Case Studies - Unrevealing the Common "Hidden Hazards" Missed during Risk Assessment - the Known Unknown!

Only if the Chemicals could speak the human language! These complex entities are our friends as well as foe based on how we take good care in terms of understanding them at their core.

All the methodologies available in terms of a good Process Hazard Assessment can be as good as the detailing and competence level of the team involved.

The abstract on the subject is a culmination of the speaker’s real-life experience based on 500+ HAZOP assessments carried out on chemical processes. It talks about the Known hazards in the industry where incidents have occurred and could have been averted by means of systematic hazard evaluation. The topic focuses on the importance of gathering the right process safety information and questioning the basics during a process hazard analysis.

The case studies that will be covered are related to known hazards which are controlled with the highest level of controls but are often missed for other routine as well as non-routine activities such as :

• Vent Header mix up
• Reaction hazards related to scrubber operations
• Waste transfer and handling of unstable organic residues
• Sampling of hazardous chemicals such as shock-sensitive or pyrophoric
• Handling of waste in drums and at waste management facility
• Chemical Overpressurisation during chemical processing due to Chemical Reaction Hazards
• Impurity profiling during chemical reaction hazard study
• Temperature as an Ineffective control in thermally decomposing powders
• Product changeover mishaps
• Goof ups with BPCS controls

The author details out further on a methodology that has helped in terms of listing down such hazards and has helped in reducing the significant process safety incidents by 70% within 2 years.

The paper concludes with a few of the important imperatives followed by the Author’s organisations for a good Process Hazard Assessment:

• Strong Leadership Commitment to provide adequate resources
• Competent and Right structure of Team
• Process Safety Information
• PHA Assessor
• Process Safety is driven by the Operations team and not the Safety Managers
• The continual assessment even post successful commissioning
• Ensuring risk assessments remain as LIVE status with the status of Plant.
• Encouraging reporting of deviations and Plugging in learnings

We consider this as a good opportunity to showcase the work for benefit of a larger audience.