Process Safety Assessment

Front 1

Goals of a Process Safety Assessment

Back 1

Gather info on chemical hazards, handling, storage precautions, use guidelines.
Identify physical hazards in process operations and workplace practices.
Determine special actions to be taken when substituting chemical formulations
Guide selection and use of less hazardous chemicals or processes

Front 2

Skills or knowledge needed to conduct assessment

Back 2

Knowledge of chemicals, technologies, and equipment used in process
Knowledge of workplace practices and sops
Knowledge of process safety analysis, OSHA regulations, other chemical safety guidelines

Front 3

Combustible liquid

Back 3

flashpoint above 140F but below 200F

Front 4

Compressed Gas

Back 4

gas or gas mixture with:
absolute pressure >40psi at 70F or absolute pressure exceeding 104psi 130F
Also, a liquid having a vapor pressure exceeding 40psi at 100F

Front 5

Corrosive

Back 5

Causes visible destruction or irreversible alterations in living tissue by chemical action

Front 6

Explosive

Back 6

Chemical that causes a sudden release of pressure, gas, and heat when subjected to sudden shock, pressure, or high temperature

Front 7

Flammable

Back 7

Includes
Aerosol (flame projection >18"),
gas (at ambient conditions forms flammable mixture with air),
liquid (flashpoint below 100F),
solid (fire through friction, moisture, spontaneous change, heat)

Front 8

Flash Point

Back 8

Minimum temperature at which liquid gives off a vapor in sufficient concentration to ignite

Front 9

Hazard

Back 9

Condition that presents potential for injury, illness, or property damage.
4 categories: biological, chemical, mechanical, physical

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Hazardous Substance

Back 10

presents potential for injury by trait of explosive, flammable, toxic, corrosive, oxidizing, irritating, or otherwise harmful

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IDLH

Back 11

Immediately dangerous to life or health - the maximum inhalation level which a worker can escape without impairing symptoms or irreversible health effects

Front 12

Industrial Hygiene

Back 12

science of recognition, evaluation, and control of environmental factors or stresses arising in or from work situations which are hazardous

Front 13

Irritant

Back 13

Chemical which is not corrosive but causes reversible inflammatory effect on living tissue.

Front 14

LEL

Back 14

minimum concentration of a particular combustible gas or vapor necessary to support its combustion in air is defined as the
Lower Explosive Limit

Front 15

MSDS

Back 15

Material safety data sheet.
has material ID, characteristics, physical and health hazards, primary route of entry, exposure limits, listed carcinogen, precautions for safe handling, first aid, etc.

Front 16

Mixture

Back 16

two chemicals combined but not as the result of a chemical reaction

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Occupational safety and health act

Back 17

Federal statute on workplace safety and exposure of workers to chemicals

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OSHA

Back 18

occupational safety and health administration
develops and administers industrial safety and health standards

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organic peroxide

Back 19

organic compound with bivalent -O-O structure, a derivative of hydrogen peroxide with hydrogen atoms replaced by organic radical

Front 20

oxidizer

Back 20

chemical that initiates or promotes combustion in other materials causing fire

Front 21

PEL

Back 21

permissible exposure limit
8-hour ceiling concentration above which workers may not be exposed.

Front 22

PPE

Back 22

personal protective equipment
any material worn to protect worker from exposure

Front 23

physical hazard

Back 23

chemical which may be explosive, combustible, compressed gas, flammable, organic peroxide, oxidizer, pyrophoric, unstable or water-reactive

Front 24

pyrophoric

Back 24

cheical that will ignite spontaneously at air temp of 130F

Front 25

reactive

Back 25

readily changes and possible release of energy; unstable

Front 26

REL

Back 26

recommended exposure limit
limit recommended by NIOSH but not enforceable like the OSHA PEL

Front 27

Sensitizer

Back 27

causes substantial portion of exposed people or animals to develop an allergic reaction after repeated exposure

Front 28

TLV

Back 28

Threshold limit value
airborne concentration under which all workers may be repeatedly exposed without adverse effect (8 h/d & 40h/week)

Front 29

TLV-C

Back 29

Threshold limit value ceiling
concentration should not be exceeded, even instantaneously

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TLV-STEL

Back 30

15 min time weighted average exposure that should not be exceeded at any time during the work day

Front 31

UEL

Back 31

Upper explosive limit
The maximum concentration of a gas or vapor that will burn in air

Front 32

Steps

Back 32

obtain MSDS or chemical identities
Obtain process description and flow diagram
Obtain worker activity descriptions
Compare MSDS data against workplace practices to analyze for hazards
List precautions that should be taken
Determine process safety management for chemical
Review OSHA regulations to determine safe operating procedures
Provide results to necessary bodies