(164b) Fame or Blame do not heal the pain of losing loved ones

When we hear the terms Process Safety Management (PSM), the human mind, directly associates this with the processing and manufacturing industries. How many times, have family dinner conversations, always mocked at the person that canvasses people or process safety? “Leave this at work”, is a common response in the event of such discussions. But are people and process safety just limited to the work environment?

As process safety professionals, we always talk about planning and management of disasters and other unexpected incidents that carry a potential to harm human lives and the environment, the Emergency Response Plans (ERP) being an effective tool to aid at these times. Infact, these ERPs are critical even in a non-PSM environment. The recent Astroworld stampede in Houston TX, while not a PSM type of scenario, still warranted the need for an effective ERP.

The author’s 18-year-old son attended the Astroworld event of 2021 in Houston, TX and witnessed the disaster first hand, along with the lack of appropriate rescue measures. Having been in the stampede, and luckily escaping out of it along with a rescue of a friend, became his heroic accomplishment for the day, however his first reactions were the lack of communication and inadequate measures for rescue that were witnessed by him and his friends. He came home, that night, trembling; waking up his father letting him know that he survived a disaster and thanking his parent for the imbibed safety coaching. The next morning news reports indicated the loss of 10 lives at this event.

Fast forward, year 2023 the Houston Police Department has released its formal report. Also the author’s older son who is now 23 years old, attended a concert by the same performing artist in Miami, FL, which occurred approximately two years after the disaster event of 2021. This event was a successful event with no loss of lives.

This presentation will discuss the process safety aspects that include findings from the disaster of 2021 and highlight the modifications to Emergency Response and other safety aspects seen in 2023. Also, it will include the impact of incidents on human lives, using this family’s current appreciation on the value of human lives and the importance of ERP and PSM even in a non-PSM or day-to-day environment be it the workplace or public place or even the home. People and Process safety discussions are willingly embraced by the family now, not a topic of any mockery anymore.