Operator Errors: Are They Really Design Errors?

“To err is human, to forgive, divine.”  — Alexander Pope I was in a PHA once where the lone operator on the PHA team finally grew weary of the discussion of operator error.  “Why is it that when you engineers make a mistake, you call it design error, but when I make a mistake, you [...]

Tribal Knowledge: Documentation Is Key

“It is beyond a doubt that all our knowledge begins with experience.”- Immanuel Kant In the hustle and bustle of our modern world, we take shortcuts to save time with minimal risks. Look at how we consume entertainment.  The NFL Red Zone is popular since it gives fans a continual highlight reel of their favorite [...]

By |2025-01-16T15:48:34-06:00January 21st, 2021|Procedures, Process Safety, Process Safety Management, Training|Comments Off on Tribal Knowledge: Documentation Is Key

PSSRs: Commissioning on Steroids?

“Ideas are commodity. Execution of them is not.”  — Michael Dell I’ve always believed that a poor plant design, brilliantly operated and maintained, is far safer than a brilliant plant design, poorly operated and maintained. A pre-startup safety review (PSSR) is OSHA’s way of starting a facility down the path toward brilliant operation and maintenance. [...]

By |2025-01-16T15:51:06-06:00January 14th, 2021|Procedures, Process Safety, Process Safety Management|Comments Off on PSSRs: Commissioning on Steroids?

Pool Fires

“Build a man a fire, and he’ll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he’ll be warm for the rest of his life.”  — Terry Pratchett The most common fire in a process plant is a pool fire. A pool of flammable liquid, something that exists normally or, more likely, something [...]

By |2025-01-16T15:51:47-06:00January 8th, 2021|Chemicals, Process Safety|Comments Off on Pool Fires

“Expanded” PSM Coverage: What Has Changed?

“I don’t believe in life after death. But I do believe in some grinding destiny that watches over us on earth. If I didn’t, the safety valve would fail and the boiler would explode.”  ‑ Hedy Lamarr, inventor and actor We’ve been blowing up boilers since the dawn of the industrial revolution. By now, you’d think [...]

By |2025-01-16T15:53:47-06:00December 17th, 2020|Chemicals, Current Events, Process Safety, Process Safety Management|Comments Off on “Expanded” PSM Coverage: What Has Changed?

Covid Fatigue? Give it a Rest

“As the pandemic drags on, following COVID-19 prevention guidelines can feel like more and more of a challenge.”  — Jay Maddock, Professor of Public Health Tired of the pandemic? Tired of social distancing, of wearing a mask, of avoiding crowds? Who’s not? Get over it. The Covid-19 pandemic has come roaring back in the United [...]

By |2025-01-17T09:28:22-06:00November 20th, 2020|Current Events, Process Safety|1 Comment

How Likely? Your Guess is As Good As…

“For what it's worth, a good streak doesn't jinx you, and a bad one, unfortunately, does not mean better luck is in store.”  — Leonard Mlodinow When someone tells you that they took a calculated risk, they almost certainly are not speaking the truth, to you or to themselves. That’s because there were almost certainly [...]

By |2025-01-17T09:31:35-06:00November 5th, 2020|Process Safety, Risk Assessment|1 Comment

Frozen Pipes? Cold is Not the Cause

“It’s not the fall that kills you; it’s the sudden stop at the end.”  — Douglas Adams It is October and cold weather is bearing down on us.  Some places have already experienced freezing temperatures, and for most of the rest of the northern hemisphere, it is coming soon. Which means that it is time [...]

By |2025-01-17T09:33:53-06:00October 1st, 2020|Current Events, PHA, Procedures, Process Safety|1 Comment

Your Plant on Nextdoor

“Where our memories fade, the Internet never forgets. At the drop of a hat, friends, family members, acquaintances, and even strangers can call up these records, and worse, they can use them against us.”  — May Crockett Nextdoor, the “hyperlocal social networking service for neighborhoods” has been abuzz in my neighborhood for the past few [...]

By |2024-02-08T12:34:24-06:00September 24th, 2020|Process Safety|Comments Off on Your Plant on Nextdoor

Millennial Engineers: Challenging Stereotypes and Realizing Value

“We are here to build the house.”  — Cheryl Strayed Millennials have garnered a bad reputation. So much so that the word “millennial”, itself, is often intended as an insult.  How one generation has become the target of so much criticism and negativity is a mystery.  Millennials are no different than every other generation – [...]

By |2025-01-17T09:40:17-06:00September 3rd, 2020|Chemicals, Current Events, Process Safety|Comments Off on Millennial Engineers: Challenging Stereotypes and Realizing Value
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