ABS Consulting articles

In the wake of recent tragic and highly publicized dust explosions, companies are asking, `Could that happen here?` and `What can I do to prevent such an incident at my facility?` One approach is to manage dust explosion hazards as though they were subject to OSHA’s Process Safety Management (PSM) requirements (29 CFR 1910.119), even though dust hazards often are not covered under this regulation.

The PSM rule’s 14 individual elements can be grouped into a three-step risk manageme

As introduced in part one, a key element of a successful mechanical integrity (MI) program is the equipment deficiency process that ensures deficient equipment conditions are identified in a timely manner and appropriately managed until they are corrected.

Part two discusses the common struggles related to managing deficiencies and how involving appropriate levels of management can provide practical solutions to address these struggles.

The Center for Chemical Process Safet

A key element of a successful mechanical integrity (MI) program is the equipment deficiency process. In addition to being a requirement and an MI emphasis area in many OSHA National Emphasis Program inspections, a facility’s equipment deficiency process is a vital management system for ensuring safe process operations. This process helps ensure that deficient equipment conditions are identified in a timely manner and appropriately managed until the deficient condition is corrected (e.g., desig

As companies continue to leverage their resources on an ever-wider range of products and services, the number of projects (and contractors) managed will drive the need for a standard approach to contractor selection. Although time is often spent reviewing contractor qualifications for accomplishing the job scope, employers sometimes pay little or no attention to the overall safety record of the contractor. Assuming that contractors understand the hazards they will be working around cannot only p

What is culture? Some companies wonder why they keep experiencing the same process safety problems. Others wonder why they have plateaued in process safety performance. Culture is KEY. It is the individual and organizational `DNA` that represents our tendency to want to do (1) the right thing (2) in the right way (3) at the right time, (4) ALL the time – even when no one is looking.

The safety culture that exists in a plant or company is the result of all the actions - and inactions - i

Many organizations struggle with implementation of an effective root cause analysis (RCA) program. In working with hundreds of organizations to develop and implement RCA programs, we have noted a few common threads that seem to emerge regardless of the business type or size. Here are 10 keys to an effective RCA program:

1. Think long term — Most organizations focus on the short-term because of immediate financial pressures and the push to resume production. However, this near-sighte

Bow-tie diagrams are a pictorial display of the relationship between the various components that result from what is commonly termed the Hazard and Effects Management Process. The diagrams depict the relationship between hazards, threats, barriers, escalation factors, consequences and controls in the form of a qualitative risk assessment. With their roots well established within the traditional high hazard oil, gas and petrochemical industries, the concept is increasingly being adopted by other

Independent integrity verification of safety critical elements is undergoing a steep change. The regime, once restricted to the United Kingdom North Sea, has undergone a significant expansion and development to wider markets and a variety of legislative frameworks.

Originally tracing its development from the Piper Alpha accident in the United Kingdom North Sea in 1988 and via the “Cullen Inquiry Report,” to Health and Safety Executive legislation, the process of technical integrity a

Recognize any of these names: Royal Dutch Shell, Shell International BV, ExxonMobil, Suncor, Total SA, Chevron Corp., BP, Hess Corp.? These organizations have produced nonfinancial reports describing their contribution toward a sustainable future. Their strategies and business plans are connected to the tenets of sustainability and focus on the “triple bottom line,” seeking outcomes that are socially and environmentally responsible as well as economically sustainable.

What is sustaina

As reported in a previous article (“The NEP may prove costly to process safety,” BIC magazine, August 2007), OSHA published a refinery National Emphasis Program (NEP) under compliance directive CPL 03-00-004 in June 2007, and began inspections. As of mid-April, a compilation of industry data showed seven NEP inspections complete with citations issued, two more complete and waiting on citations and 13 under way. It also showed two state NEP inspections.

According to the data, the