Amplify Your Process Safety

On April 8, 2021, the CSB deployed to a fatal paint plant incident that took place at the Yenkin-Majestic Paints and OPC Polymers manufacturing site in Columbus, Ohio. The fire and explosion killed one employee and injured eight others. In this episode, Rob and Elena bring you the latest information about the incident, and offer a reminder about the role process safety plays in keeping the people who work in and around facilities that handle hazardous materials safe. For additional information, check out the resources we've gathered below. 

OSHA Inspection: 282228.015 - Yenkin-Majestic Paint Corporation

CSB News Release, 4/8/2021

CSB First Update, 4/9/2021

News Releases:

https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2021/04/08/columbus-ohio-paint-manufacturing-plant-explosion/7137210002/

https://www.10tv.com/article/news/local/cameras-capture-deadly-explosion-at-columbus-paint-plant/530-93c1b939-c5ba-48a7-bc54-020da0bc46b8

In this episode, Rob, John, and Elena talk PSM compliance audits in the age of COVID-19. They'll talk you through how remote compliance audits work from start to finish, pros and cons about the remote audit format, and how remote audits compare to in-person compliance audits. Whether you participate in audits as part of a company team, or perform audits yourself, this is the episode for you. 

In this episode, Rob sits down with experienced EH&S Director, Mike Burson, to talk safety culture. Rob and Mike cover the challenges when it comes to developing a safety culture at different levels of an organization, talk strategies to improve an organization's safety culture, share stories about their experiences and struggles, and more. 

In the age of COVID-19, many services moved online to be held remotely, and Process Hazard Analyses (PHAs) were no exception. In this episode, consultants Rob and Elena talk about what they've learned over the past year when it comes to remote PHAs, including what works best and what unique challenges you might be faced with. You'll learn how remote PHA prep looks different, our thoughts on using cameras, how best to virtually "manage" the room, tips for dealing with P&IDs and other needed documentation, how we handle breaks, field verification, and "zoom fatigue", and our thoughts on efficiency and scheduling when it comes to longer PHAs. Whether you participate in PHA studies as a facilitator or just a member of the team, you're sure to find value in this episode. 

To hear more from us on the topic of PHAs, check out Episode 2 (Intro to PHAs), Episode 12 (Risk Matrices), Episode 17 (Tips for a Successful PHA), Episode 19 (PHAs during the Project Life Cycle), or PSM: Back to Basics, Part 3 (Process Hazard Analysis).

Mathew Todaro of Verrill joins us again in this episode - this time to talk about environmental compliance audits. Mat, an attorney that specializes in enforcement defense, explains how EPA enforcement and emphasis of the RMP regulation has changed in recent years, and how you can best prepare your facility should you become the next site of an EPA investigation. Rob and Mat talk about how performing internal compliance audits more often than the 3-year frequency required by PSM and RMP can be a valuable tool, but also cover how to protect that information and how a lawyer might be used to assist in these endeavors. If you're interested in learning more about protecting your facility while also ensuring compliance and the safety of employees, the surrounding community, and the environment, then this is the episode for you. 

In this episode, Rob sits down with John, the newest member of the Amplify team. John talks about his career experience, what led him to his current role, successes and difficulties he's witnessed with PSM implementation, and why he feels so passionate about process safety.

In our very first Process Safety Incident Alert, Rob and John bring you the latest information about the fatal chemical release that occurred on January 28, 2021, at a food producer in Gainesville, Georgia. They also discuss another recent event involving liquid nitrogen in John's neck of the woods, talk about the industries and locations where liquid nitrogen incidents typically occur, and then provide listeners with a call to action: what can you do if you work at a facility that handles liquid nitrogen to prevent future incidents?

Read more from the CSB regarding this incident here, here, and here.

Read more about the incident in Kansas that John mentions here and here.

We're back with another episode of our PSM: Back to Basics miniseries, where we cover a PSM topic in a beginner-friendly manner for those newest to the process safety world. In this episode, Rob and Jo talk about what the PSM standard requires when it comes to Mechanical Integrity, the parallels between MI for a plant and maintenance on your car, how you might get started building your facility's MI program, and where you can go to learn more. 

Check out the  CCPS book on Guidelines for Asset Integrity Management.

Ready to learn more? Take a deeper dive and listen to Episode 1 - Intro to Mechanical Integrity (MI) and RAGAGEP. 

The world of process safety is STILL chock-full of acronyms. In part 1 of our beginner-friendly miniseries, PSM: Back to Basics, we tackled the essential acronyms that PSM newbies need to know, providing an explanation and context for each term. In this episode, Rob and Jo are back to cover even more acronyms: ALARP/ALARA, BPCS, BRM, CSO/CSC, DHA, EAP/ERP, ESD, FSS, IEL/IEF, IPL, ITPM, LEL, LOPC, MCE, NFPA, OEM, PFD, PRD, and PSV. 

Ready to learn more? Be sure to check out the previous four parts of the PSM: Back to Basics miniseries. 

In our last episode of 2020 Rob and Wesley talk quality assurance and quality control. Listen to learn what QA/QC means, what the PSM standard says, the importance of independent verification, and how things can go right (or very wrong) when it comes to QA/QC.