January 2019

INCIDENT Mechanical Failures and Misunderstandings On March 23, 2005, the raffinate splitter process was being restarted after a turndown. The unit had been shut down February 21 so that the tower could be drained, purged, and steam cleaned to remove residues. Apparently nothing had been done to check level sensors installed in the tower, and […]

INCIDENT How long can management force a plant to produce without necessary resources before an incident occurs? This unfortunate incident is familiar to many working in process industries and especially in the United States where an extensive investigation and its associated report has been used to illustrate the importance of Process Safety Management. On March […]