(55ad) Prevent Them All or Stop Them Small: Tripod Best Practices in Reducing Chemical Accidents and Enhancing Response Preparedness

Prevent Them All or Stop Them Small: Tripod Best Practices in Reducing Chemical Accidents and Enhancing Response Preparedness

The connection between industry, government, and public safety, which we call the Tripod, is vital when implementing the 3-P’s - Prevention, Protection, and Preparation. As identified by AICHE’s Vision 2020 program, there are significant opportunities for organizations that address industrial process safety to work together. Responsible Collaboration between industry, regulatory and investigatory authorities, labor organizations, communities, and technical organizations promotes mutual understanding of risks, effects process safety and can reduce chemical accident risk in both small and large communities. Community based safety partnerships and leadership are fundamental to the success of such efforts.

For the past five years, a series of geographically focused Chemical and Ammonia Safety Days have cultivated and showcased chemical emergency prevention and planning efforts between Industry, NGOs such as the Ammonia Safety Training Institute (ASTI), and a myriad of public agencies including fire departments, health departments, LEPCs, SERCs, local regulators, and state and federal agencies such as EPA, CSB, DHS and OSHA. Within the context of Chemical Accidents and Releases, the focus of these efforts has been to Prevent Them All or Stop Them Small.

These Safety Day programs are designed for and with local community stakeholders from industry and first response agencies with a goal of seeding a permanent, engaged geographic collaboration for accident prevention and response readiness ownership and partnership. Agenda and curriculum elements include technical training focused on local risk, first responder field practicums and case studies, accident prevention program prioritization, practice and accountability, bowtie analyses of event propagation and management, and emergency response planning centered on the first 30 minutes and one-plan approach. The programs often include field demonstrations and exercises for fire departments and facility responders.

As a best practices demonstration, the presenters for this session will share the developed programs, recruitment methodologies and the demonstrated results of these efforts. In addition to Responsible Collaboration, other Vision 2020 principles embraced and promoted by the Safety Day Approach include Disciplined Adherence to Standards, Intentional Competency Development, Enhanced Application & Sharing of Lessons Learned, and Enhanced Stakeholder Knowledge. As a bonus, the societal theme of Harmonization of Standards is enhanced by the community of practice element of engaging federal, state and local regulators as well as industry stakeholders and process safety professionals.