cannot be regulated and worse it would burden the industry. To a large extent this is true.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, on Risk & Safety, Operational Risk Process Safety

by Sanjeev Saraf Leave a Comment

OSHA Wants You To Nominate Chemicals Of Concern

OSHA Wants You To Nominate Chemicals Of Concern

OSHA is asking stakeholders to identify hazardous chemicals they believe are most in need of action. 

Why?

“OSHA realizes the inadequacy of many of its Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) and is seeking creative solutions, both long term and short term, to address this inadequacy.” 

For the benefit of the readers of the blog, I would appreciate if you leave a comment below to indicate what chemicals are of immediate concern. You can submit your nominations to OSHA here by 27th August:

http://www.osha.gov/pelforum.html

Filed Under: Articles, on Risk & Safety, Operational Risk Process Safety

by Sanjeev Saraf Leave a Comment

Check Valve Failures

Check Valve Failures

Check valves are commonly used in the process industry for preventing back-flow or reverse flow.

Check valves achieve unidirectional flow by means of a mechanical partition – ball, diaphragm, disc.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, on Risk & Safety, Operational Risk Process Safety

by Sanjeev Saraf Leave a Comment

Airline Security And Lithium Battery Fires

Airline Security And Lithium Battery Fires

According to the FAA, there have been 113 battery fire incidents on passenger and cargo planes between 1991-2010. There is a battery fire incident every two months in the airline industry.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, on Risk & Safety, Operational Risk Process Safety

by Sanjeev Saraf Leave a Comment

Driver Safety Video

Driver Safety Video

Below is an excellent safety message about driving safely (Courtsey: Paul Koyich).

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, on Risk & Safety, Operational Risk Process Safety

by Sanjeev Saraf Leave a Comment

Biodiesel Accident Trend Continues In 2010

Biodiesel Accident Trend Continues In 2010

In a number of my previous blog posts, I have emphasized the disturbing trend of fires and explosions in the biodiesel and biofuel industry.

Based on the statistics, the biodiesel industry in the US is experiencing an incident every two-and-a-half months, i.e. approx. 10 weeks.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, on Risk & Safety, Operational Risk Process Safety

by Sanjeev Saraf Leave a Comment

How Safety Training Can Benefit From Avatar 4D

How Safety Training Can Benefit From Avatar 4D

Earlier this year I was in Seoul and got a chance to see Avatar 4D.

What’s the 4th dimension?  Moving seats, wind, water sprinkling, lasers, and synthetic smells used to enhance the movie experience.

That made me wonder, with so much  advances in media/entertainment, why is most safety training so dull?

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, on Risk & Safety, Operational Risk Process Safety

by Sanjeev Saraf Leave a Comment

Decisions And Choices: Blue Pill Vs. Red Pill

Decisions And Choices: Blue Pill Vs. Red Pill

“This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill – the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill – you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes.” 

– Morpheus to Neo in the movie The Matrix.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, on Risk & Safety, Operational Risk Process Safety

by Sanjeev Saraf Leave a Comment

Fireworks And Reduced Exposure Levels For SO2

Fireworks And Reduced Exposure Levels For SO2

A few weeks ago, I had written a post comparing threshold exposure values for SO2 and H2S. After that post, Lee Pharis, one of the blog readers, forwarded me an email describing the new EPA standard for SO2 exposure.

EPA has set the one-hour SO2 health standard at 75 parts per billion (ppb), a level intended to protect against short-term exposures ranging from five minutes to 24 hours.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, on Risk & Safety, Operational Risk Process Safety

by Sanjeev Saraf Leave a Comment

Inherent Safety = Lower Risks?

Inherent Safety = Lower Risks?

Chemical processes and designs are increasingly being evaluated for inherent safety – i.e. reduce the hazard rather than the risk. The philosophy behind inherent safety is ‘What You Don’t Have, Can’t Leak’ and so you take necessary steps to reduce the hazard.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, on Risk & Safety, Operational Risk Process Safety

by Sanjeev Saraf Leave a Comment

PSM 15th Element: Quality

PSM 15th Element: Quality

OSHA Process Safety Management (PSM) program is nearly two decades old and I believe that the 14 PSM elements provide a good basic framework for facilities to create a safety program.

What OSHA PSM lacks is quality metric.

Let me explain further.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, on Risk & Safety, Operational Risk Process Safety

by Sanjeev Saraf Leave a Comment

Should M&A Due Diligence Consider Safety?

Should M&A Due Diligence Consider Safety?

Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) are a part of today’s corporate growth strategy. As a part of M&A due diligence various critical business issues are evaluated. But what about safety performance of the company you are looking to acquire or merge with?

You will say that most M&A in oil and gas/chemical processing industries are asset-driven. You look at what the pots and pans can do for you in the future and base your M&A decision.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, on Risk & Safety, Operational Risk Process Safety

by Sanjeev Saraf 1 Comment

Natural Gas Pipelines: Is There A Safer Alternative?

Natural Gas Pipelines: Is There A Safer Alternative?

Natural gas pipelines have caused incidents leading to fatalities, injuries, and property damages.

To be precise, there have been an average of 50 serious gas pipeline incidents every year in the U.S. between 1990-2009 (Source: http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/comm/reports/safety/SerPSI.html?nocache=4823) resulting in more than 300 fatalities. Majority of the reported gas incidents have occurred on the gas distribution lines – i.e.  gas pipeline systems that are found in thousands of communities from coast to coast and distribute natural gas to our homes and businesses.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, on Risk & Safety, Operational Risk Process Safety

by Sanjeev Saraf Leave a Comment

How Risk Perception Affects Regulations

How Risk Perception Affects Regulations

Risk is a perception.

Our perception of risks is mainly affected by two factors:

(a) whether we are voluntarily accepting the risk. 

A good example is a refinery worker considers the risks at workplace lower than his cousin who has only read about chemical plants; and

(b) potential consequences of event or act or decision.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, on Risk & Safety, Operational Risk Process Safety

by Sanjeev Saraf Leave a Comment

Physical Explosions: LNG Rapid Phase Transitions (RPT)

Physical Explosions: LNG Rapid Phase Transitions (RPT)

LNG spilled onto water sometime undergoes a rapid phase transition (RPT) or physical explosion creating localized overpressures.

Such physical explosions are also observed when water contacts molten metal or hot lava (steam explosions)

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, on Risk & Safety, Operational Risk Process Safety

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