http://www.che.com Chemical Engineering en-us 2013 Tue, 21 May 2013 10:51:17 EDT This article reviews key aspects of safety-instrumented systems (SIS) and provides useful guidance to help designers and operators optimize efforts to conduct safety-related measurements. Special attention is provided to smart-transmitter diagnostics and digital protocols... http://www.che.com/environmental_health_and_safety/plant_and_personnel_safety/process_safety_mgmt/10393.html Mon, 1 Apr 2013 0:00:00 EDT Leading up to this month’s 2012 U.S. Presidential election, the legislative landscape has been relatively uneventful. On top of their preoccupation with the election campaigns, lawmakers on both sides of the political spectrum have been reluctant to pin their agendas to any bill that might... http://www.che.com/environmental_health_and_safety/plant_and_personnel_safety/process_safety_mgmt/9886.html Thu, 1 Nov 2012 0:00:00 EDT This article (the first in a two-part series) provides practical recommendations to enable safe design, operation and maintenance of steam ejector systems and mechanical vacuum pumps that are widely used to create vacuum conditions in chemical process plants... http://www.che.com/environmental_health_and_safety/plant_and_personnel_safety/process_safety_mgmt/9685.html Sat, 1 Sep 2012 0:00:00 EDT After a serious accident at a chemical plant, petroleum refinery or other freestanding industrial facility, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB; www.csb.gov) may immediately initiate an investigation, often getting “in the air” while the emergency is still unfolding. The CSB team will consist of skilled accident investigators who are often accompanied by independent experts noted for their specialized knowledge of whatever systems or processes are to be investigated. They also arrive with legal authority — sometimes in the embodiment of accompanying federal marshals. All in all, the process is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced if your experience is limited to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Admin. (OSHA). This article aims to provide a sense of that process as well as some suggestions for managing it.... http://www.che.com/environmental_health_and_safety/plant_and_personnel_safety/process_safety_mgmt/9462.html Sun, 1 Jul 2012 0:00:00 EDT A new Self-Retracting Cable Reel option is now available for this company’s range of hazardous-area static-grounding systems. The VESM02 (photo) provides a rugged and versatile alternative to spiral (retractable)... http://www.che.com/environmental_health_and_safety/plant_and_personnel_safety/process_safety_mgmt/8205.html Fri, 1 Jul 2011 0:00:00 EDT In 2005, an explosion at the BP Texas City refinery facility killed 15 and injured an additional 180. At the time, it was considered to be the worst industrial accident in 16 years, and continues to top the list. While the incident was expected to serve as a wakeup call for the facility management, workplace... http://www.che.com/environmental_health_and_safety/plant_and_personnel_safety/process_safety_mgmt/7993.html Tue, 3 May 2011 0:00:00 EDT The conventional language of equipment components — vibration — transmits relevant information that varies based on the type of machinery or asset system and the conditions these components are experiencing. Learning to decipher vibration data properly can help operators to properly assess the condition of their machinery, gauge equipment performance and plan for whatever actions are needed to address problems that may have arisen.... http://www.che.com/environmental_health_and_safety/plant_and_personnel_safety/process_safety_mgmt/6294.html Sat, 1 Jan 2011 0:00:00 EST Compressed gas cylinders are widely used in research, pilot plant, laboratory and small-scale manufacturing and processing operations as a way to provide a convenient, economical and safe source of high-pressure gases for various applications. A compressed gas is defined by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) as any materials or mixtures in containers having an absolute pressure in excess of 40 psi at 70oF, or in excess of 104 psi at 130oF.... http://www.che.com/environmental_health_and_safety/plant_and_personnel_safety/process_safety_mgmt/5158.html Thu, 1 Oct 2009 0:00:00 EDT I would like to draw your attention to a few points on the November 2008 article, Pressure Relief System Design (pp. 40–45): 1. Pressure drop and pressure loss: The inlet pressure “drop” that the author refers to under Relief system piping is non-recoverable pressure loss, and does not... http://www.che.com/environmental_health_and_safety/plant_and_personnel_safety/process_safety_mgmt/4473.html Tue, 13 Jan 2009 0:00:00 EST Pressure relief systems are vital in the chemical process industries (CPI) for handling a wide variety of situations. They are used to prevent pressurization above a system’s design pressure; for venting during an unusual or emergency situation; and for normal depressurization during a shutdown, as examples. In some cases, such as when non-combustible gases including steam, air and nitrogen are used, venting into the atmosphere may be an option. In other cases, such as those typically encountered in the hydrocarbon sector, elaborate systems for the disposal of vented gases may be required.... http://www.che.com/environmental_health_and_safety/plant_and_personnel_safety/process_safety_mgmt/4319.html Sat, 1 Nov 2008 0:00:00 EDT