Recognizing catastrophic incident warning signs in the process industries

This book provides guidance on characterizing, recognizing, and responding to warning signs to help avoid process incidents and injuries before they occur. The guidance can be used by both process safety management (PSM) professionals in evaluating their processes and PSM systems as well as for operators who are often the frontline defense against process incidents. Warning signs may consist of process deviations or upsets, instrumentation warnings or alarms, past operating history and incidents, observable problems such as corrosion or unusual odors, audit results indicating procedures are not being followed, or a number of other indicators. Filled with photos and practical tips, this book will turn anyone in a process plant into a hazard lookout and will help prevent potential incidents before they turn into catastrophic events.

Author Notes

Since 1985, the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS) has been the world leader in developing and disseminating information on process safety management and technology. CCPS, an industry technology alliance of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), has published over eighty books in its process safety guidelines and process safety concepts series, and over a hundred training modules through its Safety in Chemical Engineering Education (SACHE) series.

List of Tables	p. xix
List of Figures	p. xxi
Files on the Web Accompanying This Book	p. xxii
Acknowledgements	p. xxv
Foreword	p. xxvii
Preface	p. xxix
1 Introduction	p. 1
1.1 Process safety management	p. 3
1.2 Normalization of deviance	p. 4
1.3 A strategy for response	p. 5
1.4 Maintaining organizational memory and a healthy sense of vulnerability	p. 7
1.5 Risk based process safety	p. 8
1.6 Our target audience	p. 11
1.7 How to use this book	p. 12
1.8 Case study - Toxic gas release in India	p. 13
2 Incident Mechanics	p. 17
2.1 Incidents do not just happen	p. 17
2.2 Incident models	p. 17
2.3 Case study - Benzene plant explosion in China	p. 27
3 Leadership and Culture	p. 29
3.1 How does leadership affect culture?	p. 29
3.2 The leadership and culture related warning signs	p. 32
3.3 Case study - Challenger space shuttle explosion in the US	p. 46
4 Training and Competency	p. 49
4.1 What is effective training and how is competency measured?	p. 49
4.2 The training and competency related warning signs	p. 51
4.3 Case study - Gas plant vapor cloud explosion in Australia	p. 62
5 Process Safety information	p. 65
5.1 Critical information to identify hazards and manage risk	p. 65
5.2 The process safety information related warning signs	p. 66
5.3 Case study - Batch still fire and explosion in the UK
6 Procedures	p. 79
6.1 Safe and consistent operation	p. 79
6.2 The procedure related warning signs	p. 81
6.3 Case study - Nuclear plant meltdown and explosion in the Ukraine	p. 95
7 Asset Integrity	p. 97
7.1 Systematic implementation	p. 97
7.2 The asset integrity related warning signs	p. 99
7.3 Case study - Refinery naphtha fire in the US	p. 114
8 Analyzing Risk and Managing Change	p. 177
8.1 Risk management	p. 117
8.2 The risk analysis and management of change related warning signs	p. 121
8.3 Case study - Cyclohexane explosion in the UK
9 Audits	p. 139
9.1 Audits support operational excellence	p. 139
9.2 The audit related warning signs	p. 141
9.3 Case study - Chemical warehouse fire in the UK
10 Learning From Experience	p. 149
10.1 Methods for continuous improvement	p. 149
10.2 The learning from experience warning signs	p. 151
10.3 Case study - Space shuttle Columbia incident in the US	p. 159
11 Physical Warning Signs	p. 163
11.1 The everyday things matter	p. 163
11.2 The physical warning signs	p. 164
11.3 Case study - Resin plant dust explosion in the US	p. 172
12 A Call to Action	p. 175
12.1 Actions you can take now for each warning sign	p. 176
12.2 A simple plan to consider for rigorous implementation and follow-up	p. 177
12.3 Actions to consider	p. 180
12.4 Summary	p. 183
Appendix A Incident Warning Sign Self Assessment Tool	p. 187
Appendix B Composite List of Catastrophic Incident Warning Signs	p. 199
References & Selected Regulations	p. 205
Acronyms and Abbreviations	p. 213
Glossary	p. 215
Index	p. 221

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Table of Contents