MKOPSC Process Safety Symposium
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Item Safety Integrity Levels in Design(Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center, 1998) Moderski, Mark; Mahalingam, Sankar; Eidson, Mark A.The hazards identified with a new or modified chemical or petroleum refining process can be mitigated in numerous ways. If a system cannot be designed so that it is inherently safe, then other safeguards such as instrumented systems, mechanical controls or operating procedures need to be implemented. If an instrumented system is to used to mitigate the hazard then some consideration must be given towards the integrity of this system based upon the risk presented by the hazard. Based upon recent ISA standards, the integrity level of this instrumented system must be specified so that the corresponding probability of failure on demand can be achieved. This paper discusses the overall process of mitigating hazards including the role of safety integrity levels for instrumented systems.Item Handling a Crisis Situation Through Media Training(Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center, 2001) Macias, Pete; Barton, Delilah; Marasco newton Group, Ltd.When an abnormal situation occurs at your facility, management must be prepared, not only to handle the situation itself, but also to effectively communicate with stakeholders. The media is very important vehicle for this communication. However, media coverage can either be a fiasco for public relations or it can be an effective and successful tool to maintain stakeholder support.. Arthur W. Page of the old Bell System said, "Conduct public relations as if the whole company depends on it." What happens to a company's image in the aftermath of a crisis is a direct result of how well they are prepared to address the situation and communicate to the media, and how closely the company follows its mission and values. When an unexpected situation or issue threatens the ability of your company to complete its mission, the company's crisis management team must meet to determine the severity of the crisis, how to resolve the situation, and how to communicate the status and/or solution to the crisis to its stakeholders through the media. A major part of a company's ability to navigate through the critical situation is its ability to successfully communicate its message to its stakeholders, frequently through tough questions from the media. While abnormal situations are unexpected by nature, management can be prepared to handle a potential public relations nightmare beforehand with effective media training. Marasco Newton Group is a premier environmental and information management consulting firm that has supported public and private sector clients for more than 10 years. We specialize in designing and implementing crisis communication programs for our clients to handle difficult situations while achieving their mission objectives. In this course, Marasco Newton Group will help management prepare to handle an abnormal situation by addressing the following questions: • How do you craft a message that addresses a crisis situation while protecting your company's reputation? • How do you control potentially bad press coverage and provide a positive spin? • What are the rules when dealing with the press during a crisis? • What are the "dos" and "don'ts" when being interviewed by the press? • Do you recognize that your company's behavior during a crisis situation is the platform for the company's future?Item FURTHER CALORIMETRIC EVALUATION OF POLYMER/OLIGOMER DECOMPOSITION: APTAC TESTING(Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center, 1999) Levin, M. E.; Hill, A. D.; Equilon EnterprisesThe behavior of polymers and oligomers subjected to elevated temperatures in an air-free environment was recently studied to characterize the energetics of polymer/oligomer decomposition. This work, which focused exclusively on hydrocarbon and oxygenated species tested in an open-pan DSC/TBA, was pursued to test a widely-held notion that polymer decomposition is endothermic in nature. Selected species have now been tested in the APTAC, a calorimeter designed to provide an adiabatic environment for runaway reaction characterization. Comparison of results with those from the DSC/TGA reveals confirmation of energetics in some cases and startling differences in others. For example, in both the DSC/TGA and the APTAC, polymers with double bond or glycidyl groups display exothermic reactions. However, polymers with ether or ester functionalities can exhibit exothermic decomposition behavior in the APTAC—in contrast to the DSC/TGA results. These findings reinforce the hypothesis that loss of heat by vaporization and removal of reactive intermediates by carrier gas in the DSC/TGA can confound the observed energetics of polymer/oligomer reaction. Furthermore, functional groups present in polymers/oligomers can strongly influence the reaction energetics.Item Reactivity of Unsaturated Hydrocarbons Via Adiabatic Calorimetry(Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center, 2000) Levin, M. E.; Hill, A. D.; Equilon Enterprises, LLCSelected olefins, diolefins, and alkynes have been examined via adiabatic calorimetry to understand the behavior of these species as a function of temperature. APTAC (Automatic Pressure Tracking Adiabatic Calorimeter) and Vent Sizing Package (VSP) testing has revealed the uncatalyzed reactivity of these compounds. Conjugated diolefins such as cyclopentadiene, 1,3-butadiene, and isoprene show trends consistent with Diers-Alders condensation to form dimers, trimers, etc. At elevated temperatures, the oligomers/polymers formed from these species apparently decompose exothermically. Several of the alkynes react at temperatures above 200°C and ultimately approach temperatures of 900°C. A conjugated alkene-yne, on the other hand, shows reactivity comparable to butadiene (i.e., onset temperature of 80-90°C). In contrast to these results, straight-chain olefins exhibit no exothermic behavior for temperatures up to 340°C.Item Evaluating Safety Instrumented System Needs Using Process Hazard Analysis Data(Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center, 2001) Leverenz Jr, Fred; McEldowney, Kelli M.; Battelle - Integrated Risk ManagementDetermining Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) needs is the first step of a long process of complying and maintaining compliance with national and international standards. How a company goes about determining SIS needs can have a significant impact, not only on process safety, but also on process economics. Much of the process analysis used to evaluate the need for SIS, based on Safety Integrity Levels (SIL), is already included in process hazards analyses. Using existing analyses will allow you to minimize "re-analysis" and help focus SIS and recommended actions on plant economics. Hazard analysis data can help determine if existing equipment and instrumentation are adequate to ensure a safe shutdown of the plant. In instances where the existing safeguards are not sufficient, companies can look to good engineering practices, such as ISA $84.01, and determine if an SIS is necessary. In addition to identifying the need for SIS, companies can use Importance Measures, used to relatively rank equipment based on their influence to the overall risk, to help prioritize SIS selection. By prioritizing SIS selection, the minimum number of SIS can be identified while still addressing all the hazards of the process. This paper present processes and results from using process hazards analysis for SIL determination and action item/maintenance prioritization.Item The Reactivity of Ethylene Oxide In Contact With Iron Oxide Fines as Measured by Adiabatic Calorimetry(Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center, 2002) Levin, M. E.; Hill, A. D.; Shell Global Solutions (U.S.)Samples of various iron oxides suspended above ethylene oxide in an adiabatic calorimeter exhibit exothermic activity at temperatures as low as room temperature. A 7-Fe203 sample was found to show the highest reactivity with ethylene oxide. Ethylene oxide in combination with most of the iron oxide fines tested displayed exothermic activity below 100°C. Self-heat rates near 2000°C/min were observed for the y-Fe203 fines while rates in excess of 100°C/min were found for other fines (~-Fe203 and hydrated ~-Fe203). In two cases (c/.-Fe304 and o~-Fe203), pressurization rates above 1000 psi/min took place. No reactivity was observed for ethylene oxide with the FeO. Thermal inertia effects in commercial operation, such as heat uptake by the equipment to which fines are attached, are presumed to be a factor in limiting the occurrence of related exotherms in ethylene oxide manufacturing facilities.Item Beyond Regulatory Compliance, Making Safety Second Nature-I 999 Development and Application of Accident History Databases Session(Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center, 1999) Leggett, David; Hazard Evaluation Laboratories, inc.Even though chemical process accidents do not have the same severity, they are usually reported without a (semi) quantitative indication of severity. Sometimes attempts are made to identify those accidents where significant injuries and/or in a major financial impact resulted. However, it is generally the case that those interested in the details are left to seek out the published reports and deduce a severity level based on their own judgment. There is another consequence of not providing accident severity information. Thorough accident reporting often means that attention is being paid to the minor accidents and incidents indicating increased compliance with the process safety program. Without knowing the severity of each accident and incident, the increasing number of reported accidents could be interpreted as decreased compliance with the process safety program. The Accident Severity Index project addresses this paradox of an increased number of accidents actually being a sign of a healthy and active program. Being in possession of an objective indicator of accident severity allows management to judge the effectiveness of the process safety program. It also provides the necessary details about the extent to which company personnel pay attention to the process safety details concerning handling and use of hazardous chemicals. The goal of this project is to provide a tracking and evaluation system for process safety incidents and accidents. In order to accomplish this it is necessary to assess the actual and potential severity of an accident, in an objective manner, using the information obtained during the accident investigation. The severity information is then used by the program to derive a two-part severity rating that addresses the actual and potential severity. This presentation will describe a prototype database and assessment system that will accomplish these criteria.Item Dicyclopentadiene Polyester Resin Risk Assessment(Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center, 2000) Cramer, John; Lay, James; Reichhold, Inc.; General Physics CorporationDicyclopentadiene is a reactive monomer used in substantial volume as a key raw material by the unsaturated polyester resin industry. Although the chemistry was well understood from a technical perspective, the process safety considerations were not well documented. Following some initial work internally, an opportunity was seized to initiate a collaborative study of the risks posed by this reaction chemistry under the umbrella of the Composites Fabricators Association Process Safety Committee. Committee members supply DCPD resins to the composites industry. Benefits of this effort have included access to incident and near miss experiences; shared costs for carrying out stability testing using adiabatic runaway calorimetry and continuous addition studies; and access to best practices for improving DCPD process safety. Limitations, such as the need to protect proprietary formulation data, have not seriously impacted work on the common half-ester reaction step, but have required some follow-up studies by individual companies. This successful effort to enhance reactive chemical safety may provide a useful model for other companies working to improve their safety performance and PSM compliance.Item Droplet Size Distributions of Heat Transfer Fluid Aerosols in Air(Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center, 2000) Sukmarg, P.; Krishna, K.; Kihm, K; Rogers, W.J.; Mannan, M.S.Heat transfer fluids are widely used in the chemical process industry and are available in a wide range of properties. These fluids are flammable above their flash points and can cause explosions. Though the possibility of aerosol explosions has been widely documented, knowledge about the explosive potential of such aerosols is limited. The aerosol droplet size distributions of heat transfer fluids must be studied to characterize their explosion hazards. Current research by the Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center involves non- intrusive measurement of such aerosol sprays using a Malvern Instrument Diffraction Particle Analyzer. The aerosol is generated by plain orifice atomization to simulate the formation and dispersion of heat transfer fluid aerosols through leaks in process equipment. A predictive model to relate the characteristic aerosol droplet size to bulk liquid pressure, temperature, fluid properties, orifice size and ambient conditions will be developed. This model will be used to estimate the explosion hazard of heat transfer fluid aerosols.Item A Practical Approach to Fire Hazard Analysis for Offshore Structures(Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center, 2002) Krueger, J.; Smith, D.; BP America Inc.; Risk, Reliabilty and Safety EngineeringOffshore quantitative risk assessments (QRA) have historically been complex and costly. For large offshore design projects, the level of detail required for a detailed QRA is often not available until well into the detailed design phase of the project. In these cases, the QRA may be unable to provide timely hazard understanding. As a result, the risk reduction measures identified often come too late to allow for cost effective changes to be implemented. This forces project management to make a number of difficult or costly decisions. This paper demonstrates how a scenario-based approached to fire risk assessment can be effectively applied early in a project's development. The scenario or design basis fire approach calculates the consequence of a select number of credible fire scenarios, determines the potential impact on the platform process equipment, structural members, egress routes, safety systems, and determines the effectiveness of potential options for mitigation. The early provision of hazard data allows the project team to select an optimum design that is safe and will meet corporate or regulatory risk criteria later in the project cycle. The focus of this paper is on the application of the scenario-based approach to gas jet fires. This paper draws on recent experience in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and other areas to outline an approach to fire hazard analysis and fire hazard management for deep-water structures. The methods discussed will include discussions from the recent June 2002 International Workshop for Fire Loading and Response.Item Performance vs. Prescriptive Fire Protection for the Offshore Industry(Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center, 2000) Alderman, John A.; Harding, MarlonMost companies have standards for fire protection on offshore installations. These standards typically are prescriptive in nature and require that fire protection be installed, generally, without regard to the actual hazard. Fire protection generally consists of fireproofing, water systems and detection systems. The fire protection community is slowly using performance based criteria in determining appropriate fire protection. Performance based criteria using the latest modeling programs to assess the hazards of fires and explosions on the offshore installation. Based on the results of these studies, the fire protection engineer can then determine the appropriate fire protection required for the hazard. This paper addresses the use of performance based standards for fire protection in the process industry.Item Understanding the Formation of Heat Transfer Fluid Aerosols in Air(Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center, 2001) Krishna, Kiran; Kim, T-K; Kihn, K.; Rogers, W.J.; Mannan, M.S.Mist or aerosol explosions present a serious hazard to process industries. Heat transfer fluids are widely used in the chemical process industry, are flammable above their flash points, and can cause explosions. Though the possibility of aerosol explosions has been widely documented, knowledge about the explosive potential of such aerosols is limited. Studying the formation of such aerosols by emulating leaks in process equipment will help define a source term for aerosol dispersions and aid in characterizing their explosion hazards. Current research by the Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center involves the non-intrusive measurement of such aerosol sprays using a Malvern Instrument Diffraction Particle Analyzer. Predictive models relating the aerosol formation distances, aerosol droplet sizes, and volume concentrations to bulk liquid pressures, temperatures, fluid properties, leak sizes and ambient conditions are developed. These models will be used to predict the conditions under which leaks will result in the formation of aerosols and ultimately help in estimating the explosion hazards of heat transfer fluid aerosols. Important information can be gleaned about the effects of various fluid properties on aerosol formation behavior. The goal is to provide information that will help improve process safety in industry.Item The Use of Aerosol Formation, Flammability, and Explosion Information for Heat Transfer Fluid Selection(Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center, 2002) Krishna, Kiran; Rogers, William J.; Mannan. M. SamThe devastating consequences of aerosol/mist explosions have been widely documented, and there are currently efforts to understand the mechanisms of the formation and explosion of such aerosols. Heat transfer fluids are particularly susceptible to these hazards, because they are utilized under high pressures and below their flash points, making them more prone to leaking as aerosols. However, there is a critical need during design stages for a perception of explosion risks associated with the selection of heat transfer fluids. This paper discusses a novel scheme to integrate the knowledge of heat-transfer fluid aerosol formation from leaks in process equipment into the selection of heat transfer fluids during the design process.Item From Experimental Data Via Kinetic Model to Predicting Reactivity and Assessing Reaction Hazards(Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center, 2001) Kossoy, Arcady; Benin, A.; ChenInform St-Petersberg - CISP Ltd. RussiaThere is no other way to get original data regarding chemical reaction but experimental study. What kind of experimental technique to use depends on the aim of a study. Nevertheless, there is one almost universal method that is particularly applicable in such areas as predicting reactivity, assessment of reaction hazards, thermal stability of chemicals, etc. This is calorimetry of various types (DSC, isothermal, reaction, adiabatic etc.). Very often calorimetry is used for direct experimental determination of necessary characteristics. At the same time, introduction of mathematical simulation can provide obtaining much more versatile and reliable results in combination with more complete use of information contained in experimental data. The approach to investigating chemical reaction and predicting its behavior under various conditions, which systematically uses kinetics-based simulation, is the subject of the paper. At first, several examples are shown that demonstrate efficiency of the approach. The following cases are discussed: • Predicting adiabatic course of a reaction using DSC and adiabatic data • Analyzing thermal stability of a product, influence of product's composition and presence of contaminants • Determining reactivity rating number of a chemical product • Determining critical parameters of thermal explosion • Simulating runaway in a BATCH and vent sizing • Designing an inherently safer process All these examples are based on real experimental data and regard some typical practical problems. Then the general scheme of the simulation-based approach is discussed which consists of three basic steps: • Carrying out the necessary set of calorimetric experiments and proper processing of data for kinetics evaluation; • Creating the mathematical model of a reaction- evaluating kinetics; • Solving practical problem using mathematical (numerical) simulation. The main merits of the approach are as follows • possibility to apply more adequate complex mathematical models of processes; • possibility to simulate and analyze various scenarios of process proceeding; • possibility to model thermal explosions and runaways without essential simplifications; • principal solution of the scale-up problem. Some problems dealing with practical application of the proposed method are examined. In conclusion, the composition of a problem-oriented software series is discussed that simplifies introduction of simulation-based methods into research practice. The programs of this series form three groups intended for initial processing of calorimetric data, creation of mathematical model of a reaction, and for simulation of processes' proceeding.Item Study on Risk Evaluation of Hydroxylamine/water Solution(Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center, 2001) Koseki, Hiroshi; Iwata, Y.; Hasegawa, K.; Akhmestshin, Yu.; National Research Institude of Fire and DisasterIn order to find the cause of explosive fire which occurred in Japan in June 2000[ 1 ]?the decomposition hazards of hydroxylamine(HA) solution were studied experimentally. The thermal decomposition of HA solution was evaluated from calorimetric data obtained using deferential thermal analysis (DTA). The magnitude of the intensity of decomposition was investigated on the basis of the results of the mini closed pressure vessel test (MCPVT) and the pressure vessel test (PVT), the steel tube test and the burning test of HA. The thermal analysis was conducted to evaluate the ease of thermal decomposition of the HA solution. The heating onset temperatures using the stainless steel cells were reduced more than 70 ?C compared with those measured using the gold-coated stainless steel cells. Therefore the heating onset temperature depended on the materials of sample cell. On the other hand, the heat of reaction did not depend on the materials of sample cell. The decomposition reaction of HA solution was enhanced due to the catalytic effect of iron ion came from the stainless steel surface. Burning test of mixture of HA and iron ion supported these data. Sudden fire was made when 85 % of HA and iron was mixed. These data were compared with APTAC data by Cisneros et al.[2] and it was found both data gave good agreement regarding the heating onset temperature. The MCPVT, the PVT and the steel tube test were conducted for the purpose of evaluating the magnitude of the intensity of the thermal decomposition when HA solution decomposed. The intensity of the thermal decomposition of HA increased when the HA concentration reached 70 %. In addition, HA 85 % solution was easily detonated by a small detonator.Item IMPROVING SAFETY PERFORMANCE IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM AND THE ROLE OF UNIVERSITIES(Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center, 2000) Kletz, Trevor; Loughborough UniversityAlthough the safety record of the process industries is good, almost all the accidents that occur need not have occurred. Often, after an accident or near-miss, we neglect opportunities to learn and remember: • Accident reports identify only a single cause. • They are often superficial, dealing only with the immediate causes. We should also look for ways of avoiding the hazards, such as inherently safer design, and for weaknesses in the management system. • They often list human error as a cause without saying what sort of error. Yet different actions are needed to prevent those due to ignorance, those due to slips or lapses of attention and those due to non-compliance. • They often list causes we can do little about. • We do not allow others to learn as much as they could from our experiences. • We forget the lessons learned and the accident happens again. We need better training, by describing accidents first rather than principles, as accidents grab our attention, and we need discussion rather that lecturing, so that more is remembered. We need databases that can present relevant information without the user having to ask for it. Some actions that universities might take are discussed.Item Process Safety Documentation" The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly(Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center, 2001) Knack, Rick; Brown, Michelle L.; Knack Associates, Inc.; EHS ManagerWe all pay lip service to the need for good process safety documentation. PHAs are required to be kept for the life of the process and must be readable by the next team in five years. Process safety information provides the anchor on which our processes are based. Management of change documentation is essential to understanding the technical bases of changes and ensuring that they are implemented correctly. There are multiple requirements for good mechanical integrity documentation. While we all recognize the need for good documentation, in many cases the documentation itself receives less attention than necessary. There are numerous reasons for this in budgetary, personnel, and time constraints. None-the-less, good documentation is a must. In this paper, the authors present examples of good and bad documentation. They describe why from safety and liability standpoints as well as legal requirements it is essential that all PSM documentation be maintained with high standards. Finally, they describe systems that can be implemented to ensure that high quality documentation is maintained and show how it can be done, if not without effort, at least in ways that are less onerous than some other methods currently in use.Item Use of Failure Rate Databases and Process Safety Performance Measurements to Improve Process Safety(Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center, 2002) Keren, N.; West, H. H.; Rogers, W. J.; Gupta, P. J.; Mannan, M. S.In this paper, a methodology is proposed to combine process safety performance measurements techniques, decision-making strategies, applications of private and generic databases, reliability calculations, and benchmarking to reduce risk and improve process safety. Increasing performance reliability can require extensive resources. The suggested methodology involves a gradual improvement process that promotes implementation and does not require continuous or complete verification.Item Integrating Ergonomics with Process-Engineering(Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center, 1999) Kerst, Josh; Humantech, Inc.Item Making Safety Second Nature(Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center, 1998) Kletz, Trevor A.From the 1960s onwards the chemical and oil industries developed and used a number of new safety techniques which, in time, became second nature to those who used them. They included the use of QRA for deciding priorities, Hazop and audits for identifying problems, inherently safer design for avoiding hazards, and more thorough investigation of incidents for identifying underlying causes. However, it has not yet become second nature to remember the accidents of the past and the actions needed to prevent them happening again.