January, 2025 - See Something, Say Something
December, 2024 - Stored chemicals are still hazardous
November, 2024 - Announcing International Process Safety Week!!
October, 2024 - Some short-cuts may cut lives short
September, 2024 - Are You Prepared ??
August, 2024 - Corrosion – another hidden threat
July, 2024 - Are your P&IDs up to date?
June, 2024 - Good evacuation plans save lives!
May, 2024 - Does the piping meet the specification?
April, 2024 - Get Out and Stay Out !
March, 2024 - Process Upsets Require Focus
February, 2024 - Vacuum can put a dent in your process!
January, 2024 - An error trap leads to a catastrophe
December, 2023 - The Worst Ammonia Incident Ever - What Can We Learn?
November, 2023 - The agitator stopped! Now what??
October, 2023 - Keep the manway tightly closed
September, 2023 - Lithium-Ion Battery Hazards
August, 2023 - Simultaneous Operations (SIMOPS)
July, 2023 - Battery powered tools & devices can be ignition sources
June, 2023 - Sense of vulnerability – a very important safety component
May, 2023 - Wrong material + Wrong tank = Trouble
April, 2023 - Lifting Hazards
March, 2023 - Toxic Gases
February, 2023 - People are a critical part of safe operations
January, 2023 - Effects from changes may take years to appear
December, 2022 - Take safety home for the holidays
November, 2022 - Idle Does Not Mean Safe
October, 2022 - Communication – the heart of safe operations
September, 2022 - Lightning Strikes – YIKES!!
August, 2022 - What’s an Acceptable LEL Detector Reading?
July, 2022 - Manage Temporary Changes – Including Clamps!
June, 2022 - Some mistakes take time to become incidents
May, 2022 - “ What happens if ?” An important question for hazard reviews
April, 2022 - Process Safety lessons from a ship fire
March, 2022 - Hot Work is more than Welding, Burning & Grinding
February, 2022 - Piping Dead Legs – Another hazard in plain sight!
January, 2022 - The drawing and procedures were missing some things
December, 2021 - Situational Awareness: A key to avoiding errors
November, 2021 - Happy 20th Anniversary - Process Safety Beacon
October, 2021 - How do you know your safety devices are working?
September, 2021 - Does your nose really know? Probably not!
August, 2021 - Explosion of a tank containing “mostly water”
July, 2021 - Cyber security and chemical operations
June, 2021 - Combustible dust hazards are everywhere!
May, 2021 - Valve position errors can cause serious incidents
April, 2021 - Recent nitrogen fatalities are a vivid reminder
March, 2021 - Do not allow your relief device vents to be a hazard
February, 2021 - Static discharges are frequent ignition sources
January, 2021 - Material Identification - The first link in the process safety system
December, 2020 - Reactive Chemistry Incidents Can Happen Anywhere!
November, 2020 - Not all vibrations in process equipment are good vibrations
October, 2020 - Hazardous Chemicals Hidden in Plain Sight
September, 2020 - Hand Sanitizer Hazards at Home and Work
August, 2020 - Where to Check the LFL Before Hot Work?
July, 2020 - Process interruptions: a threat to process safety
June, 2020 - Can a “fail open” valve fail closed?
May, 2020 - May, 2020 - Permitted Work – a special cause
April, 2020 - April, 2020 - A Hidden Chain of Hazards
March, 2020 - March, 2020 - Vacuum Trucks can Catch Fire and Explode!
February, 2020 - February, 2020 - A Small Word with a lot of Power - ASK!!
January, 2020 - January, 2020 - Housekeeping is more than "pretty" - its about safety
December, 2019 - Well-Identified Flying Objects
November, 2019 - What Does That Button Do?
October, 2019 - Sluggish control systems – a warning sign
September, 2019 - Plugged line & equipment – More than a nuisance
August, 2019 - Hidden Hazards!
July, 2019 - Small leak leads to catastrophic failure
June, 2019 - Corrosion under insulation
May, 2019 - Surrounded by warning signs?
April, 2019 - What if that wrong instrument reading is correct?
March, 2019 - Undetected Ball Valve Failure
February, 2019 - Critical safeguards must be kept functional!
January, 2019 - Process Safety Stories
December, 2018 - Common Cause Failures
November, 2018 - Accumulation of small changes leads to an explosion
October, 2018 - Hazardous Energy!
September, 2018 - What if your process is acting differently?
August, 2018 - What if your agitator fails?
July, 2018 - Can overcooling a reactor cause a runaway reaction?
June, 2018 - Safe Work Permits – Understand the Scope of Work
May, 2018 - Aging Process Facilities and Infrastructure
April, 2018 - Maintain a Sense of Vulnerability
March, 2018 - Reporting and Investigating Near Misses
February, 2018 - Runaway Reactions Caused by Contamination
January, 2018 - Could your plant be impacted by a natural disaster?
December, 2017 - Liquefied Gases
November, 2017 - Purged Enclosures in Hazardous Areas
October, 2017 - Are your alarms alarming?
September, 2017 - Haste Makes Waste!
August, 2017 - Vulnerable Piping
July, 2017 - Management of Change
June, 2017 - Incident Investigation of a Steam Pipe Failure
May, 2017 - Corroded Tanks
April, 2017 - Are you sure that vessel is empty?
March, 2017 - …but the temperature was below the flash point!
February, 2017 - Mixing Incompatible Materials in Storage Tanks
January, 2017 - Hazards of High Oxygen Concentration
December, 2016 - Ignition Sources – Once More
November, 2016 - 15 Years of the Process Safety Beacon!
October, 2016 - Process safety in the laboratory
September, 2016 - Can you recognize a change?
August, 2016 - A little static can cause a big fire!
July, 2016 - Understanding chemical compatibility
June, 2016 - Dangerous chemical reactions at home!
May, 2016 - More repeat incidents!
April, 2016 - Plugged flame arrestor causes explosion!
March, 2016 - Safety Device or Control Device?
February, 2016 - Still Overflowing Tanks!
January, 2016 - Hydrate Hazards
December, 2015 - Stop! Look! Listen!
November, 2015 - Wrong hose causes ammonia leak
October, 2015 - Water, water, everywhere...
September, 2015 - Unloading and Loading Hazardous Materials
August, 2015 - Operational Readiness
July, 2015 - Know when to leave!
June, 2015 - Conduct of Operations
May, 2015 - Mechanical Integrity
April, 2015 - Safe Work Practices
March, 2015 - Details Matter in Process Safety!
February, 2015 - Who are all these people?
January, 2015 - What is the Process Risk?
December, 2014 - Bhopal – The Worst Industrial Disaster in History
November, 2014 - Thirty Years Ago – An LPG Tragedy
October, 2014 - Dust Explosions - Clean up this Hazard!
September, 2014 - What is your role in Hazard Identification and Risk Analysis?
August, 2014 - Ignition Sources
July, 2014 - Persistence – Good or Bad?
June, 2014 - A Safety Device Gone Wrong!
May, 2014 - Major Spills and Environmental Incidents
April, 2014 - How do you measure process safety performance?
March, 2014 - Don’t forget about occupational safety!
February, 2014 - Are we reliving past incidents?
January, 2014 - Corrosion Under Insulation
December, 2013 - Hazards of strong oxidizers
November, 2013 - Holiday Operations
October, 2013 - Electrical Equipment in Hazardous Areas
September, 2013 - Air Power!
August, 2013 - Can a Water Pump Explode?
July, 2013 - Remembering Piper Alpha
June, 2013 - Why Can't I Open That Valve?
May, 2013 - Pressure relief valve bonnets - to plug or not to plug?
April, 2013 - Have you heard a pressure relief valve chatter?
March, 2013 - Are your signs and labels confusing?
February, 2013 - What is supporting your equipment?
January, 2013 - Some Answers to the November 2012 Beacon “Find the Problem” Contest
December, 2012 - Good Housekeeping for Safety!
November, 2012 - Can you find the safety problem?
October, 2012 - Manage Temporary Changes!
September, 2012 - What can I do? I'm just the operator!
August, 2012 - Hot work Hazards
July, 2012 - Emergency Preparation – The Titanic Disaster
June, 2012 - Nitrogen - Hazard and Safeguard
May, 2012 - Mechanical Integrity of Tubing
April, 2012 - What if you unload the wrong material into a tank?
March, 2012 - Double Block and Bleed
February, 2012 - Mechanical Integrity – The Bolts Are Too Short!
January, 2012 - What happens when the lights go out?
December, 2011 - Caps and Plugs - One Day You Will Miss Them!
November, 2011 - One Incident – Three Beacons!
October, 2011 - Hose Hazards!
September, 2011 - Hazards from Abandoned Equipment
August, 2011 - Flammable Vapor Release Hazards in Congested Areas
July, 2011 - Shift Work
June, 2011 - Are you prepared for a natural disaster?
May, 2011 - Flammable material release inside building causes explosion!
April, 2011 - Don 't let a small leak become a big leak!
March, 2011 - Bad things can come in small packages!
February, 2011 - Understand the Reactivity of Your Heat Transfer Fluid!
January, 2011 - Vapor Cloud Explosions
December, 2010 - Are You Ready for Winter?
November, 2010 - Two valve actuator rupture incidents!
October, 2010 - Hazardous Material Storage and Shipment
September, 2010 - Has anybody seen our process safety information (PSI)?
August, 2010 - Early lessons from a tragedy
July, 2010 - Passive Safety Equipment
June, 2010 - Containment Dikes and Pads
May, 2010 - Fireproofing Structural Supports
April, 2010 - Fire Protection - Long Bolt Flangeless Valves
March, 2010 - Facility Siting
February, 2010 - Lest We Forget!
January, 2010 - Corrosion and Erosion
December, 2009 - The Bhopal Tragedy – 25 Years Ago
November, 2009 - BLEVE!
October, 2009 - Overflow + Ignition = Tank Farm Fire! (Part 2)
September, 2009 - Overflow + Ignition = Tank Farm Fire! (Part 1)
August, 2009 - Never underestimate the hazard!
July, 2009 - What is a Safety Instrumented System?
June, 2009 - Don’t forget safety in a difficult economy!
May, 2009 - Mechanical integrity
April, 2009 - Be Prepared!
March, 2009 - Fatality caused by unloading the wrong chemical into a storage tank!
February, 2009 - More lessons from fire while filling containers
January, 2009 - Fire while filling portable container!
December, 2008 - Static Electric Discharge Causes Fire
November, 2008 - Laboratory Refrigerator Explosions – Electrical Classification
October, 2008 - Ice ruptures unused pipe and causes fire!
September, 2008 - Plant Security
August, 2008 - Measuring process safety performance
July, 2008 - What is process safety?
June, 2008 - Halon cylinder becomes rocket!
May, 2008 - Is sugar an explosion hazard?
April, 2008 - Gasoline pipeline damaged by construction causes fire
March, 2008 - Do your shutoff systems actually work?
February, 2008 - How Can You Use “The Beacon”?
January, 2008 - 2007 Beacon Review – Remember the Lessons Learned!
December, 2007 - Oil Tank Fire Caused by Static Discharge
November, 2007 - Cold Embrittlement and Thermal Stress
October, 2007 - We Have Liftoff!
September, 2007 - Hot Work Permits
August, 2007 - Hazards of Temporary Confined Spaces
July, 2007 - Fire Caused by Hose Repaired with Duct Tape!
June, 2007 - Process Safety Culture
May, 2007 - The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919
April, 2007 - Mr. Potato Head Is Down!
March, 2007 - Instrumentation - Can you be fooled by it?
February, 2007 - Vacuum hazards - collapsed tanks
January, 2007 - 2006 Beacon Review - Remember the lessons learned
December, 2006 - Liquified gas cylinder failure
November, 2006 - Hazards of relief devices in series
October, 2006 - Do you store cylinders properly?
September, 2006 - Overfilling Tanks - What happened?
August, 2006 - Static electricity
July, 2006 - Do you have storage pallets that look like this?
June, 2006 - Is this valve open, or closed?
May, 2006 - Dust explosion hazards
April, 2006 - Mechanical integrity
March, 2006 - Pressure relief systems - do you see any hazards here?
February, 2006 - 2005 Beacon Review
January, 2006 - Time sensitive chemicals
December, 2005 - Startup hazards
November, 2005 - Hurricane Katrina - Emergency response and recovery
October, 2005 - Gas leak destroys plant
September, 2005 - September 11, 2001 - Never to be Forgotten!
August, 2005 - Toxic reaction in sewer is fatal
July, 2005 - Piper Alpha Oil Platform Destroyed
June, 2005 - Too many start-stop switches
May, 2005 - Storage area completely destroyed
April, 2005 - Pressure explosion results
March, 2005 - Tower top rockets off
February, 2005 - Insulation does not prevent corrosion
January, 2005 - 2004 in review - remember the lessons learned
December, 2004 - Bhopal - a tragic event
November, 2004 - Unapproved procedure change = fire
October, 2004 - Available when needed?
September, 2004 - Overflow + Ignition Source = Tank Farm Fire
August, 2004 - Chlorine transfer hose failure
July, 2004 - Misalignment + Corrosion = Failure!
June, 2004 - Flixborough - 30 years ago
May, 2004 - Start your hot work safely
April, 2004 - Do you see the hazard?
March, 2004 - The electricity just went off
February, 2004 - Flammable gas in enclosed space = BOOM!
January, 2004 - Avoid improper fuel to air mixtures
December, 2003 - Trees, trees, confusing trees
November, 2003 - But the pressure rating was OK!
October, 2003 - Don't pop your top
September, 2003 - Dust did this!
August, 2003 - Simply mixing chemicals
July, 2003 - Static Electricity + Flammables + Air = ??
June, 2003 - Interlocked for a reason
May, 2003 - A good idea could turn bad
April, 2003 - What? No spark?
March, 2003 - Reactive Chemistry - Not always when or where you want it
February, 2003 - How Well Are You Trained to Respond to Fires?
January, 2003 - Check the clearance
December, 2002 - Security – It’s everybody’s Job
November, 2002 - What has your steam up?
October, 2002 - It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s A PUMP!
September, 2002 - In Remembrance of September 11th, 2001
August, 2002 - Faster than a speeding bullet
July, 2002 - The seal that didn't perform
June, 2002 - Don't get your pipes in a twist
May, 2002 - And he blew the house down
April, 2002 - The cylinder that got away
March, 2002 - Layers of Protection
February, 2002 - Vacuum is a powerful force!
January, 2002 - Explosions
December, 2001 - Snow and Ice Hazards – they can cause more than slips and falls!
November, 2001 - Trace quantities of flammables can cause an event like this!
