The Possible vs. The Probable

Overhead view of the Arkema plant in Corsby, Texas.
Image from United States Chemcial Safety Board 

Process stakeholders have concerns and responsibilities regarding operational safety, environmental impact, profitability, and more. At almost every level, the risk of loss, damage, or disaster is scrutinized and evaluated. Steps may be taken to prevent or reduce the impact of some negative event. Other risk reduction methods might be put into play to provide relief from losses suffered. Whatever the case, it is safe to say that much industrial effort is invested in predicting a broad range of "what if" scenarios.

The recent events at the Arkema chemical plant in Crosby, Texas bring to light the limitations we, as process operators of any type, may put on our own thinking and actions. Though investment was made, and was ongoing, to improve aspects of the plant, the operation was still brought to a standstill and a fire ensued that brought the involvement of the US Chemical Safety Board. This resulted because natural events that were likely deemed impossible became reality, with insufficient contingency operations in place to handle the situation.

What is important about the event is what we can all learn from it, what we can use to modify and improve our own methods of evaluating risk and implementing protections to prevent loss and damage. Essentially, the plant was overwhelmed by storm induced flooding that was unprecedented. Grid and backup power sources were rendered inoperable and material that required refrigeration to maintain a safe condition no longer was provided with the needed cold storage environment.

Timeline of events related to a fire at the Arkema chemical plant in Crosby, TX
Image is from US Chemical Safety Board 

The relationships between an operation and its surrounding environment are not static. The probability of any event occurring is never zero. When probabilities are perceived as being very small, they might be ignored, but low probability events can and do eventually become part of the plant environment. Developing strong contingency plans and incorporating design elements into an operation that account for events that seem impossible, but are actually of very low probability, is a good industrial practice that hardens the process or facility against disaster.

Share and discuss your concerns and plans with process instrumentation and control specialists, leveraging your own knowledge and experience with their resources to develop a better solution.

Gas and Flame Detectors for Industrial Installations

Flame detector and fixed hazardous gas monitoring units
Image courtesy SMC (Sierra Monitor Corporation)

The demand for increased levels of safety in the workplace continues to expand, with calls for better protection for workers, the plant, the environment, and surrounding communities all weighing on operators to look for ways to reduce risk. Industrial plants, especially those employing hazardous or flammable materials, can have very high risk levels. Reducing the probability of accident or failure can bring a very substantial benefit for long term operation.

Sierra Monitor Corporation manufactures hazardous gas and flame detection equipment for application in commercial and industrial environments. Their sensors and stations enable continuous monitoring of plant conditions and early warning of potentially dangerous conditions. The application possibilities range through every industry.

The document included below provides an overview of the company's products and their potential application. Share your hazardous gas and flame detection monitoring challenges with process measurement specialists, leveraging your own knowledge and experience with their product application expertise to develop a safer solution for your facility.

Fire and Gas Detection for Industrial and Commercial Installations from MSJacobs-Cali

Differential Pressure Gauge for Level Indication on Liquefied Gas Tanks

A differential pressure gauge can be used to
indicate liquid level in tanks of liquefied gas
Image courtesy Wika

Wika, globally recognized leader and innovator in the design and manufacture of pressure and temperature gauges, provides an enormous number of variants and models of its basic pressure gauge. Many of the gauges are targeted at specific applications, and incorporate a range of design and operational features to accommodate the needs of those applications.

The Cryo Gauge is designed to provide indication of the level of liquid in liquefied gas tanks, but can also serve in some other related applications. For cryo tank applications, several available measuring cells provide operating ranges that cover the most commonly used tank sizes and gas types. An optional manifold with a separate pressure gauge provides connectivity and an indication of working pressure, all in one compact station. Options for analog output, level switches, and remote data transfer are part of the flexible configuration.

More detail on the Cryo Gauge is provided in the datasheet included below. Whatever the application, share your pressure measurement challenges with process measurement experts, leveraging your own knowledge and experience with their product application expertise to develop effective solutions.

Process Differential Pressure Gauge from MSJacobs-Cali