Process Safety with Trish & Traci

Was the Seveso accident, which released dioxin in the air and was named by Time magazine as one of the top manmade environmental disasters, a black swan event? Not likely, according to Trish Kerin, director of the IChemE Safety Centre. On the 45th anniversary of this catastrophic event, we take a look at lessons learned.

A money-grab hack prompted executive orders to get cybersecurity under control at firms supplying the government. Private companies will have to comply even if they aren’t the primary contractor. 

Preparing for the worst is in a facility’s best interest. Indeed, in 2020 there were over 800 natural and man-made disasters that resulted in $4.5 trillion in damages. This episode of Process Safety with Trish & Traci features Dale Sands, an expert in risk reduction and resiliency.

The catastrophic incident at the Fukushima power plant 10 years ago started long before an earthquake and tsunami wiped out power and caused three reactor meltdowns -- the real problem started in 1967 when the plant was built in a tsunami-prone area. The lessons learned from this disaster can save others.

Advertising so many days since the last injury can do more harm than good at a facility. The absence of an incident doesn't mean the presence of safety. Focusing on the correct indicators can help you intervene and potentially change the future. In this episode, Trish & Traci prove when the measure becomes a target it ceases to be a good measure.

When disaster strikes, first responders already have a tough job ahead of them. Don’t put them in further danger by failing to effectively communicate what your facility does and what hazardous substances are stored there.

It starts with the idea of the inherently safer design principle and that involves elimination. You can take out one hazard but are you increasing the presence of other hazards? What's better? What's worse? This is a judgment call that needs to be made on an engineering basis.   This episode reiterates that process safety requires constant vigilance. The challenge is when it works well, nothing go...

A heat exchanger, management of change issues and a gap in knowledge led to a catastrophic incident. All of these were preventable mistakes. When will we learn? 

In this episode Trish and Traci speak with podcast guest Valerie Stakes, a bilingual safety trainer based in San Diego, California. The trio conclude companies need to ensure that communications are understandable because process safety doesn't give you second chances.

To mark the 15th anniversary of the Mumbai High North Platform disaster, Trish and Traci discussed what happened that day in 2005. This incident started off as a rather mundane issue -- the cook at the site was injured and needed evacuation. A series of unfortunate events, precipitated by weather conditions, led to the deaths of 22 people. All said, 362 people needed to be rescued that day. The ma...

Trains carrying dangerous cargo like crude oil -- is it the right way to go? Applying process safety principles like inherently safer design could prevent derailments, explosions and deaths. In this episode, Trish & Traci examine the recent uptick in crude oil derailments and what could be done to prevent them.

In this episode of Process Safety with Trish & Traci, we learn how Trish landed in the role of director of the IChemE Safety Centre. The mishaps and safety incidents she was involved in led to her passion to ensure process-safety standards were practiced all over the world. It's a dream job that began with an aviation fueling accident.

Having to accommodate social distancing practices along with other precautions to ensure workers are safe is a challenge but not insurmountable. Trish & Traci discuss new ways to do old things 

You can effectively address your workforce if you factor in how you will interact with the attendees, how you will get their feedback, how you will encourage discussion amongst them. This episode of Process Safety With Trish & Traci uncovers best practices for presenting and attending safety training virtually.

This podcast takes a look at major process safety incidents -- West Texas, Deepwater Horizon and others. Trish Kerin, director of IChemE Safety Centre, and Traci Purdum, senior editor with Chemical Processing, discuss what happened and what was learned.

This episode of Process Safety With Trish & Traci details tips and tactics to better lead during trying times -- whether it’s a global pandemic or just a time of critical importance. Spoiler: Self-care is important as is a sense of fun.

Having thorough and up-to-date process safety documentation will enable plant personnel and first responders to act quickly. Knowledge is power -- be sure that if something goes wrong you know what to do about it. This episode of Process Safety with Trish & Traci offers sage advice. 

Is inherently safer design really safer? Short answer is yes -- but you have to understand the tradeoffs. In this edition of Process Safety with Trish & Traci we delve into past incidents and lessons learned. We also reveal a fun fact about Trevor Kletz. 

This episode of Process Safety with Trish & Traci discusses the topic of punishment for acts that directly relate to safety incidents. While true accidents happen, there are cases where corporate wrongdoing is the reason for injury or loss of life. 

Today's topic is a news story from earlier this year regarding the fire and explosions and ultimate shuttering of the Philadelphia Energy Solutions oil refinery. The official word from the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board is that a corroded pipe fitting, found to be half the thickness of a credit card at its thinnest point, led to that incident. The concern is that the pipe, whi...

It's not a question of if you will get hacked -- it's a question of when. Traci Purdum, senior digital editor of Chemical Processing, and Trish Kerin, director of IChemE Safety Centre, discuss cyber vulnerabilities and how to stay ahead of the bad actors wanting to stymie your operations. 

The aftermath of a hurricane or extreme weather goes well beyond the event itself. Many issues arise that can cause problems months or even years later. How do you prepare for the current weather and mitigate against accidents in the future?

Trish Kerin, director of IChemE Safety Center, and Traci Purdum, senior editor at Chemical Processing, discuss process safety regulations. In the end, a safe workspace is a productive workspace and regulations aren't meant to keep you down -- they are meant to keep you safe. The key is making sure regulators are educated enough to help you reach your safety goals.

In this episode of Process Safety with Trish and Traci we examine recent catastrophic events at chemical plants in China. Trish Kerin, director of the IChemE Safety Center offers compelling insight into what might be causing so many accidents abroad.