Understand Hazard & Risk

With the increasing use of Layer of Protection Analysis as a semi-quantitative method of assessing process risk, LOPA practitioners are asked to assign credit to numerous safeguards including relief devices. Relief devices are only as strong as the initial design of the component and the systems...

Chlorinated hydrocarbons represent the precursors for products ranging from PVC and refrigerants to pharmaceuticals. Natural or manmade disruptions that affect the availability of these products nationally have the potential to affect a wide range of markets, from healthcare to construction. Sandia...

Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA) is a simplified chemical process risk assessment tool that is used to determine if sufficient independent protection layers are in place to meet an organization's risk tolerance criteria for a particular hazardous scenario. LOPA can determine how much additional...

LOPA, as a semi-quantitative analysis, often provides inconsistent results. This can be due to physical differences between units but often it is due to team's perceptual differences. Initiating event frequency evaluation using guidance tables is more consistent than consequence evaluation where...

Acetic acid is not a chemical covered by the OSHA PSM regulation, as its flash point is above the 100 F threshold for flammables; however, it is by no means a non-hazardous chemical. Eastman Chemical Company has a large number of processes containing acetic acid and related organic acids, and as a...

Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA) is a simplified risk assessment method that provides an order of magnitude estimate of the risk of a potential accident scenario. Humans can be the cause on an accident scenario (the Initiating Event [IE]) or human can serve as an independent protection layer (...

A method for assigning solid oxidizers and products containing oxidizers to an NFPA Class was developed. The method consists of two reaction-to-fire tests: a bench-scale screening test with thirty gram piles and an intermediate-scale fire exposure test with twenty four pounds of material in...

Reviews of process safety incidents and near misses provide valuable learning opportunities. Papers dealing with incidents, near misses, and the lessons learned are presented. Please Note : Case Histories and Lessons Learned -- Spring Meeting 2009 includes the following recorded presentations: ·...

Management of Change has long been recognized as a fundamental cornerstone of a process safety program. Through the years, most companies have evolved a mature system to manage technical changes -- equipment, materials, and technology -- in their facilities. In recent years, the effects of, and...

The Food and Consumer Products area has significant hazards and risks from dust and flammable liquid explosions as well as from toxic releases. Moreover, the Montreal Protocol for the removal of Ozone Depleting incudes papers on the identification, prevention, control, and management of hazards and...