Advanced Analytics for Process Safety

A look at how advanced analytics facilitates and improves process safety efforts within the chemical process industries (CPI) Simply by the nature of some of the chemicals used and the associated complex processes involved, chemical plants can be hazardous. With the potential exposure to toxic substances, fires and explosions, incidents can range from minor to extremely serious. They can also result in significant plant damage, injuries, and sometimes even loss of life. Furthermore, major chemical manufacturing incidents can also have a catastrophic impact on the surrounding community and environment. Some examples of serious chemical accidents in recent years include the following: The Williams Olefins Chemical Plant in Geismar, Louisiana in 2013 [1]— A reboiler rupture resulted in a vapor cloud ignition, due to an unknown source of fire or heat that resulted in two fatalities Chevron Oil Refinery in Richmond, California in 2013 [2] — Personnel accidentally triggered a spark as they worked to remove insulation from an extremely old pipe that was already leaking crude oil, which resulted in a catastrophic explosion Danlin Chemical Plant in Thomas, Oklahoma in 2013 [3] — A fire from an unknown source engulfed the plant, which…