Volume 3, Issue 6, September 2001, Christian R. Youngerman, Editor

Welcome to AcuSafe News -- The electronic newsletter devoted to serving industry, government, and interested members of the public by providing  process safety practices, incident news, lessons learned, and regulatory developments. 

AcuSafe News is an extension of the AcuSafe website (http://www.acusafe.com/), the leading Internet resource for safety and risk management information, products, training, and professional exchange. We hope you visit the website and find AcuSafe News and the AcuSafe site to be valuable tools. AcuSafe.com and AcuSafe News are presented to you by AcuTech Consulting Group, a division of Chemetica, Inc. (http://www.acutech-consulting.com)  

 

In This Issue


  Special Feature  The Terrorist Attack on America

   EPA News:   EPA Releases Update to 1998 Ammonia Chemical Safety Alert


  OSHA News  Labor Secretary Chao Supports Putting Voluntary Protection Program into Law

  CSB News:  CSB Releases Safety Bulletin Targeting Change Management


   Industry Focus:   
          1.  OSHA's Facility Inspections and Citations Summarized
          2.  PSM Interpretations - Process Boundaries and Covered Utilities
  Resources:  
           1.   Process Safety Management Best Practices Seminar Papers Available
           2.   EPA Updates Local Emergency Planning Committee Database

  Incident News:  
           1.   Monthly Summary of Incidents, August 14 - September 13, 2001
         
  Events Update:  
           1.    AIChE 46th Annual Safety in Ammonia Plants & Related Facilities Symposium, POSTPONED
           2.    AIChE Center for Chemical Process Safety Conference, October 2-5, 2001

  Other AcuTech  Fall 2001 Training Offerings for Process Hazard Analysis and Process Safety Management   
  

Story Abstracts
AcuSafe Special Feature 
The Terrorist Attack on America
 With the abhorrent events of September 11, the world has been shocked by the magnitude, complexity, and viciousness of the attack. AcuTech Consulting Group's President, David A. Moore, has prepared a two part note about the events, entitled "The Terrorist Attack on America - What Can We Do to Help? How Can We Prevent Terrorist Impacts In Industries Handling Highly Hazardous Chemicals?"

Find this AcuSafe Special Feature located at (http://www.acusafe.com/Newsletter/Stories/0901NewsSpecialFeatureIntro.htm).

 
EPA News 
EPA Releases Update to 1998 Ammonia Chemical Safety Alert
 EPA released an update to the 1998 Ammonia Safety Alert. The Alert provides facilities using ammonia with a directive containing specific recommendations towards risk reduction, specific hazard examples, and lessons learned.  The Safety Alert can be used by any facility processing or storing ammonia, and specifically addresses many hazards and safe work practices common in the ammonia industry.

A copy of the updated Ammonia Safety Alert, courtesy of EPA, is available at AcuSafe (http://www.acusafe.com/Ammonia/AmmoniaHazardUpdate.pdf).

 
OSHA News
OSHA's Chao Supports Codifying VPP 
Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao has announced her support for legislation to codify OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) under the 1970 Occupational Safety and Health Act.  Included in Chao's comments were support for VPP participant's commitment to workplace safety and health and a mentoring program for new VPP candidates.  "VPP has earned a permanent place in OSHA's mandate," Chao announced to participants of the recent VPPPA Conference. "This is a leading example of how employers, employees and government can work together. Because, in the end, protecting employees is the work of us all."

To view the entire OSHA Press Release regarding Labor Secretary Chao's announcement, please go to http://www.osha.gov/media/oshnews/aug01/national-20010827.html.

 
Chemical Safety Board News
 CSB Releases Safety Bulletin Targeting Change Management 
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Accident Investigation Board (CSB) released a Safety Bulletin regarding change management.  The safety bulletin focuses on two case studies where insufficient management of change led to two major accidents, one at a major Northwest refinery and the other at an East Coast chemical plant.  For details about the incidents and contributing factors, please read the CSB Safety Bulletin at http://www.acusafe.com/news-stories/73.html.

 
Industry Focus

OSHA Citations Summarized
Ever wonder which PSM element is the most frequently cited in OSHA Citations? Which regions get cited with the most PSM citations? AcuSafe's Featured article of the month presents citation data summarized- by element and by region. Since the inception of the PSM Standard, OSHA has vigorously enforced the regulation.  Citations represent an importance source of guidance on the content and direction of PSM programs. View AcuSafe's featured article at http://www.acusafe.com/Newsletter/Stories/0901NewsPSMCitations.htm.

PSM Interpretations - Process Boundaries and Covered Utilities
AcuSafe presents its first in a series of feature articles entitled "PSM Interpretations."  In this series, selected OSHA interpretations will be presented to the AcuSafe reader.  The goal of the series is to bring to light interpretations made by OSHA which may impact a PSM facility- often the interpretations shed more light on grey areas not explicitly explained by the regulation.  In this edition of AcuSafe News, we outline interpretations pertaining to Process Boundaries, and the treatment of Utilities in PSM.

You can find this feature story at http://www.acusafe.com/Newsletter/Stories/0901NewsPart1Interpretations.htm

 

Resources

Process Safety Management Best Practices Seminar Papers Available 
The papers and proceedings from API's PSM Best Practices Seminar are now available online.  The seminar was a success; attendance was full and limited to 250 attendees.   The seminar took place in New Orleans on August 28-29, 2001, and was titled "Industry Workshop on Practical Application of Process Safety Management - Lessons Learned and Industry Best Practices." Areas of emphasis included performance of PSM Management Systems, Regulations and Enforcement, and Cost Effectiveness in PSM. 

The Conference Papers and proceedings can be found at http://www.acusafe.com/API_conference/API_index.html


EPA Updates Local Emergency Planning Committee Database
The EPA Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) Database has been updated to address corrections and changes submitted by LEPCs throughout the country.   The database allows users to search for their local LEPC by zip code, and lists other RMP facilities within an LEPC's jurisdiction.  Also available are zones of vulnerability for facilities within zip code.  The database is available at EPA's CEPPO Website at http://www.epa.gov/ceppo/lepclist.htm.

 

Incident News
Monthly Summary of Incidents, August 14, 2001 - September 13, 2001
We collect stories about major spills and releases from around the globe. This month's installment summarizes a total of 19 incidents brought to our attention between August 14, 2001 and September 13, 2001. Most of the incidents covered have caused significant injury, deaths, or major property damage. Accidents in the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Brazil, Canada, Nigeria, China, and the U.S. are represented.  We welcome input to this effort by submitting summaries of other notable events to editor@acusafe.com.

 

Events Update

AIChE 46th Annual Safety in Ammonia Plants & Related Facilities Symposium, POSTPONED
AIChE has postponed its Ammonia Plants & Related Facilities Symposium Scheduled to start on September 17.  No make up date has been set.  Log onto AIChE's Conference at the link below for further details.  

AIChE's Annual Ammonia Safety Symposium is the world’s largest international conference on plant safety. Developed by AIChE's Ammonia Safety Committee, this 46th Symposium will continue the Institute's tradition of presenting cutting-edge research for the purpose of making the production of ammonia and related chemicals as safe as possible.   For full program and registration information, visit http://www.aiche.org/conferences/ammonia


AIChE Center for Chemical Process Safety Conference, October 2-5, 2001
AIChE's Center for Chemical Process Safety will host the 16th Annual International Conference and Workshop, "Making Process Safety Pay Off:  Sustaining Performance in the 21st Century," in Toronto, October 2 - 5. The conference will include a keynote address by Arnold Allemang, executive vice president, operations, Dow Chemical Company. For full program and registration information, visit http://www.aiche.org/ccps/icw/

 

Other
  
AcuTech Fall 2001 Training Offerings for Process Hazard Analysis and Process Safety Management
AcuTech Consulting is offering several process safety courses on the West Coast this Fall:
  • Mechanical Integrity Program Management
  • PHA for Team Leaders
  • Human Factors in Process Safety
  • Best Practices in Process Safety Management

Our course instructors are known for their excellence in process safety and hazard analysis, and have conducted a series of highly successful training seminars on Process Safety Management, Hazard Analysis, and Quantitative Risk Assessment in the U.S., Canada, and Asia. Course attendees principally include safety and operations personnel from chemical, petrochemical, energy, and manufacturing companies. Among the companies represented include ExxonMobil, Tosco, ARCO, BPAmoco, McDonnel-Douglas, Boeing, Kraft, Tyson, Unocal, Shell, Siemens, Bayer, Cargill, and Caltex.

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/Fall2001ATIBrochure.pdf.

 

 


 
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