In This Edition: (Click on Bullet to Jump to Story)

  EPA News:  EPA Cites Four Refineries for violations to Clean Air Act

  OSHA News:  OSHA to Focus on High Hazard Jobs in 2002

  CEPPO News:  Power Failure Safety Alert available from CEPPO

   Industry Focus:   
          1.  PSM Interpretations - Interfacing Utility Systems

  Resources:  
           1.   AcuSafe Announces New Partnership With CCPS
           2.   Call for Papers: 2003 Loss Prevention Symposium from NFPA/AIChE

  Security Update:  
           1.   Security Update Part 1: Are you prepared to be prepared?

  Incident News:  
           1.   Monthly Summary of Incidents, December 5, 2001 - January 20, 2002

  Events Update:  
           1.    NFPA 36th Loss Prevention Symposium, March 10-13, 2002
           2.    AIChE 2002 Spring National Meeting, March 10-14, 2002
           3.    International Institute for Ammonia Refrigeration Annual Conference, March 17-20, 2002

   Other ATI Offers New Course in Crisis Management & Plant Security!   

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EPA Cites Four Refineries for violations to Clean Air Act
On December 21, 2001 EPA issued notices of violation to four refineries owned by Sunoco and ExxonMobil for various violations of the Clean Air Act. Charges alleged at Sunoco include violations of the Clean Air Act's Prevention of Significant Deterioration Rules, New Source Performance Standards, National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for benzene waste, and other requirements of the Act related to the control of emissions at refineries in Marcus Hook and Philadelphia, Pa., and Toledo, Ohio. The notices of violation issued to ExxonMobil are for alleged violations of Prevention of Significant Deterioration Rules at the company's Beaumont, Texas, refinery and of New Source Performance Standards and Leak Detection and Repair Rules at the company's Chalmette, La., refinery. 

Full Text of EPA's press release can be found on EPA's website by clicking here.

OSHA to Focus Inspection Efforts on High Hazard Jobs, Non-English Speaking Employees 
In a January 17 press release OSHA announced that they are increasing the overall number of workplace inspections slightly over 2001 with more inspections targeting workplaces where injury and illness rates are the highest. From the official press release, "Our combined activities to protect workers' safety and health are all built on the foundation of a strong, fair and effective enforcement program," said Assistant Secretary of Labor Henshaw. "Our safety education programs, innovative compliance assistance and expanded safety and health partnerships all work together with strong enforcement to protect workers' lives and health. OSHA needs to keep helping the majority of employers who want to do the right thing, but we also must aggressively pursue the 'bad actors'." OSHA also plans to focus on industries where non-English speaking workers are at greatest risk, such as construction.

For full text of the release, please go to the OSHA website at: http://www.osha.gov/media/oshnews/jan02/national-20020117.html

"Chemical Accidents from Electric Power Outages" available from CEPPO Website
CEPPO has made available a Safety Alert regarding electric power failures. Electric power outages are often caused by lightning, high wind or ice storms, as well as accidents at power plants or transmission lines. Hot weather power demands could trigger rolling blackouts. Power failures are likely reasons for process upsets and unplanned shutdowns. 

Find details about this Safety Alert from the AcuSafe at: http://www.acusafe/Guidance/US-EPA/ceppo_powerfailure.pdf 

PSM Interpretations - Interfacing Utility Systems
AcuSafe presents the fourth installment in a series of feature articles entitled "PSM Interpretations."  In this edition of AcuSafe News, we present a summary of interpretations about how utility systems should be addressed in a facility's process safety management program.  View this featured article at http://www.acusafe.com/Newsletter/Stories/0102NewsPart4Interpretations.htm.

AcuSafe Announces New Partnership With the Center for Chemical Process Safety 
AcuSafe is proud to announce a new partnership with the Center for Chemical Process Safety, an Industrial Alliance f the American Institute for Chemical Engineers.  This partnership will allow CCPS more direct opportunities to reach AcuSafe's dedicated risk management and process safety professionals.  Stay tuned for more information from CCPS in future editions and on the AcuSafe website!  News will include new AIChE and CCPS publications, safety alerts, and conference announcements.  

Go to AcuSafe to check for further updates: http://www.acusafe.com or go to the CCPS website at http://www.aiche.org/ccps. 

Call for Papers: 2003 AIChE Loss Prevention Symposium 
The Loss Prevention Symposium, organized by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Safety and Health Division, has been held annually since 1967. The objective of the symposium is to promote safety in the chemical process and allied industries by providing a forum for practitioners from industry, academia and government to share experiences, technological advances and new ideas. The 37th Annual Loss Prevention Symposium will be held at the AIChE Spring National Meeting in New Orleans, LA on March 31-April 2, 2003. The session topics are described in the Call for Papers that can be accessed at http://www.aiche.org. The submission deadline is June 1, 2002. 

If you have any questions or want further information about the Symposium, please contact John Murphy at john.murphy@csb.gov or 202-261-7600.

Security Update Part 1: Are You Prepared to be Prepared?
The world of safety and security in chemical process safety has certainly changed since September 11th, but the biggest challenges may be yet to come. What is this new risk management dilemma for chemical security, and what can we anticipate will occur in the future to deal with it? Are you ready to manage the new chemical security responsibilities and to exceed the expectations of the public and regulators? Are you prepared to deal with this new risk in a prudent and timely manner?   In Part 1 of a three part series, AcuSafe explores these questions and provides guidance for these questions and more.

Go to AcuSafe to view this feature story: http://www.acusafe.com/Newsletter/Stories/0102NewsPart1Security.htm. 

Monthly Summary of Incidents, December 5, 2001 - January 20, 2002
We collect stories about major spills and releases from around the globe. This month's installment summarizes a total of 21 incidents brought to our attention between December 5, 2001 and January 20, 2002. Most of the incidents covered have caused significant injury, deaths, or major property damage. Accidents in China, the United Kingdom, Australia, Peru, Nigeria, Columbia, and the U.S. are represented.  We welcome input to this effort by submitting summaries of other notable events to editor@acusafe.com.

AIChE 2002 Spring National Meeting, March 10-14, 2002, New Orleans, LA.
This year's AIChE National meeting is to be held at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.  New this year, AIChE is presenting a  three-day symposium to foster significant discussion with divergent viewpoints on critical issues such as the future of nuclear power, alternative energy, and global climate change.  For full program and registration information, visit http://www.aiche.org/conferences/spring/

International Institute for Ammonia Refrigeration Annual Conference, March 17-20, 2002, Kansas City, MO.
This Conference, focusing on the ammonia refrigeration industry, will be held in Kansas City in 2002.   For full program and registration information, visit http://www.iiar.org/ac2002/acindex.cfm

The 2-day course provides a thorough overview of crisis and emergency planning related to large-scale releases of
chemicals from process facilities. Among the topics covered include: current federal laws and regulations related to crisis management planning, overview of the proposed Chemical Security Act, how to conduct a plant security hazard assessment, development of crisis management and emergency response plans, emergency training, public relations, media issues, risk communications during emergencies and plant security issues at process facilities. Participants will develop the knowledge to develop and implement such programs at their own facilities. Attendance would benefit environmental and safety professionals, plant managers, operations and maintenance managers/supervisors, emergency response personnel and RMP coordinators. Best practices, garnered from actual successful programs, will be highlighted.

For pricing information, course descriptions, a course schedule, and biographies of AcuTech course instructors, please read our full brochure at http://www.acutech-consulting.com/training/ATI_2002FullSchedule.PDF.