Process Safety with Trish & Traci

In this year-end episode, hosts Trish Kerin and Traci Purdum welcome Hayley Little, a U.K.-based process safety engineer who tracks quarterly catastrophic incidents on LinkedIn. The discussion explores origin stories in process safety, the critical gap in fundamental safety knowledge outside petrochemical industries, and the alarming frequency of preventable incidents in lower-hazard sectors. They discuss innovative solutions including AI tools, virtual reality training and social media outreach to democratize process safety education. The conversation emphasizes the urgent need for better university training, field presence over desk work and human factors integration to make it easier to "accidentally get it right."

Trish Kerin, director of Lead Like Kerin and a columnist for Chemical Processing, shares insights from her book, The Platypus Philosophy. She explains how weak signals can predict industrial incidents, challenging the idea of unforeseen events. Using the platypus as a metaphor, she illustrates how partial sightings can reveal hidden hazards. Trish's engaging storytelling highlights the importance of early signal recognition and offers practical tips for applying these concepts in safety practices. Tune in for a unique blend of biology and process safety wisdom!

The Buncefield explosion occurred when a gasoline storage tank overfilled after both its level gauge and independent high-level switch failed. Gasoline vapor formed a massive cloud that ignited, causing significant damage to surrounding business parks. Fortunately, the Sunday morning timing prevented fatalities, though 43 injuries occurred. The incident revealed critical gaps in safety control verification, testing procedures, and maintenance regimes. Twenty years later, the disaster emphasizes the importance of recognizing weak signals, maintaining bund integrity, and ensuring operators actively monitor tank filling operations rather than relying solely on automated systems.

In this episode, Trish Kerin reads her most recent column, which highlights the importance of immediate communication in safety situations, even when complete information isn't yet available to share. You can read the column here.

Trevor Kletz transformed process safety with revolutionary HAZOP advocacy and intrinsic safety principles. His approach highlights the importance of learning from accidents and simplifying designs to avoid complexity. The hosts discuss how Kletz shifted the focus from blaming human error to creating resilient systems. They also dive into the significance of storytelling in organizational memory and encourage a return to basic design principles for safer outcomes. Kletz’s legacy continues to inspire safety practices and innovations.

When OSHA's Process Safety Management (PSM) standard took effect in 1992, it promised a new era of systematic hazard identification. Three decades later, process safety professionals are still witnessing the same critical oversights repeatedly compromising facility safety—oversights that have contributed to near misses, and far worse, major incidents. Editor-in-Chief Traci Purdum reads an article from Felicia Miller, senior principal engineer at ABSG Consulting and Darshankumar Lakhani, senior manager in engineering at ABSG. Original article: https://www.chemicalprocessing.com/safety-security/risk-assessment/article/55311485/hidden-hazards-10-common-pha-oversights

This episode explores the critical role of equipment reliability in chemical processing, focusing on three major incidents: Longford, BP Texas City and Buncefield. Trish highlights how faulty instrumentation, poor maintenance and overlooked management of change led to catastrophic failures, fatalities and environmental impacts. The discussion emphasizes safety-critical elements, maintenance KPIs and the importance of accurate instrumentation.

Workers who challenge flawed procedures can improve safety and production. In this episode, Trish Kerin reads her latest column, which details how a trip to Tasmania with her sister turned getting lost into a process safety lesson of not blindly following procedures.  Enjoy as our favorite Australian safety guru guides you through the Bass Strait to Cataract Gorge.

Join Alex Fernando, a strategy and risk expert with a wealth of experience in high-risk industries, and Warren Smith, a data science pro focused on organizational development, as they dive into eye-opening insights from analyzing over 10,000 incidents. They reveal how misclassifying serious incidents can hinder safety learning. The conversation highlights the urgent need for a cultural shift in leadership, urging a focus on why procedures aren't followed rather than blaming individuals. They also stress the importance of aligning safety practices with real-world challenges faced by workers.

Dive into the critical world of permit-to-work systems and their role in safe equipment handling. Discover the chilling lessons from the Piper Alpha disaster, revealing key failures that led to 167 fatalities. The discussion emphasizes the importance of clear communication, documentation, and compliance in preventing catastrophic accidents. Humorous anecdotes from the hosts about their travels add a light touch, while the serious focus on safety management keeps the conversation engaging and essential.