Process Safety Incidents- Discussion of Hub Oil 1999 Accident

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Process Safety Incidents-Discussion of Hub Oil
1999 Accident

• Jack Fraser, P.Eng.
• Health Safety Group
• Cenovus Energy Inc.

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Process Safety Management (PSM)

• US OSHA Purpose of the OSHA Standard enacted in
  1992
• This section contains requirements for preventing
  or minimizing the consequences of catastrophic
  releases of toxic, reactive, flammable, or
  explosive chemicals. These releases may result in
  toxic, fire or explosion hazards.1910.119(a)

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Process Safety Management (PSM)

• What are the drivers for PSM?
• History of Fires, Explosions, and Toxic Releases
  in the chemical, petrochemical and oil and gas
  industries, particularly Refineries.
• US OSHA PSM Rule or PSM Standard, legislated
  in 1992
• No specific Canadian Regulations, but
  increasingly regulations are aligned with PSM.
  Examples ABSA urged Alberta companies to review
  their PSM programs after Tx City refinery
  explosion in 2005 alignment of some parts of AB
  OHS 2009 Code with PSM.
• Associations promulgating PSM guidelines API
  (Process Hazards Management), CCPS, Canadian
  Society of Chemical Engineers.
• US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) investigations of
  PSM (outstanding knowledge and training
  resource).
• Many companies adopt PSM or some elements of PSM
  as good operating practice.
• Recent events have resulted in damage to
  residential and commercial properties.
• Emergency Response is an element of all process
  safety management programs.
• Process Safety Management Reduced risk to
  emergency responders who protect the public,
  workers, environment and property.

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What is a Process Safety Incident?

• Process Safety Incidents (PSIs) are incidents
  caused by the release of a chemical or a problem
  with a chemical process. PSIs are significant
  events, as they may include injury, overpressure,
  fire, explosion or a large release/spill.

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Process Safety Management (PSM)

• Notable PSM Events Worldwide (partial list)
• Bhopal, India-1984-thousands of fatalities due to
  MIC release.
• Piper Alpha, UK North Sea-1988-platform
  explosions and fire-167 fatalities.

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Process Safety Management (PSM)

• Notable PSM Events Worldwide (partial list)
• BP Texas City Refinery-2005-Isom. Unit Explosion-
  15 fatalities
• Deepwater Horizon Gulf of Mexico 2010- Rig
  explosion and fire 11 fatalities

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Process Safety Management (PSM)

• Notable PSM Events - Local
• Hub Oil, Calgary-1999-Explosion in used process
  vessel-2 fatalities
• Sunrise Propane, Toronto 2008 Explosion and
  fire while transferring propane between tanks 2
  fatalities

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Process Safety Incident Hub Oil
HubOilAccident.pdf
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Process Safety Incident Veolia
Veolia_Case_Study.pdf
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Process Safety Management

• Hub Oil is an example of the failure of many
  elements of Process Safety Management, including
• Management of Change
• Equipment Design
• Relief Valve Protection
• Hazard Assessment
• Safety in Maintenance
• Incident Analysis/Lessons Learned

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Process Safety Management

• Hub Oil and other major US and Canadian events
  (BP Texas City, Veoila) inevitably prompt a
  review of regulations and regulatory regimes.
• There is an emerging trend of damage to
  neighbouring properties and injuries/exposure to
  the public in major PSM events. This in turn
  puts higher demands on emergency responders.

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Process Safety Management

• Thank you for your attention!
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