Conference Papers
It is crucial for Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) teams to be aware that the mere presence of a pressure relief device does not necessarily constitute a valid safeguard against all overpressure scenarios for the protected system. This paper will present the following ten most important questions for a PHA team to ask when considering pressure relief systems as safeguards.
Mr. Drennen is a member of BakerRisk’s Process Safety Group. His work focuses on Process Safety Management (PSM) Consulting Services, including Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) and Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA) facilitation (for both existing processes and capital projects), Sizing calculations and hydraulic studies for pressure relief devices and relief headers, Detailed dispersion modeling of pressure relief system discharges to the atmosphere using Safesite3G©, Development of guidelines and work processes for relief system design and analysis, Safety Integrity Level (SIL) determination, Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), and PSM Compliance Audits, serving the Oil & Gas, Chemical, Agricultural, and Energy industries.
For his PHA and LOPA facilitation work, he has utilized various methodologies including Hazards and Operability (HAZOP), What-If, Structured What-If (SWIF), Hazard Identification (HAZID), and Checklist techniques to evaluate hazardous process operations, new equipment designs, and process modifications, using PHA Pro, PHAWorks, Leader, and PHA-Tool© documentation software.
Mr. Connor is a member of BakerRisk’s Process Safety Group. His work focuses on Facility Siting Studies and Quantitative Risk Assessments at refineries, specialty chemicals, and petrochemical facilities. He also has experience with Process Hazard Analyses, Dust Hazard Analyses, Incident Investigations, Fire and Gas Detection, and Reliability Calculations.
As the biofuels industry continues to expand in support of global decarbonization mandates and objectives, facility owners and developers are being challenged to balance production efficiency, operational reliability, and personnel safety.
As high hazard facilities, biofuels sites should focus on developing a fire protections strategy informed by performance-based analysis so strategies implemented meet the unique challenges found at each facility.