Process Safety with Trish & Traci

The Bhopal tragedy of 1984 at a Union Carbide pesticide plant in India killed thousands of people. The incident resulted from multiple safety failures: contaminated methyl isocyanate (MIC) storage, disabled safety systems and poor plant management. It led to significant changes in process safety, including the development of OSHA's Process Safety Management standard, the Center for Chemical Process Safety, and international safety directives like the Seveso protocol. Chemical engineer Ramin Abhari has created graphic novels to communicate the lessons learned, emphasizing the importance of inherently safer design, proper management of change and maintaining critical safety systems during plant decommissioning.

In this episode, Trish and Traci discuss the 1984 Mexico City LPG disaster in Mexico, where a pipe burst at a Pemex facility. This led to a massive explosion equivalent to five Hiroshima bombs. A combination of factors, including poor management of change, inadequate fireproofing and proximity to residential areas, resulted in 500 deaths. Key lessons included the importance of proper land use planning, risk assessment and fire protection.

Chemical Processing recently hosted a webinar on the importance of process safety during transient operations. Normal operations include continuous and batch processes, while abnormal situations involve plant upsets or deviations from typical parameters. Loss of control can lead to unscheduled shutdowns, and emergency situations may require immediate action. For all scenarios, proper instrumentation, risk assessment and decision-making are critical.   Trish Kerin, director of the IChemE Safety Centre and co-host of the Process Safety with Trish & Traci podcast series, served as the subject matter expert and emphasized that process safety revolves around leadership, focusing on knowledge, engineering, systems and human factors.

Welcome to the In Case You Missed It edition of Process Safety with Trish and Traci -- the podcast that aims to share insights from past incidents to help avoid future events. I’m Traci Purdum, EIC of Chemical Processing. Please subscribe to this free podcast on your favorite platform to continue learning with Trish & me in this series. This In Case You Missed It episode brings the written word to life. Today, Trish Kerin, the director of IChemE Safety Centre, and Stay Safe columnist for Chemical Processing, will read her column “Knowledge Is Power – Or Is It?” "Knowledge is power" — a phrase commonly attributed to Francis Bacon's 1597 work Meditationes Sacrae — has endured for centuries, echoed by influential figures like Thomas Jefferson. However, this adage, while impactful, may only scratch the surface of a deeper truth. When it comes to process safety, we need people to understand a range of aspects, from the basis of design to the operating philosophy. In other words, we need them to have knowledge.  Written By: Trish Kerin Read By: Trish Kerin  Read Article HERE 

On the 35th anniversary of the deadly event we examine how routine maintenance can go horribly wrong.

Welcome to the In Case You Missed It edition of Process Safety with Trish and Traci -- the podcast that aims to share insights from past incidents to help avoid future events. I’m Traci Purdum, EIC of Chemical Processing. This In Case You Missed It episode brings the written word to life. Today, I will be reading a column by our editor at large Sean Ottewell “Safety Lessons from the Great Molasses Flood of 1919” -- Discover the catastrophic events of the Great Molasses Flood, where engineering failures led to a deadly wave of syrup in Boston’s North End. Written By: Seán Ottewell, editor-at-large Read By: Traci Purdum, editor-in-chief  Read Article HERE https://www.chemicalprocessing.com/voices/ottewell/article/55055791/safety-lessons-from-the-great-molasses-flood-of-1919

In this episode of Process Safety with Trish and Traci we interview Fiona Erskine, an engineer and crime novelist who has a passion for process safety. Fiona discusses balancing her engineering career with writing and how she uses her novels to educate readers about process safety and engineering concepts. Her Dr. Jaq Silver series combines thrilling plots with accurate technical details, making complex topics accessible to non-experts.

Our tendency to underestimate the likelihood of rare occurrences can lead us to dismiss the possibility of process safety incidents. This In Case You Missed It episode brings the written word to life. Today, Trish Kerin, the director of IChemE Safety Centre and Stay Safe columnist for Chemical Processing, will read her column “It’s Not Impossible That It’s Possible” Written By: Trish Kerin Read By: Trish Kerin  Read Article HERE

Adrian Pierorazio, a driving force behind Canada’s first national Process Safety Management standard CSA Z767, and Parnian Jadidian, also involved in its development, delve into groundbreaking safety protocols. They discuss the standard's industry-agnostic nature and its potential to reshape safety practices globally. Insights on its transformation from guidelines to an essential framework reveal its impact across various sectors. The conversation also emphasizes the importance of feedback in evolving these safety measures and fostering organizational accountability.

The plant floor at the West Pharmaceuticals facility in Kingston, N.C., was kept spotless to meet hygiene requirements. However, combustible polyethylene dust accumulated in the suspended ceiling. This led to a dust explosion on January 29, 2003, that killed six workers, injured 38, and destroyed the plant. The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) couldn’t identify the ignition source. As I noted in a previous column, the CSB blames dust explosions for numerous fatalities at many plants. Let’s get into how to identify the risks of dust fires and explosions. Written By: Dirk Willard Read By: Traci Purdum  Read Article HERE