Webinars

Understanding Mechanical & Electrical Ignition Sources (MEIRA & HAC)

When: Weds, January 30, 2019 at 2:00pm EST.

In explosion and flash fire incidents, electrical arcs and electrostatic sparks are often considered to be primary ignition sources, because they are “everywhere” and can have sufficient energy to ignite most flammable gases, vapors and dusts. However, there is a wide variety of other types of ignition sources that must be considered. Mechanical equipment is commonly found in manufacturing sites and can present a significant non-electrical ignition hazard. Hazardous Area Classification, to manage selection and installation methods of electrical devices, traditionally only addresses the ignition hazard of electrical equipment. Mechanical equipment often contains bearings and rotating parts that can cause frictional heating and frictional sparks during routine operation or during equipment-upset conditions. To identify – and eliminate or control – these types of ignition sources, an analysis method that is described as a “Mechanical Equipment Ignition Risk Assessment” [MEIRA] can be used.

Join us for Understanding Mechanical & Electrical Ignition Sources. During this informative presentation, we will discuss:

• Mechanical Ignition Sources
• Their energy potentials
• The likelihood and risk of ignition from each of these sources.
• Category 1, 2 and 3 equipment as it relates to Mechanical Ignition Sources
• How to perform a Mechanical and Electrical Ignition Risk Assessment (MEIRA)
• Process Safety Information required for a MEIRA
• How to properly document the MEIRA to serve as an aid in future assessments and Management of Change

How Good Are Your Answers – Questions Posed by the Combustible Dust Call to Action from the Chemical Safety Board

When: Weds., February 13, 2019 at 2:00pm EST.

In 2018 the US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) released a “Call to Action” on Combustible Dust. Despite past efforts of this investigatory body, major Combustible Dust fires, flash fires and explosions continue to plague industry. The Call to Action asks for comments from companies, regulators, inspectors, safety training providers, researchers, unions, and the workers in dust producing operations. The document lists eleven questions on which the CSB would like comments.

Please join us for this webinar, during which we will provide practical responses to these questions. These responses will provide strategies for managing the important aspects of Combustible Dust hazards identified by this Call to Action. This information can be applied directly to your workplace.

Top 10 Rules for Process Safety

When: Weds., July 17, 2019 at 2:00pm EST.

In this free webinar, we will discuss how the improvement of process safety performance must be a recurring discussion in organizations. Industries are still experiencing severe process safety incidents globally due to catastrophic events involving the release/loss of containment of highly hazardous materials that have resulted in large-scale health and environmental consequences.

This webinar is targeted to process safety professionals to give you a new perspective on a series of 10 essential rules that should be considered to better manage process safety at various levels of your organization.

Applying the Lessons of Reactive Chemical Case Studies to Your Operations

When: Weds., August 14, 2019 at 2:00pm EST.

Incidents due to reactive chemical hazards continue to occur in the manufacturing industry, resulting in loss of life, property damage and environmental impact. There are many federal regulations as well as best industry practices that can be utilized to identify potential reactive chemical hazards, evaluate the impact of consequences and develop appropriate strategies to prevent or mitigate the impacts.

Several reactive chemical incidents investigated by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) will be reviewed to identify common root causes that will be developed into lessons learned. Resources will be provided to address these lessons learned from common root causes including the lack of hazard recognition and inadequate protection strategies. Strategies for applying these lessons learned and strategies for process design of reactive chemical processing will be discussed.

Join us for an overview of reactive chemical case studies as we review root causes and apply the lessons learned to ensure safer manufacturing processes. During this informative webinar, we will discuss:

• Common root causes of incidents due to reactive chemical hazards
• Lessons learned from these incidents
• Guidelines for identifying reactive chemical hazards in your process
• Process design considerations for exothermic reactions

Practical Steps to Investigate Fire and Explosion Incidents

When: Weds., November 20, 2019 at 2:00pm EST.

The devastating nature of fire and explosions in the process industry is very alarming. Every year, thousands of deaths and injuries occur, in addition to billions of dollars in property losses and production downtime. The US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) in 2006 stated that 281 dust explosions were reported between 1980 and 2005 in the USA alone, killing 119 workers and injuring 718. When these types of incidents occur, investigations are initiated to find the root cause of these incidents and to make recommendations to prevent further incidents.

NFPA 921 “Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations” provides detailed guidelines and recommendations for the safe and systematic investigation or analysis of fire and explosion incidents. Fire and explosion investigation or analysis and the accurate listing of causes are fundamental to the protection of lives and property from the threat of hostile fire or explosions. It is through an efficient and accurate determination of the cause and responsibility that future fire incidents can be avoided.

Join us as we review the step to investigate fire and explosion incidents. During this informative presentation, we will discuss:

• Basic fire and explosion science
• Recognition and definition of the problem: In this case, identification of the fuel and ignition source(s) of a fire or explosion.
• Collection of data through observations and experimentation: Facts about the fire or explosion incident are collected by observation, experiment, or other direct data gathering means.
• Analysis of the data: This requires that all data collected be analyzed.
• Formulation of hypotheses: Based on the data analysis, hypothesis, or hypotheses are formulated, to explain the phenomena, whether it be the nature of fire patterns, fire spread, identification of the origin, the ignition sequence, the fire or explosion cause, or the causes of damage or responsibility for the fire or explosion incident.
• Evaluation and testing of hypotheses: Testing of the hypothesis is performed using the principle of deductive reasoning, in which to all known facts, as well as the body of scientific knowledge associated with the phenomena relevant to the specific incident, are compared with the hypotheses.
• Selection of a final hypothesis: The likelihood of the final hypothesis being the actual scenario is to be characterized (1) as “probable, to an acceptable level of certainty” or, alternatively, (2) as “possible” or “suspected”, in which case the scenario would be characterized as “undetermined”.
• Familiarity with this Guide will provide the use with the tools that he/she needs to conduct an effective cause and origin investigation of fire and explosion incidents.