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Safety & Health NewsSafety & Health NewsAIChE SAFETY AND HEALTH

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF DIVISIONCHEMICAL ENGINEERS www.shdiv.aiche.org

A Supplement to Process Safety Progress Summer 2001

safety forumsafety forumPROCESS SAFETY AND MANUFACTURING EXCELLENCE

Tom Archibald, Vice President of Operations andManufacturing for Rohm and Haas Company, wasthe speaker at the annual dinner of the Safety andHealth Division held at the AIChE Spring NationalMeeting in Houston on April 23, 2001. DennisHendershot of Rohm and Haas prepared asummary of the talk which follows. The chemical industry faces many pressurestoday such as:Internal! Cost reduction! Downsizing! Too many initiatives! Fewer experts (personnel turnover)! Management changes and inexperience! Less time for attention to detail! Getting more from the same equipmentExternal! Globalization! Specialization! Consolidation! Raw material prices ! Push back from customers.

Some believe that the potential for a seriousincident is higher today than it has been in therecent past. In fact, the recordable injury rate ofthe top companies in the American ChemistryCouncil (ACC) increased last year.

The key question is "What can we do to dealwith these issues?" The answer to this questionhas two parts. A company must have amanagement system that is practiced withdiscipline, and there must be clear ownership ofthat system to ensure that it is practical, followed,and continually improved.

Process safety management systems are onepart of the overall management system. It cannotbe excellent unless all systems are excellent and

work together.Several specific incidents were cited as

examples. These included a spray dryerexplosion and fire (no injuries but a significantplant outage), a reactor runaway explosion withseveral injuries, and a fatality resulting fromchemical exposure while adding material to avessel. While the investigation of each of theseincidents revealed one or more specific causes foreach (such as contamination, poor design,operating errors), the real root causes were moregeneral system issues. These includedinadequate management of change procedures,poor communication, poor transfer of technologyfrom one part of the organization to another, poortraining, and inadequate procedures. These rootcauses can be summarized as two true rootcauses - lack of a disciplined management systemand lack of ownership of the management system.

The manufacturing management system atRohm and Haas Company contains five elements:(1) Environmental, Health, and Safety -including regulatory compliance, ISO 14000,goals and objectives, audits, documentation andcorrective actions, continuous improvement,management of change, safety rules andresponsibilities, and process hazard managementsystems;(2) Reliability - including reliability centeredmaintenance, training, design for reliability and formaintenance, and optimum asset utilization;

(3) Operational Consistency - including processtechnology, process control, Six Sigma, andVisual Process Control;(4) Process Technology and Design - including (continued on page 12 - see ARCHIBALD)

2 Safety & Health News Safety & Health News Summer 2001

SafetySafety && HealthHealth NewsNews is published quarterly by the Safety and Health Division of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). It is

distributed to members of the Division as a supplement to Process Safety Progress. Publication is funded by the Safety and Health Division, by theCenter for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS) of the AIChE, and by the AIChE.

A. S. West, P.E., Editor3896 Sidney Road

Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006215-938-7181

e-mail: [email protected]

SAFETY AND HEALTH DIVISION 2001John F. Murphy, Chair

U.S.Chemical Safety Board2175 K Street, NW

Suite 400Washington, DC 20037-1809

202-261-7622e-mail: [email protected]

Walter L. Frank, 1st Vice-ChairEQE International, Inc.

1504 North Broom Street, Unit #3Wilmington, DE 19806


Kris Chatrathi, 2nd Vice-ChairFike Corporation

704 South Tenth StreetBlue Springs, MO 64015

816-229-3405, x-468e-mail: [email protected]

Robert P. Benedetti, Past-ChairNational Fire Protection Association

One Batterymarch ParkP. O. Box 9101

Quincy, MA 02269-9101781-828-4767 (M-W)617-984-7433 (Th-F)


Albert I. Ness, Secretary/TreasurerRohm and Haas Company

Engineering DivisionP. O. Box 584

Bristol, PA 19007215-785-7567


DIRECTORS

M. Sam Mannan (1999-2001)Texas A&M University

327 Zachary Engineering CenterCollege Station, TX 77843-3122


Scott W. Ostrowski (1999-2001)ExxonMobil Chemical Company

Baton Rouge PlantP. O. Box 421

Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0421225-359-7400


Henry L. Febo (2000-2002)FM Global

1151 Boston-Providence TurnpikeNorwood, MA 02062


Walter Silowka (2000-2002)Air Products & Chemicals, Inc.Corporate Engineering Dept.

7201 Hamilton BoulevardAllentown, PA 18195-1501


Gary Pilkington (2001-2003)

Abbott LaboratoriesDept. 05-SL, Bldg. AP52S

200 Abbott Park RoadAbbott Park, IL 60064-6212

847-937-3091 e-mail: [email protected]

Ronald J. Willey (2001-2003)Northeastern University

Dept. of Chemical Engineering360 Huntington Avenue

Boston, MA 02115617-373-3962


PROGRAM COORDINATORS

Robert P. Benedetti(see Past-Chair)

Ephraim A. ScheierOccidental Chemical Company5005 LBJ Freeway, 14th Floor

Dallas, TX 75244-6119972-404-3686


AWARDS COMMITTEE

Joseph F. Louvar, ChairWayne State University

Department of Chemical Engineering5050 Anthony Wayne Drive

Detroit, MI 48202-9988313-577-9358


AIChE STAFF REPRESENTATIVE

Clare BennettAmerican Institute of Chemical Engineers

Center for Chemical Process Safety3 Park Avenue

New York, NY 10016-5991212-591-7319


MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

Walter L. Frank(see 1st Vice-Chair)

John F. Murphy(see Chair)

PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE

Daniel A. Crowl, ChairMichiganTechnological University

Department of Chemical EngineeringHoughton, MI 49931


CONTINUING EDUCATION COMMITTEE

Daniel A. Crowl (see Publications Com.)Walter L. Frank (see 1st Vice-Chair)

Randy FreemanABS GroupABS Plaza

16855 Northchase DriveHouston, TX 77060-6008


Dennis C. HendershotRohm and Haas CompanyEngineering Department

P. O. Box 584Bristol, PA 19007

215-785-7243 [email protected]

Robert W. OrmsbyAir Products & Chemicals, Inc.

7201 Hamilton BoulevardAllentown, PA 18195-1501


GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

Walter L. Frank(see 1st Vice-Chair)

LIAISON TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dennis C. Hendershot

EDITOR - PROCESS SAFETYPROGRESS

Theodore A. VentroneP. O. Box 669

Belle Mead, NJ 08502908-359-3392

WEBMASTERAlan E. Nelson

Michigan Technological UniversityDepartment of Chemical Engineering

Houghton, MI 49931906-487-3610


Summer 2001 Safety & Health NewsSafety & Health News 3

SAFETY AND HEALTH DIVISION UPDATEJohn F. Murphy, Chair

Division Organization. Here is an overview ofthe Safety and Health Division organization thatshould be of interest to the members. TheDivision provides a forum for AIChE memberswho have an interest in loss prevention, processsafety, and health issues in the chemical,petrochemical, petroleum, and allied industries.The Division has about 1200 members, downfrom a high of 1640 in 1996. The membershiptotal seems to be stabilizing now. The annualdues include a subscription to the quarterlyProcess Safety Progress and the quarterlySafety & Health News. Print and on-lineversions are available.

An Executive Committee is responsible forDivision finances and operations, includingsupport for publications, awards, oversight ofprogramming, and liaison with the Center forChemical Process Safety as well as with otherDivisions and entities within AIChE. Officersinclude the Chair, 1st Vice-Chair, 2nd Vice-Chair,Past-Chair, and Secretary/Treasurer. With theexception of the Secretary/Treasurer, whotypically serves three years, officers serve forone-year terms with automatic succession throughthe chairs. There are six Directors, each electedto serve a three-year term on a staggered basis.A list of Officers and Directors appears on page 2.

The three major operating groups of theDivision are:(1) Program Area 11a - responsible for the LossPrevention Symposium held annually at theAIChE Spring National Meeting. Proceedings ofthe Symposium are published;(2) Program Area 11b - responsible for theProcess Plant Safety Symposium held everytwo years in Houston. For the first time, thissymposium was held in conjunction with theAIChE Spring National Meeting this year.Proceedings of the Symposium are published;and(3) Program Area 11c - responsible for the annualSafety in Ammonia Plants and RelatedFacilities Symposium, usually held in the fall.Proceedings of the Symposium are published.

The Division has prepared a two-disk CD-ROM archive of all papers presented in the first31 Loss Prevention Symposiums (1967-1997) andpapers presented at CCPS Conferences from1987-1994. This CD-ROM package will beupdated every 5 years.

The Division supports a web page that ismaintained by Michigan Technological University

and is linked to the AIChE web page. You canvisit it at <www.shdiv.aiche.org>. The siteprovides information on Division activities as wellas an electronic version of the Newsletter. Weanticipate greater use of the web page as ourexperience grows and needs dictate.Report from the Spring National Meeting inHouston. The 35th Loss Prevention Symposiumwas a technical success but disappointing from anattendance standpoint. The technical sessionsaveraged about 70, well under last year'sattendance averaging about 100 per session. TheDivision would appreciate any suggestions thatyou may have on improving attendance at thisvery important Division activity. The six technicalsessions in the Symposium covered topicsranging from fire, explosion, and chemicalreactivity hazards to case histories and lessonslearned. Our sincere appreciation to theSymposium Chair Dennis Hendershot, Vice-ChairHenry Febo, and the twelve session Co-Chairs fora job well done!

The Annual Division Banquet, held onMonday, April 23, was well attended. Thefeatured speaker was Thomas L. Archibald, VicePresident of Operations and Manufacturing forRohm and Haas Company. Tom spoke on thetopic of manufacturing excellence, safety,reliability, and quality, and the challengesassociated with the cost conscious businessclimate of today.

At the Banquet, Joe Louvar was presented theDivision Norton H. Walton/Russell L. Miller Awardfor his many contributions to loss prevention in theprocess industries. My personal congratulationsto Joe. I have worked with him while co-chairingseveral sessions in the loss preventionsymposiums. He was the ultimate professionaland a pleasure to work with. I wish him continuedsuccess in his new academic career at WayneState University.

A plaque of appreciation from AIChE waspresented to Past-Chair Bob Benedetti for hisleadership during 2000. Thanks again, Bob, foryour continued leadership and support.

The Annual Meeting of the Division ExecutiveCommittee was also held in Houston inconjunction with the Spring National Meeting.Here, a Student Design Competition Award forSafety in Design was established. There will befour awards of $500 each for the appropriateapplication of inherent safety in the designs. (continued on page 4 - see UPDATE)

PRINT VS. ON-LINEStarting in 2001, Division members had the optionof selecting print versions, on-line versions, or bothof Process Safety Progress. The print versionwas chosen overwhelmingly. Of the 1208 membersubscriptions as of this writing, just 52 (4.3%)selected the on-line version only and 54 (4.4%)selected both versions, the latter, of course, at anincreased cost. Subscribers outside of NorthAmerica were particularly attracted to the on-lineversion since the usual significant surcharge forpostage of the print version no longer applied.Trends in subscription choices will continue to bemonitored.

4 Safety & Health NewsSafety & Health News Summer 2001

UPDATE (continued from page 3) The award will be administered throughSACHE (Safety and Chemical EngineeringEducation) which is under the auspices of theUndergraduate Education Subcommittee ofCCPS. The purposes of the award are toencourage the understanding and application ofinherent safety principles and to encouragestudents to recognize the value of AIChE and theSafety and Health Division which will lead them tojoin and participate in the activities of the Divisionwhen they enter their professional careers.Upcoming Division Meetings. The 46th AnnualSafety in Ammonia Plants and RelatedFacilities Symposium is scheduled forSeptember 17-20, 2001, in Montreal, Quebec.The 36th Annual Loss Prevention Symposiumwill be held in conjunction with the AIChE NationalSpring Meeting in New Orleans on March 10-13,2002. Comments and Suggestions. I indeed welcomehearing from you with any comments orsuggestions on any topic about Safety and HealthDivision activities. We are especially interestedin making Division activities relevant to yourcareer and work needs. We are also interested ina more diverse Division leadership. Qualifiedsafety and health professionals, male and female,with an interest in Division leadership roles shouldcontact Bob Benedetti ([email protected]) orme to be nominated for Director in the electionlater this year. I can be contacted at theU.S.Chemical Safety and Hazard InvestigationBoard, 2175 K Street, NW, Suite 400,Washington, DC 20037; phone 202-261-7622; e-mail [email protected] a safe day!

John F. Murphy, P.E.

LOUVAR ISAWARD WINNER

The Norton H. Walton/Russell L.Miller Award, sponsored by theSafety and Health Division,recognizes an individual'soutstanding chemical engineering

contributions and achievements in the lossprevention, safety, and health fields.

Dr. Joseph F. Louvar is the 2001 Awardrecipient. He retired as Director of the AnalyticalChemistry and Chemical Engineering Departmentat BASF Corporation in Wyandotte, MI. Previouspositions at BASF included developmentengineering and research management. Hereceived a PhD in Chemical Engineering fromWayne State University in 1983. He is now anAdjunct Professor at Wayne State teachingcourses in safety, risk analysis, and statisticaldesign of experiments. He is co-author with Dr.Daniel A. Crowl of the book Chemical ProcessSafety: Fundamentals with Applications.

A long time member of the AIChE Area 11a(Loss Prevention) Program Committee, and aPast-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Safetyand Health Division, he currently serves as theChair of the CCPS Chemical Process SafetyUndergraduate Committee (SACHE). He joins alist of distinguished award winners:

1987 Walter B. Howard1988 Eugene S. DeHaven1990 Stanley S. Grossel1991 William J. Bradford1993 Ted A. Ventrone1994 Gui LeGendre1998 Robert W. Ormsby1999 Richard F. Schwab2000 John A. Davenport O

PAPER AWARD WINNERSThe William H. Doyle Award is presented to theauthor of the best paper given, considering bothtechnical content and presentation effectiveness,at each Loss Prevention Symposium. At the 2001Houston Meeting, two winners of the Award forthe best papers at the 2000 Symposium wereannounced.

Dr. Angela E. Summers of SIS-TECHSolutions for her paper "Using InstrumentedSystems for Overpressure Protection," and PeterN. Rodal of Eastman Chemical Company for hispaper "Case History: Steam Line Rupture atTennessee Eastman Division 11/3/98" weredeclared joint winners. O

CCPS CONFERENCEThe 16th Annual International Conference andWorkshop organized by CCPS is scheduled forOctober 2-5, 2001, at the Westin PrinceToronto Hotel in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Theconference title is "Making Process SafetyPay Off - Sustaining Performance in the 21stCentury." The plenary sessions and workshopswill focus on three general topics: cost andbenefits, culture/integration, and measurement.

Arnold Allemang, Executive Vice Presidentof Dow Chemical Company, and Steve Arendt,Vice President of EQE International, are servingas co-chairs.

The plenary on cost and benefits willinclude making the Process SafetyManagement (PSM) business case, PSMimplementation costs (experience vs.projections), and case studies of calculating andrealizing PSM benefits.

The culture/integration plenary willaddress assessing and changing company andplant safety culture, integrating process safetyand other management systems, andmaintaining company PSM memory.

The plenary on measurement will includemeasuring PSM performance, setting andmeeting process safety goals, and nationalefforts to measure industry safety performance.

Participants will explore the rewards andconflicts associated with Process SafetyManagement in the real world in the plenarysessions and in workshops.

Further information about this conferencecan be obtained at:

www.aiche.org/ccps/icw.

For information about CCPS, contact:

Dr. Jack A. Weaver, DirectorCenter for Chemical Process SafetyAmerican Institute of Chemical Engineers3 Park AvenueNew York, NY 10016-5991

212-591-7404 e-mail: [email protected]

Summer 2001 Safety & Health News Safety & Health News 5

THE CCPS PAGETHE CCPS PAGECENTER FOR CHEMICAL PROCESS SAFETY

CCPS PLANSThe following books are expected to be publishedby CCPS during the remainder of 2001:! Understanding Explosions - this book

provides a practical understanding of fire andexplosion fundamentals, and discussespractical methods to prevent and minimizethe probability and consequences of anexplosion;

! Layer of Protection Analysis: SimplifiedProcess Risk Assessment - Layer ofProtection Analysis (LOPA) is a recentlydeveloped, simplified method of riskassessment that provides the much neededmiddle ground between qualitative processhazard analysis and a traditional, expensivequantitative risk analysis.

ProSmart, a software package which utilizes real-time readings of key measurable variables ofperformance to develop an index of processsafety management effectiveness, is under testnow. The complete program is expected to beavailable by the end of 2001. O

STATUS OF CCPS PROJECTSHere is the status of some of the major CCPSprojects:Project #132 - Enhanced Air Dispersion fromIndustrial Facilities; the objective is to prepare abook describing the amount and type of mixing asa vapor cloud proceeds through a plant or overrough terrain. The writing is nearly completed.Project #145 - Toxic Dose Response; theobjective is to prepare a short feasibility study toexplore approaches for obtaining appropriateshort duration dose response data for use inConsequence Analysis. Detailed questionnairesare in preparation.Project #146 - Guidelines for Fire Protection; theobjective is to develop an up-to-date Guidelinesbook on fire protection in the chemical andhydrocarbon processing industries. Work will beinitiated as soon as a contractor is selected.Project #150 - Guidelines for Facility Siting,Layout, and Design; the objective is to prepare aGuidelines book on the subject based on processsafety and environmental considerations forprocessing facilities including chemical,petrochemical, petroleum, and pharmaceuticalplants. The book will be applicable for all facilitiesregardless of size. A contractor is to be selectedsoon. O


2000 Division Chair Bob Benedetti receives a plaque of appreciation from 2001 Division Dan Crowl, 2001 Walton/Miller Award

Chair John Murphy Winner Joe Louvar, and John Murphy

SCENES FROM THE SCENES FROM THE 2001 HOUStON MEETING 2001 HOUStON MEETING april 23-26 april 23-26

Walton/Miller Award Winners Dick Schwab (1999) and Joe Louvar (2001)

First Vice-Chair Walt Frank introduces Safety and Health Division dinner speaker dinner speaker Tom Archibald Tom Archibald of Rohm and Haas Company

and Clare Bennett of CCPS


MORE SCENES FROM THE 2001 HOUSTON MEETINGMORE SCENES FROM THE 2001 HOUSTON MEETING

The Area 11a (Loss Prevention) Programming Committee at the AIChE Spring National Meeting

Bill Doyle Award Co-Winner Pete Lodal Bill Doyle Award Co-Winner Angela Summers of Eastman Chemical Company of SIS-TECH Solutions

Process Plant Safety Symposium Chair Joint Process Plant Safety Symposium/Loss Hugh Kaiser of IDS Engineering Prevention Symposium Lunch Speaker Craig Matthiessen of EPA Photographs on pages 6 and 7 are courtesy of Dennis Hendershot of Rohm and Haas Company

SAFETY NOTES


! RiskWorld (<www.riskworld.com>) is acomprehensive source for risk assessmentand risk management information. Newadditions include the Food Safety RiskClearinghouse, a joint project between FDAand the University of Maryland, and theposted abstracts for the 1999 EuropeanAnnual Conference on Risk Analysis (SRA).Users can browse news, archived articles,and research summaries going back about 5years.

! With the goal of identifying toxic substancesmore quickly, the National Institute ofEnvironmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)established the National Center forToxicogenomics. The center expects to slashthe time and money needed to test potentialcarcinogens by the currently used bioassaysfrom $2-3 million over two-three years to afew hundred dollars over a few days. Recentadvances in technology for studying thehuman genome will be used.Toxicogenomics involves exposingmicroarrays (small glass or plasticplates containing hundreds orthousands of DNA strips) to chemicalsand determining which genes areturned on or switched off. The hope isto predict the toxicity of new chemicalsusing patterns of gene expression.Neither EPA nor OSHA are prepared toconsider dealing with toxicogenomic data asyet. Also, animal testing may not be fullyeliminated even in the long run.

! Samsung Electronics, a semiconductorcomplex in Kiheung, Korea, was named the"safest workplace in the world" by theNational Safety Council. The company,which employs 10,000 workers, has achievedmore than 250 million hours and 199 monthswithout a lost-time injury. The achievement isnoteworthy considering that large quantities ofhazardous substances are used in theproduction processes.

! In an editorial in the January 2001 Journal ofChemical Education, John W. Moore pointedout the need to be alert on safety matters, tocontinue to identify hazardous substances,and not to denigrate the efforts of those whodo. More discussions about safety issues now

appear in this educational journal, a good signfor the future development of the propersafety attitude among students.

! Cooling towers should be sampled quarterlyfor legionella bacteria according to a newguide on legionnaires' disease issued by theUK Health and Safety Executive. The guidealso provides advice on what action to take ifthe bacteria are detected. Included are thefindings of recent research on the efficacyand use of new and alternative controlstrategies. (See <hsebooks.co.UK>.)

! The Center for the Evaluation of Risks toHuman Reproduction (CERHR) wasestablished by the National ToxicologyProgram (NTP) and the National Institute forEnvironmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).The purpose of the Center is to provide timelyand unbiased scientific evidence of adverse

effects on reproduction, includingdevelopment, which may be caused bysubstances to which humans are exposed.An expert panel completed its evaluationof seven phthalate esters used widely asplasticizers in a number of polymericproducts including PVC-based consumeritems. The panel assigned "low, minimal,or negligible concern" for five of the

phthalates (di-isononyl, di-n-butyl, butylbenzyl, di-n-octyl, and di-isodecyl). A higherconcern was expressed for di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate. Insufficient data were available toreach any conclusions about di-n-hexylphthalate.

! A machinist at a refinery received a deeptissue infection with a high fever a few daysfollowing the handling of cutting fluid in alathe operation. He had cleaned a sump-pump basket without using gloves. It istypical for machinists to have small cuts orsmall puncture wounds from handling thesharp tools, metal shavings, and metalcuttings. The physician's report noted that aserious infection had begun when bacteriumthat was growing in the cutting oil sumpentered the machinist's body through twosmall cuts. MSDS's for cutting oils do notmention this potential. O

CHEMISTRY QUIZDid you know that calcium plus nitric acid yieldssodium carbonate plus hydrogen? The balancedequation follows:

2Ca + 2HNO3 º 2NaCO3 + H2

Did you know that chemistry is funny? Peoplelaugh at nitrous oxide.


PROCESS INDUSTRIESINTERNET PORTAL

ProcessCity.comAn Internet community now exists for allindividuals in or related to the processing industry,such as engineers, students, and CEOs, to meet,share ideas, search for information, gain accessto a variety of engineering tools, andcommunicate with industry experts.ProcessCity.com is a collaborative effort forprocess industry professionals. It is accessiblethrough the AIChE web site <www.aiche.org>.

Launched in 2000, ProcessCity.com issponsored by AspenTech. It is a neutral site opento all companies and individuals regardless ofaffiliation. Visitors can access an extensiveevents Directory tailored to the needs of processindustry professionals.

A key benefit of the site is its discussionforum section where well-known industry expertsmoderate discussions. Over 25 active forums areavailable, each led by an industry expert.Recently, "private" discussion areas whereconfidential dialogue can take place among usergroups were initiated.

Among the 25+ technical topics in the"Discussion Room" is a forum on Process Safetyand Reliability moderated by Ian Sutton which isof special interest to process safety engineers.The mission of this forum is to discuss how riskmanagement techniques can improve safety,reliability, and profitability of process plants. Theforum includes discussions on the latestdevelopments in world-wide safety regulations.

There is a General Technical DiscussionForum which is an unmoderated open area foranyone to start discussions around technicaltopics, as contrasted to business or career topics.Topics could include engineering questions,health and environmental issues, informationtechnology in the process industries, newdevelopments with specific types of equipment,instrumentation and control issues, or any othertechnology-related topic.

Other forums of interest to process safetyengineers include Process Engineering andDesign with Art Westerberg and John Baldwin asmoderators, Plant Engineering and Design withJim Madden as moderator, and ProcessSynthesis and Process Integration with AntonisKokossis and Robin Smith as moderators. This isjust a sampling of the more than 25 availabletechnical forums. O

PROPOSED AEGL LEVELS The National Advisory Committee for AcuteExposure Guideline Levels for HazardousSubstances (NAC/AEGL Committee) isdeveloping AEGLs on a continuing basis toprovide Federal, State, and local agencies withinformation on short-term exposures to hazardouschemicals. The values are developed on a case-by-case basis. AEGL values for 18 chemicals, ofwhich 13 are of significant industrial interest, wereproposed at 66Fed.Reg. 21940 (May 2, 2001).This action may be of particular interest to thoseaffected in regards to emergency planning,prevention, or response programs such as underthe EPA Risk Management Program regulations.

The Office of Prevention, Pesticides, andToxic Substances of EPA established theNAC/AEGL Committee. The intent is to developvalues for chemicals through the combined effortsof stakeholder members from both private andpublic sectors in a cost-effective approach thatavoids duplication of efforts and provides uniformvalues, while using the most scientifically soundmethods. The AEGLs represent thresholdexposure limits for the general public and areapplicable to emergency periods ranging from 10minutes to 8 hours at each of 5 periods. AEGL-1levels are considered transient and reversibleupon cessation of exposure. AEGL-2 levelspredict that the public could experienceirreversible or other serious long-lasting adverseeffects. AEGL-3 levels indicate that the generalpopulation could experience life-threateninghealth effects. Thus, for each chemicalsubstance, 15 values are indicated.

AEGL values for the following 13 chemicalswere proposed in the above citation: methanol;acrylic acid; allyl alcohol; chloromethyl methylether; toluene; phenol; furan; tetrachloroethylene;tetranitromethane; perchloromethyl mercaptan;carbon monoxide; boron trichloride; and diborane.Values for 5 nerve agents were also proposed.

Comments on the proposal were solicited. O

PAPERS, PAPERS, PAPERS


"Review and ExperimentalEvaluation of RunawayChemical Reactor DisposalD e s i g n M e t h o d s , "

R.D.McIntosh and P.F.Nolan, J.LossPrev.Process Ind. 14, No.1, 17-26 (January 2001).

This paper discusses horizontal gravityseparators used as disposal systems for runawaychemical reactor relief. Existing design methodsare based on removing all but the very smallliquid droplets (<300 microns) from the two-phasevented mixture. Experimentally obtained dataregarding the masses of liquid retained by thesystem and the maximum droplet size at the exitto the separator have been compared to thoseexpected using the existing design methods. Thework indicates that there can be significantdisagreements.

"Review of the Selection and Design ofMitigation Systems for Runaway ChemicalReactions," R.D.McIntosh and P.F.Nolan, J.LossPrev.Process Ind. 14, No.1, 27-42 (January 2001).

Control systems for exothermic chemicalreactions are becoming more and moresophisticated, but vent systems still mustgenerally be used for safety reasons. However,direct atmospheric venting is certainly becomingless desirable. There remains, then, the need forpassive mitigation of runaway reactions andvented materials. Various options are discussedincluding inhibition, quenching of the reactants,and separation of the liquid and gas phasesbefore further treatment or venting. Advantagesand disadvantages are presented for thesemethods. Various currently available designmethods are presented.

"Applicability of Laboratory HeterogeneousLiquid-Liquid Phase Reaction Kinetic Data forRelief Valve Design," S.Korfmann and L.Friedel,J.Loss Prev.Process Ind. 14, No.1, 77-82(January 2001).

Kinetic data are required for the relief areadesign of safety devices in the case of runawayconditions. Generally, the data are obtained indedicated quasi-adiabatic reaction calorimeters.During design, it is then assumed the samereaction kinetic data in the laboratory andproduction scale will prevail. This assumptionseems to be useful only in the case ofhomogeneous liquid phase reaction systems. In

contrast to this supposition, the results ofexperiments with a heterogeneous (immiscible)liquid-liquid reaction system show that the stirringintensity and the reactor size can influence thereaction progress considerably. A novel formalmacro reaction kinetics model for thermalrunaway heterogenous reactions, including themixing intensity as a scaling parameter, ispresented.

"Evaluation of Methods for Predicting theToxicity of Polycyclic Aromatic HydrocarbonMixtures," W.R.Reeves et al, Env.Science &Technology 35, No.8, 1630-1636 (April 15, 2001).

Risk assessments of polycyclic aromatichydrocarbons (PAH) are hindered by a lack ofreliable information on the potency of mixturesand their individual components. This paperexamines methods for approximating the toxicityof such mixtures. A lack of agreement betweenassay-predicted toxicities and chemical analysis-predicted potencies was observed. The resultsdemonstrate the limitations of using a singlemethod to predict the toxicity of a complex PAHmixture.

"Toxic Chemicals: Assessing EnvironmentalFate and Exposure," P.Howard and W.Meylan,Chem.Eng. 108, No.3, 91-96 (March 2001).

Data bases and estimation methods aredescribed that can be used for individualassessments and the ranking and scoring ofchemicals. In selecting database and estimationmethods, the user should be aware of the size,the number of chemical classes included, and thepredictability of the chemicals used to develop theestimation model.

"Predicted Outflow from High PressureVessels," P.S.Cumber, Proc. Safety andEnvironmental Protection - Trans. IChemE, 79,Part B, 13-22 (January 2001).

The modeling of outflow from high pressurevessels or pipes following an accidental failure inthe context of the development of a safetyassessment package is addressed. The outflowmodel described is demonstrated to predict themass flow rate for releases into the atmospherefor such cases accurately in a fast and robustmanner. The mathematical formulation, thenumerical methods used, and the validation arediscussed.O

BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS


Handbook of Chemical Healthand Safety, R.J.Alaimo, Editor, 960 pp, ISBN0-8412-3484-1, Oxford University Press, Cary,NC 27513, an American Chemical SocietyPublication (2001), $195.00.

This is a single volume resource coveringissues related to chemical health and safety. Theeight sections are: (1) Safety Management andPolicy; (2) Risk Management; (3) EmergencyManagement; (4) Laboratory Equipment; (5)Chemical Management; (6) Radiological andBiological Safety Management; (7) LaboratoryDesign; and (8) Environmental Management.This handbook is applicable to laboratory andindustrial settings. Emergency preparedness andindustrial hygiene issues are included.

Patty's Toxicology, 5th Edition, E.Bingham,B.Cohrssen, and C.H.Powell, 8 Volumes plusIndex Set, 9008 pp, ISBN 0-471-31943-0, JohnWiley & Sons, New York (2000), $2,395.00.

This well-known publication is now in its fifthedition. Completely reorganized, revised, andupdated, this new edition encompasses eight corevolumes and a cumulative index containingessential toxicological data on potentiallyhazardous industrial substances. The ninevolumes are: (1) Toxicological Issues: Dust andParticles; (2) Metal Compounds 1; (3) MetalCompounds 2; (4) Hydrocarbons and OrganicNitrogen Compounds; (5) Organic HalogenatedHydrocarbons and Aliphatic Carboxylic AcidCompounds; (6) Ketones, Alcohols, Ester andEpoxy Compounds; (7) Glycol Esters andSynthetic Polymer Compounds; (8) PhysicalAgents, Interactions, Mixtures, and Populations atRisk; and (9) Cumulative Index.

Safety and Health in Confined Spaces,N.McManus, 928 pp, Lewis Publishers, BocaRaton, FL 33431 (1999), $99.95.

According to the author, 200 workers die eachyear from accidents in confined spaces. Many ofthese accidents occur in a non-production mode,that is, during maintenance, testing or other suchactivities, lockout-tagout problems, andwelding/cutting actions. In this lengthy handbook,the author covers issues of confined spaces insignificant detail. Chapters 1 through 6 providethe statistical, technical, and legal backgroundsassociated with the problems of confined spaces.

Chapters 7 though 15 outline hazard evaluationprograms and procedures for safety professionals,and Appendixes A through J provide specificdetails. The Appendices include pictures ofspecialized equipment and a variety of usefulchecklists. The principal purpose of this book is toprevent incidents involving confined spaces.

Confined Space Entry, F.R.Spellman, 134 pp,ISBN 1-56676-704-0, Technomic PublishingCo. Inc, Lancaster, PA 17604 (1999), $59.95.

The 14 Chapters in this book bring together inone text all of the OSHA regulatory requirementsfor making safe and proper confined spaceentries. More than just a review of regulatoryissues, the book serves to provide managers andsafety professionals with approaches to setting upand overseeing confined space entry programs.Good examples of confined entry checklists areincluded.

Job Hazard Analysis - A Guide to IdentifyingRisks in the Workplace, G.Schwartz, 200 pp,ISBN 0-86587-818-8, Government InstitutesDivision, ABS Group, Rockville, MD (2001),$69.00.

This book provides safety professionals andrisk managers with a step-by-step, illustratedguide to identifying and preventing occupationalhazards in any job. Job Hazard Analyses (JHA)help identify the basic steps for a job or task,identify the hazards associated with the job, anddevelop safe operating procedures to avoid thosehazards. As a result, successful JHA programscreate a defined safety awareness that leads toreduced injuries, reduced product and propertydamage, lower workers' compensation charges,and fewer on-the-job illnesses. Special featuresin the book include ready-to-use forms forconducting and documenting Job SafetyAnalyses. Examples of common workplaceinjuries are documented.

HAZOP: Guide to Best Practice, B.J.Tyler,F.Crawley, and M.L.Preston, 108 pp, IChemE,Rugby, England (1999), $60.53.

Root Cause Analysis, Problem Investigation,Proactive Improvement, M.Paradies andL.Unger, 432 pp, Systems Improvement Inc,Knoxville, TN 37923 (2000), $195.00. OO

MEETINGS


ARCHIBALD (continued from page 1)capital deployment, scale-up, stage gateprocesses, and understanding and sharing bestpractices; and(5) Organization and Workforce Practices -including training, empowerment, clear operatinginstructions, and maintenance procedures.

The premise at Rohm and Haas is that youcannot have any of these elements without havingall of them. All of these systems must worktogether to be effective and economical. Withinthe processes, networking throughout theorganization and a clear sense of ownership arecritical.

Within Rohm and Haas, the plants are"owned" by the business and manufacturingmanagers. They have clear ownership of allmanagement systems, including EHS and processsafety. Networks of experienced people areavailable to assist businesses and plants inimplementing and improving systems. Auditingtools are available. Best practices are sharedthrough the company Intranet as well as "the old-fashioned way" with manufacturing excellenceguidance books. A Corporate ManufacturingCouncil meets several times per year to shareexperiences, identify and resolve issues andproblems, and manage the "ManufacturingExcellence" processes.

Summarizing, we still don't have all theanswers, but we do know that manufacturingexcellence and process safety go hand-in-hand.O

46TH ANNUAL SAFETY IN AMMONIA PLANTSAND RELATED FACILITIES SYMPOSIUM,September 17-20, 2001, Le Centre Sheraton,Montreal, Quebec, Canada.This popular safety symposium is organized byProgram Area 11c. It is attended by experts fromaround the world. Papers are presented byrecognized international experts. The finalsession is a roundtable workshop on metallurgyissues.

6th WORLD CONGRESS OF CHEMICALENGINEERING, September 23-27, 2001,Melbourne, Australia.

16TH ANNUAL CCPS INTERNATIONALCONFERENCE AND WORKSHOP, October 2-5,2001, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.See page 5 for additional information.

AIChE ANNUAL MEETING, November 4-9,2001, Reno, Nevada.

Information about the above AIChE meetings canbe obtained at <www.aiche.org> in theConventions and Meetings Section. O

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