Podcasts
Trish Kerin, director of IChemE Safety Centre, and Chemical Processing’s Traci Purdum discuss current process safety issues offering insight into mitigation options and next steps.
Manage Transient Operations to achieve Process Safety - 6 steps to follow
In this podcast, Trish and Traci discuss the importance of process safety during transient operations.
Lessons Learned from the explosion at the Phillips Petroleum Complex
On the 35th anniversary of the deadly event, Trish and Traci examine how routine maintenance can go horribly wrong.
Process Safety meets Nancy Drew, James Bond and MacGyver
In this episode, Trish and Traci interview Fiona Erskine, an engineer and crime novelist who has a passion for process safety.
World's First Process Safety Management Standard
In this episode, Trish and Traci discuss the Canadian Process Safety Management (PSM) standard CSA Z767, the world's first national PSM standard. Adrian Pierorazio and Parnian Jadidian — part of the team that crafted the standard — explain its development, starting as a guideline and evolving into a national standard to provide a unified framework for PSM across various industries in Canada. The standard was updated in 2024 to incorporate industry feedback and expand key sections.
Lessons Learned from 1994 Texaco Refinery Explosion
In this episode, Trish and Traci discuss the control system failures, alarm floods, maintenance issues and emergency response which factored into the 1994 Texaco Refinery Explosion.
Corroded Pipe Elbow sparks explosion launches 38,000lb shrapnel
In this 75th episode, Trish and Traci look back on the fifth anniversary of the Philadelphia Energy Solutions Refinery fire and explosion which occurred on 21 June 2019 and discuss the five issues identified by the US Chemical Safety Board: mechanical integrity, outdated equipment, lack of remote emergency isolation valves, safeguard reliability and the need for inherently safer design.
Lessons Learned from Flixborough 50 years later
Trish and Traci discuss the Flixborough disaster which occurred in 1974 resulting in 28 fatalities and significant damage, leading to the introduction of management of change processes, improved asset integrity practices, emphasis on competency management, and enhanced control room safety measures. This landmark incident highlighted the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration and continues to serve as a lesson in process safety.
Hazardous Lies: Former Safety Investigator pens Fictional Thriller
Trish and Traci interview Stephen J Wallace, a former investigator with the US Chemical Safety Board and author of the book "Hazardous Lies". Wallace offers insights into the world of process safety investigations and the motivation behind his fictional thriller.
Lessons Learned from the deadly Formosa explosion
In this podcast, Trish and Traci discuss some lessons learned from an incident that occurred 20 years ago on 23 April 2004.
Lessons Learned from Boeing's 737 MAX Crisis
In this podcast, Trish and Traci discuss the aviation industry's Boeing 737 MAX crisis and how it revealed critical management failures, emphasising the important of rigourous management of change, prioritising safety over profitability and identifying weak signals.
Master Inherently Safer Design Principles
Eliminate, substitute or minimize hazards to save lives and the environment. Trish and Traci discuss mastering inherently safer design principles.
Accident Anniversaries: Honoring Lives and Learning Lessons
From the LNG explosion in Algeria and the Boston molasses spill to Flixborough and the Valdez oil spill, Trish and Traci discuss the ongoing relevance of these incidents and the importance of continuous learning in process safety.
Avoid Common Pitfalls of Risk Perception Via Statistics, Storytelling
In this podcast, Trish and Traci are joined by Dr Melissa Humphreys who is a statistician to discuss the challenges of intuitively understanding uncertainty and likelihoods in risk assessments. It also stresses the need for storytelling and stakeholder engagement.
Lessons Learned From The Deadly Explosion In Pasadena, Texas
The legacy of Mary Kay O'Connor, who was killed in this incident, has aided in promoting process safety and saving lives.
Mastering Risk Management in High-Hazard Industries
There is no such thing as zero risk, but we can take more effective approaches to minimize the potential for those risks to be realized. Trish and Traci are joined by Mark Jarman, who has worked in the risk field for over 35 years. They discuss how risk itself has changed over time and has this impacted risk assessment methodologies.
Game-based Learning Revolutionizes Process Safety Education in the Chemical Industry
Trish and Traci are joined by Dr Cheryl Bodnar, one of the brilliant minds behind "Contents Under Pressure", an immersive game designed to teach process safety. Discover the story behind the game and its impact on education and industry.
Piper Alpha Disaster - 22 Terrifying Minutes, Countless Lessons Learned
The tragedy exposed various deficiencies in safety management and emergency response.
The Importance of Ethics in Engineering
Inspired by a recent study about DuPont and 3M's knowledge of the toxicity of PFAS chemicals, Trish and Traci discuss transparency and emphasize the need for professionals to exercise their ethical judgment and stand up for what is right
Lessons Learned from the 2013 Williams Olefins Explosion
Trish and Traci discuss the cause of the explosion which was traced back to a heat exchanger at the plant. Written procedures, checklists, redundancy and assessing risks for transient and unusual operations can help avoid catastrophe.
Lessons Learned from 1988 Shell Plant Explosion
In this episode, Trish and Traci discuss ways to stay ahead of corrosion concerns and how to better protect workers in case of unthinkable catastrophe.
Don't Dismiss Process Safety Weak Signals - Find Your Platypus
In this podcast, Trish and Traci discuss how cognitive biases lead to process safety events. By getting our brains used to looking for the unusual, we can better manage safety in our facilities.
Examining Ohio Train Derailment; Five-Year Anniversary of ExxonMobil Earthquake Incident
Trish and Traci discuss the response to the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment noting that environmental factors could be an issue for some time. Also, this episode unpacks how ExxonMobil was able to weather a hurricane just five miles from the epicenter without loss of containment.
Tactics to help First Responders during Process Safety incidents
Trish and Traci share insight into rescue challenges and solutions at chemical facilities and they are joined by Patrick Jessee, commander paramedic for the Bureau of Operations of the Chicago Fire Department.
Lessons Learned from 2022 Process Safety Incidents
Turning tragedy into tools to help avoid future catastrophes will help keep workers safe. Trish and Tracy reflect on some of the safety incidents from 2022.
Hone Transferable Skills to Promote Safety
The workplace can be so much more for colleagues than simply doing a job and going home. If you want to succeed, you need to listen and communicate as it's the currency of safety. Trish and Traci are joined by Craig Wright, ISC Process Safety Specialist to discuss transferable skills to promote safety.
Avoid a Hero Complex during Safety Training
Practice, practice and more practice makes great emergency response but be careful of the message you are sending. Trish and Traci discuss safety training.
Hydrogen Safety and the Energy Revolution
In this podcast, Trish and Traci are joined by special guest, Owen Quake from BP to discuss hydrogen safety and the energy revolution. Owen has recently been appointed the global HSE and carbon manager for BP's emerging hydrogen and carbon capture and storage business. Owen represents BP as the chair of the Center for Hydrogen Safety Managing Board and on a range of other external forums, such as the International Hydrogen Council Safety and Regulatory Task Force.
San Bruno Pipeline Explosion Lessons Learned
Trish and Traci look back at the San Bruno pipeline explosion that occurred on 9 September 2010 in San Bruno, California and talk about grandfathering and ensuring drawings are accurate.
Unique Program Delivers Safer Workplace
In this podcast, Trish and Traci are joined by Tony Bocek, Senior Operations Technician at BP Cherry Point refinery in Blaine, Washington to discuss how employee engagement creates positive safety attitudes and reveals why procedures are in place - even if they might seem a little bit bureaucratic.
Deadly Dust - Lessons Learned from the Didion Milling Explosion
Trish and Traci look back at the deadly dust explosion that occurred at Didion Milling in Cambria Wisconsin on 31 May 2017. Indictments leveled against a few key players are charging conspiracy to commit federal offenses in order to conceal violations and unsafe conditions from auditors and government agencies.
Chernobyl Disaster Dangers Then and Now
In this podcast, Trish and Traci discuss the war in Ukraine and the anniversary of Chernobyl bringing to light lessons learned from the past and unfortunate worries of today.
Examining Technology’s Blessings And Burdens
In this podcast, Trish and Traci discuss how process safety is impacted by automation, robotics, devices and solutions. Whether the impact is positive or negative remains in the hands of humans who implement the technology.
Deadly lessons learned from a Permit-to-Work Failure
In this podcast, Trish and Traci address permit to work systems that are used to ensure that work is done safely and efficiently.
How to make money and save lives via process safety
In this 29th podcast, Trish and Traci talk about cold, hard cash and how process safety can make you money.
Preventable patterns revealed in 2021 Process Safety incidents
In this podcast, Trish and Traci review some of the process safety incidents that have occurred in 2021, and see if there are any lessons learned that can help others avoid or be aware of in the future.
How to avoid dumb ways to die
If you are relying on humans getting it right every time, you are going to have an incident. The key is making sure that your systems are more resilient to humans making a mistake. Trish and Traci discuss this in further depth.
What is Delta HAZOP?
In this podcast, Trish and Traci will focus on subtleties. Hazard and operability studies are a common process hazard analysis technique designed to find the big safety offenders. However, to really ensure process safety, facilities must also focus on subtle changes, which can lead to degradation of the design safeguards.
Could Deepwater Horizon have been prevented?
In this podcast, Trish and and Traci look back at the lessons learned from the Montara oil field incident in 2009.
Lessons Learned from the Seveso Environmental Disaster
Was the Seveso accident, which released dioxin in the air and was named by Time magazine as one of the top manmade environmental disasters, a black swan event? Trish and Traci discuss the lessons learned from this catastrophic event.
The Ripple Effect of Recent Cybersecurity Breaches
In this podcast, Trish and Traci speak with Eric Byers, one of the world's top experts in the field of ICS and OT security.
The Cost Climate Change has on Process Safety
In this podcast, Trish and Traci speak with Dale Sands, an expert in risk reduction and resiliency.
Lessons Learned from the Fukushima disaster 10 years later
Focus on the right Process Safety Indicators
The absence of an incident does not mean the presence of safety. Focusing on the correct indicators can help you intervene and potentially change the future. In this podcast, Trish and Traci prove when the measure becomes a target it ceases to be a good measure.
Understand the Importance of Partnering with First Responders
In this podcast, Trish and Traci speak with Fire Captain Bryan Suesse about the dangers first responders face and how chemical-processing facilities can mitigate risks and help save lives.
How to apply Process Safety during Concept Select
In this episode Trish and Traci reiterates that process safety requires constant vigilance. The challenge is when it works well, nothing goes wrong. People then question if you really need to spend all that money on safety efforts. The reason nothing is going wrong is because you’re doing it right.
Lessons learned from the Longford Gas Explosion that killed two
In this episode, Trish and Traci examine the Esso Longford gas explosion. Sadly, all the mistakes were nothing unheard of — simply a chain of errors that caused the deaths of two workers.
Ensure your safety message is understood
In this episode, Trish and Traci speak with podcast guest Valerie Stakes, a bilingual safety trainer based in San Diego, California. The trio conclude companies need to ensure that communications are understandable because process safety doesn't give you second chances.
Catastrophe at the hands of legacy design issues
In this podcast, Trish and Traci discuss lessons learned from the Mumbai High North Platform disaster of 2005. Ultimately, a range of different natural events can cause all sorts of issues at industrial facilities. The bottom line: You need to be prepared to deal with myriad scenarios via mitigation strategies and response.
Transporting Dangerous Cargo via Train - What could go wrong?
Applying process safety principles like inherently safer design could prevent derailments, explosions and deaths. Trish and Traci examine the recent uptick in crude oil derailments and what could be done to prevent them.
Mistakes make good leaders
Trish talks to Traci about how she landed her role as Director of the IChemE Safety Centre. Mishaps and safety incidents led to Trish's passion to ensure process safety standards were practiced all over the world.
How the Chemical Industry is Adjusting to the New Norm
Trish and Traci talk about what needs to happen when bringing back your workforce. How will they remain safe distances? How will they handle PPEs? What could go wrong and how to manage and mitigate all the risks.
Take advantage of downtime to ramp up process safety
Trish and Traci uncovers best practices for presenting and attending safety training virtually.
What have we learned from significant safety incidents?
Trish and Traci point out that while it is easy to judge accidents after the fact, judgment does not help prevent tragedy. You need to really unpack why the decisions were made in order to avoid them.
Leading through a crisis
Trish and Traci details tips and tactics to better lead during trying times — whether it’s a global pandemic or just a time of critical importance.
Operating during a pandemic and process safety documentation
Operating during a pandemic is challenging. If something goes wrong what are you going to do about it. Regarding process safety knowledge is power and make sure your documentation is thorough and current.
Is inherently safer design really safer?
Born out of Trevor Kletz's 1978 article entitled "What You Don't Have Can't Leak", inherently safer design focuses on design philosophy. Trish and Traci seek to answer if the concept really makes facilities safer.
Are corporate manslaughter charges too much for safety incidents?
Trish and Traci discuss if plant management should face punishment for safety incidents.
Cyber security: It's not if you'll be hacked - it's when
Trish and Traci discuss cyber security.
Is a hurricane Harvey hangover the reason for so many safety incidents in Texas?
Trish and Traci discuss the aftermath of a hurricane or extreme weather goes well beyond the event itself. Many issues arise that can cause problems months or even years later. How do you prepare for the current weather and mitigate against accidents in the future?
Do regulations make chemical processing plants safer?
Trish and Traci discuss process safety regulations. In the end, a safe workspace is a productive workspace and regulations are not meant to keep you down — they are meant to keep you safe. The key is making sure regulators are educated enough to help you reach your safety goals.
A corroded pipe and decades-old regulations
Guest Expert Greg Borgard joins Trish and Traci to discuss a news story from earlier this year regarding the fire and explosions and ultimate shuttering of the Philadelphia Energy Solutions oil refinery. The official word from the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board is that a corroded pipe fitting, found to be half the thickness of a credit card at its thinnest point, led to that incident. The concern is that the pipe, which was installed when Richard Nixon was president — 1973 — went all this time without being properly checked.
Educated workforce key to safety in China
Trish and Traci examine recent catastrophic events at chemical plants in China. Trish offers compelling insight into what might be causing so many accidents abroad.