Process Safety Management for Bioethanol | AIChE

Process Safety Management for Bioethanol

Process safety management is one of the most frequently cited hazards at ethanol plants by OSHA. In this online course, you’ll learn how to improve your process safety and avoid the unexpected release of toxic, reactive, or flammable liquids or gases in your processes involving highly hazardous chemicals. You’ll gain a valuable overview of the standards and regulations impacting you as a bioethanol producer. You’ll identify the components of a successful process safety program and how to implement them— including process hazard analysis, standard operating procedures, safe work practices, mechanical integrity, management of change, auditing process safety systems and emergency response procedures. Throughout the course, you’ll tackle and solve a variety of issues and compliance challenges unique to the bioethanol environment. 

Topics include:

  • Lessons to be learned from the Barton Solvents explosion
  • Preventing fires in your ethanol plant
  • Understanding the flashpoint of ethanol
  • OSHA regulations impacting bioethanol producers
  • Protecting your plant from dust explosions
  • Staying on top of process safety with written checklists

This course may be taken as part of the AIChE Credential for Sustainability Professionals (ACSP). More info

Learning Outcomes:

  • Define the concepts of process hazard analysis including PHA regulatory requirements, chemicals, technology, equipment, team building and training, and human error

  • Discuss standard operating procedures including employee training requirements, ineffective start-up procedures, and inadequate shutdown procedures

  • Identify safe work practices including lock out/tag out, hot work permit, and permit-to-work system

  • Describe mechanical integrity and how it relates to new plants and equipment, testing and planned maintenance, training, and documentation

  • Define the concept of management of change and describe its impact on safety and health, modifying operating procedures, the necessary time period for change, and pre-startup safety review

  • Discuss auditing process safety systems including assembling an audit team, audit timing and scope, written audit protocol, conducting the audit, documentation, and compliance auditing requirements

  • Identify emergency response procedures – including minimum elements of an emergency action plan, emergency response equipment, fire extinguisher training, evacuation, shutdown, and rescue duties

Who Should Attend:

This course is designed for chemical engineers who work in the bioethanol industry and are responsible for, or involved in, process safety management. Whether you’re preparing to implement a process safety management program or wanting to improve your existing program, this course will provide tools, techniques, insight and regulatory guidance to ensure you’re in compliance and your plant is operated safely.

This course has been developed as an awareness training course by the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS), which is a Technology Alliance of AIChE, under a Susan Harwood Grant from OSHA. Its intent is to increase process safety awareness for those companies and individuals covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Please note that CCPS' Process Safety Management for Biodiesel and CCPS' Process Safety Management for Bioethanol courses contain content in common.  If you are taking both, you will see that the topics that are in common to both kinds of fuels are repeated.

  • Lecture 1: Overview of Process Safety for Bioethanol

  • Lecture 2: Compliance with Standards (Bioethanol)

  • Lecture 3: Process Hazard Analysis

  • Lecture 4: Standard Operating Procedures

  • Lecture 5: Safe Work Procedures

  • Lecture 6: Mechanical Integrity

  • Lecture 7: Management of Change

  • Lecture 8: Auditing Process Safety Systems

  • Lecture 9: Emergency Response Procedures

  • Final Exam

Find answers to questions about registration and refunds, tuition and fees, travel and lodging (for location-based courses), how eLearning courses work, how credits work, and more. 

Go to FAQs Page

  • Course ID:
    ELA124
  • Source:
    CCPS - Center for Chemical Process Safety
  • Language:
    English
  • Skill Level:
    Basic
  • Duration:
    5 hours
  • CEUs:
    0.50
  • PDHs:
    5.00
  • Accrediting Agencies:
    Florida
    New Jersey
    New York
    RCEP