US Celanese shares process-safety programme with trade groups

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Celanese is sharing its Walk the Line process-safety programme with trade groups to reduce mishaps that can shut down a plant or injure employees.

The programme has already reduced the incidence of some types of accidents by more than 30% at Celanese, said Jerry Forest, the senior director of process safety at the company.

The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) and the Chlorine Institute are now sharing the programme with their members.

At its heart, Walk the Line seeks to identify the root cause of plant accidents and to find ways to prevent them from happening.

By conducting such analysis to determine the root cause of an accident, Forest and Celanese have strengthened communications between shifts, formalised the roles and responsibilities of those involved in plant start-ups, and developed comprehensive checklists and reinforced training to keep the proper steps fresh in the minds of workers.

“We never will eliminate these human-error causes of process-safety incidents until we go beyond simply noting ‘operator left valve open’ and answer the question ‘Why did the operator leave the valve open?'”  Forest wrote when the programme was receiving a wider audience in 2016.

Chemical accidents, fires and explosions have gained attention this year, with the International Terminals Company (ITC) fire in March that prompted a plume of acrid smoke to hang over the city of Houston for days and the recent indictment of Arkema executives for endangering the plant’s neighbors and rescue workers during Hurricane Harvey’s devastating floods when explosions and leaks rocked the neighbourhood.

Walk the Line concentrates on plant processes such as start-up and shut-down procedures, shift-change communications, shift notes, checklists, worker training and other management systems. Such a focus ensures that workers know their roles and responsibilities. It also ensures that nothing is overlooked in key plant operations.

Walk the Line takes its name from the simple process of checking pipes to ensure that relief valves are in the proper positions, or that the line is leading to the correct tank or process equipment.

Such improper line-ups are the cause of 30% of all accidents, Forest said.

The programme goes beyond check lists and covers a number of facets of plant operations and management efforts. It looks at company culture, continuity of operations, operational discipline and operational readiness.

“ ‘Walk the Line’ is a term that our safety programme participants know,” said Lara Swett, director of Health and Safety at AFPM. “It’s pretty comprehensive.”

The Chlorine Institute and AFPM are helping to get the comprehensive approach to a wider audience.

The Chlorine Institute is a chemical industry group with a goal of promoting best safety practices in the manufacture, handling and storage of chlorine chemicals.

“Sharing information is our job: To bring critical information to our members to get to our goal – to aim for zero accidents and emissions,” said Chlorine Institute President Frank Reiner.

Major US producers of caustic soda include Olin, Occidental Chemical, Westlake Chemical, Shintech and Formosa Plastics.