26 Mar

What We Can Learn From the 100 Largest Losses

Recently, Marsh released its report on the 100 Largest Losses in the hydrocarbon extraction, transport and processing industry from 1974 to 2013. Using the Nelson-Farrar Petroleum Pant Cost Index, the report includes inflated values to show how much these 100 incidents would cost in 2013.

Of the top 20 events, eight have taken place in the United States. Most of those losses are associated with vapor cloud explosions at petrochemical plants. While the study covers 40 years of plant operations, these events are hardly in our past. A petrochemical explosion on June 13^th, 2013 was one of the eight events.

While different sectors were involved in the report, all problems can be narrowed down to a few key areas that exist in all plants: Hardware, Management Systems and Emergency Controls. These are the systems that keep everything running smoothly and their failure can be catastrophic.

One of the easiest ways to ensure your safety systems are always running is to have a maintenance plan in place for routine checkups. The more regular the maintenance, the more you reduce the risk of a catastrophic event. In addition, new and emerging threats should be considered when upgrading hardware and emergency controls. This is why cyber security has been such a huge topic of late. Explosions and natural disasters may be at the heart of these 100 losses, but negligence towards emerging threats leaves the door open to something new creating even more damage.

If you want more information on protecting yourself from all safety threats, contact your local engineering consultants at Synergy Systems Inc.

06 Mar

The Synergy of Man and Machine

by Synergy Systems in Engineering & Automation Experts

Smart machines only hold as much intelligence as the humans who build and program them. William Hawkins mentions the idea of machines and computers that learn from each other to be frightening. In such an environment, a machine could “learn” to override human actions it interprets as harmful. While current technology and gather, measure and interpret large amounts of data, they lack the ability to learn from it. That job is left to humans who must work in synergy with plant machines.

Having both humans and machines involved in a process system takes advantage of the strengths of each. Machines are an obvious asset with their predictability and ability to withstand steps in the manufacturing processes that are risky for humans. Process and plant engineers, on the other hand, have ingenuity and creativity that can be harnessed as continuous business improvement.

Synergy Systems balances these strengths with a three pronged process. We send our engineering experts directly to client plants and communicate with the process engineers working there. Since plant employees play such a crucial role in the operation of a system, we believe their input is vital to the success of any project. The three things we discuss are what machines should be doing, how they are currently running and how the plant employees would like them to run. Balancing these three realities with the goals of the business is a sure way to achieve success.

When it comes to business success, it is imperative that the strengths of all available assets be used. Cutting-edge technology is only one facet of success. Incorporating the knowledge, needs and ideas of plant employees to work in tandem with technology enables any company to accomplish its highest goals.

03 Apr

Safety and the Value of Risk Assessments

by Synergy Systems in Engineering & Automation Experts

The control of combustion elements in a boiler system is similar to controlling an explosion. Within any process system, where specific elements need to maintain their prescribed balance, small miscalculations can be devastating. This is why safety is one of Synergy’s top priorities. While optimization and efficiency are of great importance, none of it matters if a system isn’t safe.

Regular risk assessments and timely inspections are essential in order to maintain plant safety. The illusion of a safe environment is often created by the fact that no harmful incident has happened. The time to consider a risk assessment is not after an employee or system has been severely injured, but before.

Like every other area of a plant, safety can be optimized for the greatest efficiency. Synergy’s safety measures, including our PLC systems and valve trains, have redundant controls to make sure that processes in a plant continue to operate optimally, even in the event that one small part malfunctions. In addition, we have perfected safety optimization to dramatically reduce nuisance trips.

The highest standard of safety is essential in a workplace to ensure the well-being of employees and equipment. That doesn’t mean you have to pay the highest price. Our combustion and engineering experts would be happy to perform an assessment of your plant and provide you with custom, optimized solutions for your safety, budget and goals.