Amplify Your Process Safety

In this episode, Rob sits down with experienced EH&S Director, Mike Burson, to talk safety culture. Rob and Mike cover the challenges when it comes to developing a safety culture at different levels of an organization, talk strategies to improve an organization's safety culture, share stories about their experiences and struggles, and more. 

In the age of COVID-19, many services moved online to be held remotely, and Process Hazard Analyses (PHAs) were no exception. In this episode, consultants Rob and Elena talk about what they've learned over the past year when it comes to remote PHAs, including what works best and what unique challenges you might be faced with. You'll learn how remote PHA prep looks different, our thoughts on using...

Mathew Todaro of Verrill joins us again in this episode - this time to talk about environmental compliance audits. Mat, an attorney that specializes in enforcement defense, explains how EPA enforcement and emphasis of the RMP regulation has changed in recent years, and how you can best prepare your facility should you become the next site of an EPA investigation. Rob and Mat talk about how perform...

In this episode, Rob sits down with John, the newest member of the Amplify team. John talks about his career experience, what led him to his current role, successes and difficulties he's witnessed with PSM implementation, and why he feels so passionate about process safety.

In our very first Process Safety Incident Alert, Rob and John bring you the latest information about the fatal chemical release that occurred on January 28, 2021, at a food producer in Gainesville, Georgia. They also discuss another recent event involving liquid nitrogen in John's neck of the woods, talk about the industries and locations where liquid nitrogen incidents typically occur, and then p...

We're back with another episode of our PSM: Back to Basics miniseries, where we cover a PSM topic in a beginner-friendly manner for those newest to the process safety world. In this episode, Rob and Jo talk about what the PSM standard requires when it comes to Mechanical Integrity, the parallels between MI for a plant and maintenance on your car, how you might get started building your facility's...

The world of process safety is STILL chock-full of acronyms. In part 1 of our beginner-friendly miniseries, PSM: Back to Basics, we tackled the essential acronyms that PSM newbies need to know, providing an explanation and context for each term. In this episode, Rob and Jo are back to cover even more acronyms: ALARP/ALARA, BPCS, BRM, CSO/CSC, DHA, EAP/ERP, ESD, FSS, IEL/IEF, IPL, ITPM, LEL, LOPC,...

In our last episode of 2020 Rob and Wesley talk quality assurance and quality control. Listen to learn what QA/QC means, what the PSM standard says, the importance of independent verification, and how things can go right (or very wrong) when it comes to QA/QC.

In this episode, Wesley and Rob cover process safety leading and lagging indicators. They cover what these metrics are, why they're important for your organization, and some key resources you can turn to in order to learn more.  API Recommended Practice 754 - Process Safety Performance Indicators For The Refining And Petrochemical Industries IOGP Report 456 – Process safety – recommended prac...

In this episode, Rob, Wesley, and Elena team up to talk about operator training. You'll learn what the PSM standard requires, how your operating procedures affect the quality of your training program, and some tips to improve your training program and its effectiveness, including the use of a competency matrix (not to be confused with The Matrix, though we do give a shout out to Keanu Reeves). Joi...

Who are these people and why do they have a podcast? In a much needed follow-up to episode 0, you'll meet all the members of the Amplify team, hear about the very different journeys that led them to Amplify, and learn what makes them passionate about process safety. Tune in as our normally virtual team sits down together for the first time for an episode jam-packed with jabs, sarcasm, and laughs....

In today’s episode, Wesley welcomes Bob Wasileski to the show, an Energy risk engineer from Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) , who has sat on both sides of the table when it comes to insurance surveys. In this episode, you’ll learn what an insurance survey is and how it explores both sides of the bow tie diagram, the top 10 things risk engineers look for when they survey your facili...

We're back with Blaine Hoffmann from The SafetyPro Podcast , for part four of our collaborative series comparing and contrasting the PSM standard with OSHA general industry regulations. In this episode we cover the requirements surrounding Hot Work, any work that involves burning, welding, cutting, brazing, soldering, grinding, using fire- or spark-producing tools, or other work that produces a so...

In this episode we welcome back Blaine Hoffmann from The SafetyPro Podcast for another collaboration where we talk both occupational safety and process safety, and this time we cover contractor management. We'll talk about what OSHA says about contractor management for general industry, and what's required for PSM-covered facilities, how contractor management relates to both occupational and proce...

Flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes - oh my! In this episode we welcome one of our consultants, Elena Prats, CCPSC, to the podcast for the very first time. In an episode full of personal anecdotes and useful tips, Elena and Wesley cover how to assess and plan for natural hazards at your facility, when industry has been prepared and when it hasn't, and some thoughts about future natural hazard trends....

An EPA inspector has just been at your site, now what? Time to sigh in relief or time to panic? In this episode we pick up where we left off after Episode 4 - Government Inspections, and we cover what to expect once the EPA inspector is gone. Special guest Mathew Todaro of Verill Law joins us in this episode, using his years of experience handling complex regulatory matters to clue you into what y...

We've teamed up with The SafetyPro Podcast again to bring you an episode on emergency planning and response. We'll cover general industry's requirements, what PSM says, and a bit about RMP's requirements. You'll also get to hear from Blaine, a former first responder, regarding his experience with emergency response and we'll cover two incidents that truly highlight the importance of emergency acti...

In this very special episode, process safety and occupational safety worlds collide as Wesley teams up with Blaine Hoffmann from The SafetyPro Podcast to discuss incident investigation. You'll learn what OSHA's PSM standard says about incident investigation, as well as OSHA's requirements for general industry, why incident investigation is important, why root cause analysis matters, and more. OSHA...

In part four of our Back to Basics miniseries, we're talking MOC basics. You'll learn what MOC, or management of change, is, what the process is like, and who is typically involved in each step. We'll also cover two incidents that highlight the importance of MOC.  Find the two incidents we discussed and many others in Incidents that Define Process Safety . Learn more about MOC in Episode 5 -...

Wesley and Jo are back with part 3 of PSM: Back to Basics, with more content for those newest to PSM. In this episode, you'll learn what a Process Hazard Analysis, or PHA, is and what methodologies exist for conducting a PHA study. You'll also learn the basics of nodes and HAZOP studies, and then we'll discuss a gas plant incident at a facility where no HAZOP study was found to have been conducted...

New to process safety and not sure where to start? In part 2 of our new miniseries, PSM: Back to Basics, Wesley and Jo cover a plethora of process safety resources, including websites, books, conferences, apps, and more.  OSHA Letters of Interpretation OSHA Compliance Directive AIChE Academy e-Learning   SAChE Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center at Texas A&M Process Safety Intern...

The world of process safety is chock-full of acronyms. In part 1 of our new miniseries, PSM: Back to Basics, Wesley and Jo tackle the essential acronyms that PSM newbies need to know, providing an explanation and context for each term. In this episode, you'll learn about AIChE, API, ASME, CCPS, CCPSC, C&Es, CFR, CSB, CSP, EPA, ERP, II, MI, (e)MOC, NURF, PFDs, PHA, P&IDs, PSI, PSM, PSSR, RA...

What do toothpaste, coffee, Superbowl Sunday, and Spock have to do with alarms? You'll find out in this episode, where we welcome back guest Curt Snyder, a certified functional safety expert, as we discuss building an alarm management program in your facility. We'll cover what goes into creating your alarm management program, why these programs matter, and more, along with plenty of anecdotes that...

In this episode, we welcome guest Curt Snyder, a certified functional safety expert. Wesley and Curt discuss ISA 84,  RAGAGEP prescribed by CCPS for the mechanical integrity element of SIS, while also referring to IEC 61511-1, which is a nearly identical standard. In this jam-packed, highly technical episode, you'll learn why these standards exist, their objectives, and then we'll provide a h...

Operators, maintenance technicians, and I&E technicians - those we deem "boots on the ground" - are vital to the success of your process safety program. In this episode, Wesley and Rob discuss the key roles these individuals play when it comes to Process Hazard Analyses (PHAs), operating procedures, operator training, incident investigation, near miss reporting, compliance audits, Management o...