Process Safety

"Preliminary findings indicate the explosion was caused by a catastrophic failure of a 10-inch pipe that measured just 1/8 of an inch thick. But measurements done in 2007 by an outside contractor hired by Silver Eagle stated the pipe was 1/2 an inch thick. CSB investigators don't believe the pipe wore that much in two years. They suspect the original measurement was inaccurate." - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

"U.S. workplace-safety regulators say they are turning up more violations than they expected in a sweeping, nationwide program of inspections of U.S. oil refineries. The U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration launched a so-called National Emphasis Program, or NEP, in 2007 to inspect petroleum refineries after data spanning 15 years showed they had the largest number of fatal or catastrophic accidents related to highly hazardous chemicals, such as fires and explosions." - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

"At the time of the incident a tank was being filled with gasoline from a ship docked in San Juan harbor. Investigators have determined that a likely scenario leading to the release was an accidental overfilling of the tank. Gasoline spilled from the tank without detection; as the material spilled it vaporized and spread across the facility. CSB investigators estimate that the vapor cloud spread to a 2000 foot diameter until it reached an ignition source in the northwest section of the facility. The CSB found that on the evening of the incident, the liquid level in the tank could not be determined because the facility’s computerized level monitoring system was not fully operational. In order to monitor the level in the tank, operators used a mechanical gauge on the tank’s exterior wall. Therefore as the gasoline , employees located in the facility’s control room were unaware of the emergency." - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

The Fire and Blast Information Group (FABIG) is a non-profit, membership based organisation committed to promoting the protection of life, property and the environment through the development and sharing of expert knowledge on fires and explosions. - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

"Oil giant Total UK today admitted health and safety breaches in connection with the massive Buncefield oil depot explosion.It entered written pleas of guilty to two charges under the Health and Safety Act, and one of polluting water under the Water Resources Act." - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

"The blaze at the state-run Indian Oil Corporation depot located on the outskirts of state capital Jaipur started on Thursday 29 October evening and engulfed at least 11 tanks containing 8 million litres of oil, the NDTV network reported." - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

"COMAH-site operators who wait until the last minute to review their Safety Reports are missing out on the valuable information this exercise can provide, and could be putting their sites, their workers, and others at risk, warns Caroline Stoker." - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

"It will be of interest to senior managers and safety professionals within organisations wishing to develop performance indicators to give improved assurance of control over major hazard risks. Although primarily addressed to major hazard operators, the generic model for establishing a performance measurement system, as given in this guide, can equally apply to other enterprises requiring similar levels of assurance. Offering a six-stage process to adopt in order to implement a programme of performance monitoring for process safety risks." - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

"The Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS), a technology alliance of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, has announced a partnership with Phillip Townsend and Associates (PTAI) to establish a program of formal benchmarking in process safety in the chemical, energy and pharmaceutical industries. Participating companies will compare their process safety programs and performance in an effort to identify best practices and drive process safety improvement across the board." - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

"While ensuring the safety and security of chemical facilities is important, excessive regulation that prevents the private sector from doing business is a poor approach. Congress should pursue commonsense, market-conscious policy solutions that are based on an accurate assessment of risk and infrastructure vulnerabilities--not politics or economy-crippling regulatory schemes." - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

Bountiful Fire authorities say the fire originated in a furnace, and that no injuries were reported. According to South Metro Davis Fire Chief Bassett, the exlosion happened when a pipe carrying hydrogen and diesel leaked onto the ground and ignited. - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

"OSHA has issued 270 notifications for not complying with the agreement, with fines that add up to $56.7 million. In addition, on the basis of a six-month long monitoring inspection this year, the agency identified 439 new willful violations of OSHA laws that carry penalties totaling $30.7 million. Many of these violations have to do with pressure release devices on process equipment that were either absent or were not operated under standard industry practices, OSHA said in a statement." - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

"Didier Turcinovic argues that awareness and responsibility are needed to establish the sort of safety culture which will prevent future tank farm accidents." - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

"CSB investigators will try to determine if there are any similarities in this incident to a 2005 fire and explosion at BP America Inc.’s Texas City, Tex., refinery that killed 15 workers in nearby trailers and injured 180 other people, according to John S. Bresland, the board’s chairman. Flammable liquid erupted from a blowdown stack during a unit startup in that case, leading to a massive vapor cloud explosion, he said. The CSB recommended numerous changes to regulations, enforcement, and industry safety practices following that accident, he noted." - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

"A nuclear scientist was planning an oil refinery explosion capable of destroying "a city the size of London", it was claimed yesterday... A French security source said: "He had offered his services to strike with an active al-Qaeda service unit based in France. "He had started to compile a list of targets including a Total oil refinery which would have caused an explosion which would have destroyed a city the size of London." - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

"An explosion involving a boiler at the Big Spring Refinery Monday night sent three employees to the hospital, where they were treated and released, according to refinery officials." - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

"Crews were dealing with two emergency situations at resin plants on Oct. 27 — one at a Sabic Innovative Plastics plant in Indiana, and another at a Dow Chemical Co. plant in Texas." - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

Sabic - "Early reports from the scene indicated a storage tank at the phenol plant exploded, knocking several employees to the ground and releasing gas into the air." (http://www.carmitimes.com/news...) - Mike Boudreaux

"A column of black smoke and flames were rising from the Caribbean Petroleum Corp., a gasoline warehouse and distribution center on San Juan's bay that owns the Gulf brand in Puerto Rico. Authorities said the cause and the scale of the damage were not immediately clear. " - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

Photo gallery here. Reminds me of the 2005 Buncefield Depot explosion. http://www.elnuevodia.com/fotogal... - Mike Boudreaux

"Session themes will include safety management, new process safety technology, sharing safety knowledge, safe process design, safety performance indicators, compliance with standards, risk assessment and analysis, emerging energy technologies; and human factors and behaviour." - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

"BP believes it has responded to all of OSHA’s concerns outlined to us in recent correspondence and is satisfied with the actions that we have taken in response to BP’s 2005 settlement agreement with OSHA,” the company said in a statement. “The next stage of our engagement with OSHA is for the various documents and the positions of each party to be further reviewed before an the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, where BP intends to demonstrate its compliance with its agreement with OSHA. - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

"Networks such as EPSC are looking to be able to improve process safety across companies in the near future. As major incidents not only hit individual companies, but the whole sector, it pays to invest into such networks." - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

"NACD remains gravely concerned about the H.R. 2868, the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards, which the House Energy and Environment Subcommittee approved yesterday. Although the Subcommittee adopted a few limited measures to move the legislation in a slightly better direction, the bill as approved would still impose onerous and unnecessary mandates on chemical distribution facilities." - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

"Looks like OSHA under a new administration will be seriously re-focusing on enforcement. 130 new compliance officers. 45 additional whistleblower investigators. A push for penalties applied at the maximum extent of current statute." - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

"The AlkyClean solid acid alkylation process can significantly improve the safety of existing refinery processes and reduce potential hazards associated with transportation and handling of liquid acids used to produce alkylate, the high-octane blending component that is used to improve the antiknock value of fuels. Relying on patented technology combined with Albemarle's long-lasting and durable AlkyStar catalyst, the AlkyClean process provides refiners with a competitive, cleaner and inherently safer alkylation technology." - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

"The legislation, pushed by some members of Congress since the 2001 terrorism attacks, would require "high risk" chemical plants to use "inherently safer technologies," including less lethal chemicals, when available." - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

"A House subcommittee is scheduled to vote today on chemical manufacturing regulations that supporters say are needed to safeguard the public against a terrorist attack but which industry officials say could disrupt their operations and lead to job losses." - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

"CISAP-4 will bring together experts from all over the world to exchange key information and hold helpful discussions and will focus on the present leading HSE legislation, forecast evolution, technical experiences and management approaches." - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet

"CSB’s approach to chemical accident investigation is a step further than OSHA’s. CSB gathers background information about the accidents, performs a detailed root cause study, and makes recommendations to appropriate stakeholders. Great approach to a complex issue…but CSB’s strategy following the investigation leaves a lot to be desired." - Mike Boudreaux from Bookmarklet