Managing Process Safety

Process safety regulations were first implemented in California and New Jersey. Later the OSHA process safety management (PSM) standard followed by the EPA RMP Rule regulated process safety in the entire United States. Since then many countries worldwide have promulgated PSM regulations similar to the OSHA PSM standard. Most companies have implemented their PSM systems to comply with these regulations. More proactive companies have realized the benefits of process safety management and have expanded the implementations of PSM systems to processes and facilities not regulated. These companies are realizing the full business benefits of PSM by establishing corporate responsibility, creating business value, earning the respect of the local community, realizing the freedom of self-determination and avoiding the costs associated with accidents.

ioMosaic provides consulting services to help clients meet their regulatory requirements and to realize the quantitative and qualitative benefits of a comprehensive process safety and risk management program.

Process Safety and Risk Management Systems

The key to implementation of effective process safety and risk management systems is to develop a common framework that includes all local regulatory requirements and all corporate standards. Facilities in countries that do not regulate process safety or have different requirements from the US do not want to comply with US standards. Processes that pose lower risk or are more inherently safe than others should have different process safety and risk management systems requirements.

ioMosaic partners have worked with numerous industry groups and companies to develop safety and risk management systems, guidelines and standards, and audit protocols. Our services include baseline and compliance audits, preparation of implementation/follow-up plans, development of guidelines and standards, and implementation of program elements. We can help you comply with internal company standards; CCPS, CMA, API, and other industry guidelines; and the regulatory requirements of OSHA's Process Safety Management Standard and EPA's Risk Management Program (RMP) Rule.

Process Hazard Analysis

Effective process safety and risk management starts with understanding the hazards that are present in your process. Process hazard analysis (PHA) should be conducted throughout the life of a process from initial laboratory trials, through operation, until the process is decommissioned. At different stages of a process life cycle different PHA techniques may need to be used. Our partners have pioneered many of the current techniques for conducting PHAs and understand the best use of these techniques, including preliminary or inherent hazard analysis, hazard and operability (HAZOP) studies, and failure modes and effects analyses (FMEA). Our risk ranking methodology provides the basis for making risk-based decisions without the need for quantitative risk analysis. Our commercial HAZOPtimizer software allows any type of PHA to be readily documented.

Hazard and Risk Assessment

Risk assessment can be accomplished both qualitatively and quantitatively and at varying levels of detail. When companies are carrying out qualitative risk assessments, ioMosaic's ioFIRST software supports risk screening activities, while our major risk survey approach guides more detailed risk assessments. If a quantitative review is needed, we have extensive experience using both fault-tree and event-tree analyses to determine the frequency of potential incidents and evaluate risk. SuperChems, our hazard assessment modeling software includes source term and vapor dispersion models. Our techniques have been applied to the assessment of facility siting and layout.

Engineering Design and Support

We offer a range of technical services related to safety and competitive advantage. With our advanced computer simulation tools, we can assess and design effective pressure relief and vent containment systems to protect facilities, particularly those that handle highly reactive chemicals. We also offer clients new methodologies for assessing reactivity hazards and fire and explosion dynamics. We support these services with laboratory data for testing reactivity hazards.

Incident Investigation and Litigation Support

Our partners have investigated and provided litigation support for many high profile accidents involving fires, explosions, and runaway reactions. We understand the critical aspects of incident investigation, including preservation of data and effective interviewing of witnesses. Our partners have also been called as expert witnesses for litigation resulting from major incidents.

Software

We offer software for conducting risk screening, documenting PHAs, and conducting hazard assessments. These tools are essential for any professional with safety or risk management responsibility. These software tools include: SuperChems^TM, ioXpress^TM, HAZOPtimizer^TM and ioFirst^TM.

Training

Training is an effective means to transfer the extensive knowledge, skills and experience of our staff. Our partners have trained hundreds of individuals representing companies in the chemical, oil and gas, pharmaceutical, and other industries that handle hazardous materials, as well as individuals representing governmental agencies. They also teach courses for industry associations such as the AIChE. Our courses cover a full range of safety and risk management tools and techniques, which we use in providing professional services. We can customize any of our existing courses or develop new courses to meet your needs. We also provide online training courses for your convenience.

WE ARE THE SOURCE FOR INDUSTRY REFERENCES IN SAFETY AND RISK MANAGEMENT

For AIChE's Center for Chemical Process Safety and the DIERS Users Group, our partners and affiliates have authored and contributed to the following standard industry references that provide guidance across a wide spectrum of safety and risk topics:

• The Business Case for Managing Process Safety
• Guidelines for Post-Release Mitigation
• Guidelines for Design Solutions for Process Equipment Failures
• Guidelines for Process Safety in Batch Reaction Systems
• Proceedings of the 1st International Symposium on Runaway Reactions
• Proceedings of the 2nd International Symposium on Runaway Reactions, Effluent Handling, and Pressure Relief Design
• Guidelines for Auditing Process Safety Management Systems
• Guidelines for Technical Management of Chemical Process Safety
• Guidelines for Safe Storage and Handling of High Toxic Hazard Chemicals
• Guidelines for Implementing Process Safety Management Systems

On each project, we put our knowledge and experience at your service, working closely with your staff to support and expand your company's capabilities and strengths. Our objective is to provide you with practical solutions that protect your profits and provide tangible business results.