Process Safety Management is the system that controls the risks associated with production processes. It seeks to minimize the risks associated with each process step and identify potential hazards before they occur. A process safety management system looks at every aspect of the production process, from raw materials to final products. It also considers the role of chemical safety training for chemical process employees. This article will provide an overview of process safety management. You will also learn about the Swiss cheese model, a useful tool in reducing risk.
Process safety management
If your company uses highly hazardous chemicals in its manufacturing processes, you should use Process Safety Management (PSM) to keep your workers safe and the public healthy. Non-compliance with the PSM program can have serious financial and legal consequences. The PSM program requires companies to follow guidelines and standards to ensure a safe working environment. Fortunately, these guidelines and standards are easy to follow and can be applied at almost any company. Below are some of the most common benefits of PSM.
As a general rule, process safety management should be implemented before the first batch of chemicals are produced. Many companies aren’t prepared for the rigors of implementing PSM. One example is the Phillips disaster in 1989. The spill caused 23 deaths and 132 injuries, resulting in nearly $700 million in property damage and an OSHA fine of $4 million. Fortunately, this incident could have been avoided by applying PSM.
Incorporating a learning process into process safety management is an important step in improving workplace safety. By analyzing and documenting actual incidents, local sites can improve their procedures and reduce the number of incidents. Ultimately, a comprehensive analysis of technological disasters creates a better sense of what individuals can do to prevent the same problems in the future. In this way, process safety management can help a business improve the quality of its products while reducing its costs.
Chemical accident risk control measures
Using chemical accident risk control measures is an essential part of process safety. The Energy Institute uses four pillars to define an effective system. These pillars include People, Plant and Process. Chemical process safety involves a system that keeps employees, equipment, and the environment safe. The pillars focus on risk identification and assessment and the application of control measures to prevent accidents. For example, Process Safety Leadership focuses on allocating resources and developing processes that are safe, while Process Safety Management focuses on the application of control measures.
Process Safety Management (PSM) is a disciplined approach to preventing unintended releases of hazardous chemicals, structural failure, and loss of stability. In fact, over 50 percent of fatalities in the chemical industry were caused by process accidents, and these accidents are preventable through proper management. Process safety management is a critical component of safety management in any industrial facility. Chemical accident risk control measures can prevent these events and increase employee productivity.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a process safety management standard for businesses that handle highly hazardous chemicals. These standards were created in response to the many deadly accidents involving highly hazardous chemicals. They were designed to minimize or eliminate the risk of these occurrences, but even with the best systems and procedures in place, process safety still faces risks. One recent fatality involved a process with PSM-regulated materials.
Swiss cheese model
The Swiss cheese model is an important tool for the analysis of process safety incidents and medical errors. The model is based on a theory that latent errors are antecedents of the trajectory of an accident. It also assumes that each of the layers of protection provides reliable indications of the action required, but there are holes in each layer. For example, the Swiss cheese model predicts that a surgeon performing the wrong-site operation is more likely to be on the wrong side of the hole than to perform surgery on the correct side of the body.
The Swiss Cheese model was originally proposed by James T. Reason in his book Human Error. The model identifies five categories of accidents and compares them to slices of Swiss Cheese. The slices are arranged vertically and parallel to one another, but there are gaps between them. The Swiss cheese model identifies the underlying causes of accidents and shows how they are mitigated. It can also help organizations determine where to focus their efforts for process safety improvement.
The Swiss cheese model is a risk assessment model that helps companies understand how to prevent accidents. It explains that there are multiple layers of defense between hazards and accidents and that a single point of failure can lead to serious consequences. The Swiss cheese model makes this concept even more relevant. Because accidents are often the result of many different factors, the Swiss cheese model helps organizations evaluate the risks associated with each component. The model shows how the different layers of defenses can contribute to a failure, and how they can be mitigated.
Training for chemical process employees
To ensure the safety of employees, employers must offer comprehensive training on all processes and chemicals. Chemical process employees must receive training on the hazards and emergency procedures of their particular processes. Refresher training is also required, typically every three years or so, and should be determined in consultation with employees. Afterward, employers must keep records of the training that employees receive and must use an objective method of verifying employee understanding. To achieve this, the employer must develop a training program tailored to the needs of its employees.
The Hazard Communication Standard (HCAS) outlines the information that workers should receive when they are working around hazardous chemicals. Typically, training will cover the physical and health risks of chemicals, appropriate work practices and personal protective equipment, emergency procedures, and the safe use of SDSs. It is important that all employees participate in Hazard Communication training, whether through an online course or in-person training. In addition, employees must attend a mandatory training session in Hazard Communication as part of their regular workplace safety training.
During this training, employees must also become familiar with emergency response protocols, fire protection, and evacuation procedures. In addition, workers may need emergency breathing apparatus, or responsibilities to shut down equipment and machinery in the event of a fire. This training also covers exposure hazards, immediate health threats, emergency evacuation, and routine work authorization activities. Hands-on training should be used whenever possible. Ultimately, safety training can help prevent accidents and minimize costs.
PHAs
A PHA for process safety is a risk assessment that is a critical part of a process’s overall risk management. A PHA is not intended to label a process as “safe” or “unsafe,” but to detect situations in which additional protection is required. Using a PHA can trigger improvements that will protect the process from potential hazards. To ensure that PHAs are effective, they should be created by a process safety governing body.
In the US, the OSHA and EPA have both adopted PHAs as a critical part of their risk management standards. The EPA’s Risk Management Plan requires that process companies conduct a PHA. It’s also good engineering practice. Here are some of the benefits of a PHA:
First, determine the scope and technique of your process. Once you have identified the hazards and the safe guards you need to implement, you can build the PHA team. The team must include operators or other subject matter experts who understand the process. Secondly, the team should have a business team leader and an appropriate SharePoint site. Once the team is assembled, the PHA team can begin conducting the study. Then, they must complete the documentation, review action items, and submit the PHA to the US process safety governing body for approval.
A PHA for process safety is an important step in improving your operations and preventing serious incidents. A good PHA will be comprehensive and prevent resources from being wasted. The DEKRA team has experienced experts in the different PHA methodologies, including What-if studies, Hazard and Operability Studies, and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA). Because there are so many PHA methods, it’s important to choose the right one for your needs.
Rapid response times
When determining the importance of response times in a process safety management system, a team should consider the time it takes to detect a problem, decide on an appropriate response, and carry out that action. The response time should be explicit, i.e., when the problem first begins, and the amount of time it takes to implement that response. IPL is not the same as the IPL because human response is not a valid metric for this aspect.
The process safety time is defined by the Center for Chemical Process Safety. In addition to emergency power, safety systems should have redundant power. A back-up generator should be available in case of a power outage. A pressure relief device is an additional safety measure to prevent overpressure in case of a ruptured tube or hose. In addition, a back-up generator should be located in the plant so that the process can be isolated in the event of a leak.
Moreover, operators play a crucial role in preventing or managing a process safety incident. These operators are required to react as soon as possible in the event of a critical incident or accident. The response time for these incidents must be sufficient for competent action to be taken. In addition, operators must be adequately skilled to perform their tasks within the time required for the emergency response. In other words, the goal of response time should be in the range of three to five minutes from the moment of notification.
