Book: The Process Safety Professional
We are writing a book entitled The Process Safety Professional.
Note: The book is still in development, therefore the contents will change.
We are gradually releasing sections of the book to our paid subscribers. Material that is available so far includes:
Themes
The book describes just a few of the many skills and attributes that, in the opinion of your author, are needed to become a process safety professional. Of course, no single person, certainly not myself, actually possesses all these attributes. But they are a goal to aim for.
Following are some of the themes of this book.
The most important word in the phrase Process Safety Management is management. A professional in this area has to be an effective manager and/or a management consultant.
A process safety professional must be effective at working with people. For example, he or she must know how to lead a hazards analysis team, convey bad news to senior management, and negotiate with regulators.
Industrial experience is crucial.
The process safety professional must be able to sell his or her services to managers and prospective clients — people who usually have many other priorities.
A process safety professional cannot be an expert in all aspects of technical analysis such as vapor dispersion or fire and explosion modeling. But he or she does need to know how to interpret and then communicate the results of such analyses.
The list goes on. But the point is that the process safety discipline is eclectic — it involves a wide range of abilities, knowledge and experience.
Working Table of Contents
Below are the main chapters and sub-heads for the book. We will update this information on a regular basis. (We will release the draft contents of the chapters to paid subscribers.)
Chapter 1
The Journey So Far
A Two-Hundred Year Journey
Seminal Events
Bhopal
Piper Alpha
Deepwater Horizon
Knowledge of Past Events
A Timeline
Step 1. Safety as a Value
Step 2. Codes and Standards
Step 3. Workers Compensation
Step 4. Occupational/Personal Safety
Lockout / Tagout
PPE
Step 5. Systems Analysis
Step 6. Regulations
Step 7. Safety Management Systems
Safety Cases
ISO 9000 / 14001
Six Sigma
Step 8. Behavior Based Safety
Step 9. Instrumentation and Control Systems
Safety Instrumented Systems
HIPPS
Statistical Process Control
Step 10. Videos
Recordings of Events
Event Reconstruction
Chemical Safety Board
Step 11. Culture
Step 12. The Future
Chapter 2
Process Safety Fundamentals
Not Just Safety
Performance-Based
Management Elements
Working With People
Culture
Defining Culture
Employee Participation
Perfection as a Slogan
Risk Analysis
Calculation of Risk
Subjective Nature of Risk
Acceptable Risk
As Low as Reasonably Practical — ALARP
De Minimis Risk
Citations / Case Law
Indexing Methods
Other Industries
Nuclear Navy
Electronics
Civilian Nuclear Power
Chapter 3
Regulations and Standards
Historical Background
Bhopal
Piper Alpha
Deepwater Horizon
OSHA
EPA
OSHA and EPA Updates
COMAH
BSEE
Safety Cases
Professional Standards
Company Standards
Effectiveness of Regulations and Standards
Chapter 4
Skills
The Three Golfers
Formal Education
Direct Education
Continuing Education
Certification
The Resumé / CV
Level of Detail
Publications
Gaps / Negative Facts
Multiple Resumés
Systems Thinking
Constant Learning
Imagination
Professional Involvement
Networking
Benefits of Networking
Social Media Networks
Constant Reading
Holistic
Communication Skills
Writing
Reading
Speaking
Story Telling
Process Safety Beacon
Chemical Safety Board Videos
Process Safety Moments
Why Stories Are Important
Team Management
People as Individuals
People in Groups
Professional Involvement
Conveying Bad News
Network
Litigation
Chapter 5
Process Safety Engineering
The Importance of Calculations
Process Plant Documentation
Piping and Instrument Diagrams (P&IDs)
MSDS
Equipment Data Sheets
One Line Diagrams
Process Safety Management
Knowledge of Past Events
The Chemical Safety Board
Corporate Memory
Vapor Dispersion
Fires and Explosions
Engineering Standards
RAGAGEP
THERP
Chapter 6
Industrial Experience
Facility or Project Background
Industrial Equipment and Instrumentation
Chapter 7
Project Management
Chapter 8
The Management Elements
Process Safety Culture
Compliance
Competence
Workforce Involvement
Stakeholder Outreach
Knowledge Management
Hazard Identification and Risk Management
Multi-Lingual PHAs
Probabilistic Risk Analysis
Operating Procedures
Safe Work Practices
Asset Integrity / Reliability
Contractor Management
Training / Performance
Management of Change
Operational Readiness
Conduct of Operations
Emergency Management
Incident Investigation
Measurement and Metrics
Auditing
OSHA Audit Requirements
EPA RMP Audit Requirements
Audit Fundamentals
Assessments
Performance-Based Standards
Best Practices
Assessment Questions
Management Review
Chapter 9
The Process Safety Consultant
True Expertise
The Consultant as Outsider
Consultants — Not Doers
Client Relations
Cuts Gordian Knots
Quick Study
Role of the Client
Response to Criticism
Marketing
Declining Experience
Chapter 10
The Future
Operational Excellence
Net Zero
Hyperloop Generic Safety Study
Artificial Intelligence
Glossary
Works Cited
Index
