Process Safety with Trish & Traci

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 

The standard's industry-agnostic approach, its potential to influence global PSM practices and its role in setting benchmarks for organizations not covered by traditional legislation will impact safety practices worldwide.

In this episode, Trish & Traci discuss the Canadian Process Safety Management (PSM) standard CSA Z767, the world's first national PSM standard. Adrian Pierorazio and Parnian Jadidian — part of the team that crafted the standard — explain its development, starting as a guideline and evolving into a national standard to provide a unified framework for PSM across various industries in Canada. The standard was updated in 2024 to incorporate industry feedback and expand key sections.

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 

Control system failures, alarm floods, maintenance issues and emergency response factored into this non-deadly incident.

In this guest podcast episode from our sister publication Processing, Senior Editor Nate Todd interviews Chris Cloney of Dust Safety Science. In this episode, we discover that awareness of dust hazards varies globally, often spiking after major incidents but waning over time. The company tracks dust-related incidents annually, noting significant events like the 2023 grain silo explosion in Brazil. Common hazards involve grain, wood and metal dusts, with equipment like dust collectors and silos frequently implicated. Emerging industries like 3D printing and robotics present new challenges. Dust Safety Science emphasizes ongoing education and risk assessment to prevent future incidents.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board identified five issues with the 2019 Philadelphia Energy Solutions Refinery fire and explosion: mechanical integrity, outdated equipment, lack of remote emergency isolation valves, safeguard reliability and the need for inherently safer design.

https://www.chemicalprocessing.com/podcast/process-safety-with-trish-and-traci

Understanding the two kinds of change, deliberate and creeping, will aid you in keeping your facility a safe place to work.

As we look back 50 years, we can see both deliberate and creeping change played significant roles in the catastrophic explosion and fire that tore through the Nypro plant in Flixborough, U.K., resulting in the tragic loss of 28 lives and leaving 89 others injured.

The Flixborough disaster in 1974 resulted in 28 fatalities and significant damage, leading to the introduction of management of change processes, improved asset integrity practices, emphasis on competency management, and enhanced control room safety measures. This landmark incident highlighted the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration and continues to serve as a lesson in process safety.

Time is critical when tracking down hazardous substances. Whether it’s trying to mitigate safety incidents before they happen or being able to tap all the pertinent information during an emergency involving a chemical spill, fire or natural disaster, having an efficient way to trace every ingredient is paramount.

This crossover episode first appeared in our Distilled podcast series.