Do you have some place better to be? Do you have something better to do? Are you running from task to task and activity to activity so fast that you don’t seem to have time to care about the task or activity at hand? You know what you have to do, right? You know you…
As the famous artist, Vincent Van Gogh, said, “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” The “small things” in process engineering are no different and can have a big influence on a project’s bottom line. The impact of process engineering on the economics of a capital project is often overlooked…
My sister-in-law, Judy Perez, recently passed away after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Her last days were tough on everyone close to her. There is no doubt that cancer sucks! Being around death is not a habit I want to develop; however, exposure to the physical, mental, and spiritual grit that accompanies many…
Several years ago, while working in a refinery, I noticed a relief valve with its inlet block valve completely closed. I radioed an operator for assistance. Within minutes, two operators arrived and confirmed that the valve should not be closed. They opened the valve and thanked me for notifying them. In following up a…
Picture this…you’ve begun work with a manufacturing facility, and you notice that the facility doesn’t seem to have a robust inspection program. As you dig a little deeper, you find that inspections have been done in the past; however, there are no records that anything has been done to that equipment since inspection. In the…
My sister-in-law, Judy Perez, is battling Stage 4 pancreatic cancer and has been for over four years. She just started a cycle of compassionate care treatment at MD Anderson. Life has been especially tough for her and my brother, Julio Perez, these last several months. They have dealt with physical pain, emotional highs and lows,…
Energy organizations such as chemical manufacturers, oil and gas production, and even pharmaceutical manufacturers strive to maintain a Process Safety Management (PSM) program to ensure the safety of their employees and those around their facilities. Many of these organizations are familiar with the requirements of PSM including the process of conducting Process Hazard Analysis (PHA)…
At every facility, there is a point during the process hazard analysis when the team inevitably dives into “the black hole” of flare/relief/scrubber systems. Following strict HAZOP analysis methodology, a team documents all deviations from normal operating limits. However, with most relief systems, this leaves the team facing numerous causes, and with each source, having…
When performing a process hazard analysis (PHA), often people of different positions and specializations are gathered in the meeting room to assess the chosen process on its safety and ability to safeguard against inherent hazards. These groups can include personnel from maintenance, operations, engineering, HS&E (Health, Safety, and Environmental), and management. This diversity of thought…
I have worked in the PSM consulting business for close to 20 years. When I graduated from college, I did not set out to be a PSM engineer or consultant. PSM was in its formal infancy when I started my career as a chemical engineer with Rohm and Haas. I was fortunate that Rohm and…
