Taproot

CLICK HERE for more information and to apply.

Hydrocarbon Processing reported that an independent US refiner has agreed to pay a $1.1 million dollar civil penalty for compliance problems with recordkeeping, reporting, sampling and testing at 4 US refiners. The EPA said it was the largest penalty ever for violations like these (related to testing the quality of conventional gasoline).

The question in my mind was … “Why didn’t they apply advanced root cause analysis to the early problems to avoid repeat violations at multiple refineries?”

Also … “Wouldn’t it have been better to learn proactively (applying root cause analysis techniques before violations occurred to catch and correct problems)?”

Root cause analysis isn’t just for safety. It can be used for quality, environmental. production,  maintenance problems, hospital sentinel events, and many other issues. Find out how to use root cause analysis to improve performance at our 5-Day TapRooT® Advanced Root Cause Analysis Team Leader Training.

Are you wasting time at work on social media, visiting with co-workers or looking for another job? According to this infographic, these activities are some of the biggest time wasters.

A few of Dana Barclay’s photos from our onsite 5-Day TapRooT® Advanced Root Cause Analysis Team Leader Training in Houston.

Looking for an onsite course? Contact us at http://www.taproot.com/contact-us for more information.

The bitterness of poor quality remains long after low pricing is forgotten.
- Leon M. Cautillo

CSB Releases New 3-Disc Safety Video DVD Set;

Contains 31 CSB Productions Depicting Variety of Accidents

Washington, D.C., June 5, 2013 – The U.S. Chemical Safety Board today announced production and release of a new three-disc, single-box set containing all safety videos produced to date for completed CSB accident investigations. The DVD set is available free of charge and may be ordered by filling out the DVD request form at www.CSB.gov.

CSB Chairperson Rafael Moure-Eraso said, “The CSB Safety Videos are known around the world for their forceful depiction of the events that lead to deadly releases, explosions and fires, and their clear explanations of the root causes of the accidents – all derived from the high-quality detailed investigations carried out by CSB staff. We believe the new three-disc set, including our latest videos, will facilitate distribution and bring safety awareness to an even higher level.”

Now included on the set’s Disc 3 are two videos released since distribution of the last two-volume DVD compilation:

• “Deadly Contract,” showing how five federal subcontractors died from an explosion during a fireworks disposal operation in Hawaii.

• “Inherently Safer: The Future of Risk Reduction,” examining the concept of inherent safety and its application across industry
CSB Safety Videos typically feature detailed animation sequences to depict the chemical processes and sequence of events that led to explosions, fires and releases causing injuries, deaths, damage and destruction of production facilities. They have received accolades from safety professionals around the world, telling the CSB they use the videos in training, seminars, board presentations and other venues as object lessons in the consequences of inadequate process safety management.

The videos have received numerous awards, the latest in November 2012 from TIVA, an organized of Washington, DC –based video professionals: “Experimenting with Danger,” on an academic laboratory explosion in Lubbock, Texas and “Hot Work: Hidden Hazards” received bronze Peer awards, while “Iron in the Fire” received a silver Peer award.

CSB videos may be streamed and downloaded at www.csb.gov from the CSB media room. They are also available on www.YouTube.com/uscsb.

Included in this release is a list with descriptions of the CSB videos contained on each DVD disc. To find accident investigations and related CSB safety videos by category of accident (such as dust, reactive chemicals, hotwork, confined space, etc.), click here on the CSB Completed Investigations page and use the drop down list under “Accident Type” and search. You may then visit individual accident investigation pages and view investigation reports and associated videos.

The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. The agency’s board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems.

The Board does not issue citations or fines but does make safety recommendations to plants, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA. Visit our website, www.csb.gov.

For more information, contact Communications Manager Hillary Cohen, cell 202-446-8094 or Sandy Gilmour, Public Affairs, cell 202-251-5496.

CSB SAFETY VIDEOS DVD LIST – RELEASED JUNE 2013

ALSO AVAILABLE AT WWW.CSB.GOV AND WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/USCSB

DISC ONE

1. Death in the Oilfield – An oil tank explosion kills three workers performing hot work.

2. Fire from Ice – Fire cripples a refinery after propane leaks from a frozen dead leg.

3. Static Sparks Explosion in Kansas – Static electricity ignites a storage tank, forcing a community to evacuate.

4. Emergency in Apex – A North Carolina town is evacuated when fire engulfs a hazardous waste depot.

5. Anatomy of a Disaster – A massive explosion kills 15 and injures 180 at the BP Texas City refinery.

6. Reactive Hazards – Four major accidents illustrate the dangers from uncontrolled chemical reactions.

7. Public Worker Safety – Two public employees burn to death performing unregulated hot work.

8. Explosion at Formosa Plastics (Illinois) – A preventable human error leads to a vinyl chloride explosion, killing five.

9. Hazards of Nitrogen Asphyxiation – Two contract workers suffocate while servicing a refinery process vessel.

10. Fire at Formosa Plastics (Texas) – Without safeguards, a small collision leads to a massive process fire.

11. Dangers of Propylene Cylinders – Gas cylinders, rocketing from a fire, endanger a St. Louis neighborhood.

12. Ethylene Oxide Explosion at Sterigenics – At a sterilization plant, bypassing a safety interlock has catastrophic results.

13. Dangers of Flammable Gas Accumulation – When acetylene explodes inside a shed, three workers lose their lives.

14. Preventing Harm from NaHS – Sodium hydrosulfide may create deadly hazards at pulp mills, mines, and tanneries.

DISC TWO

1. Fire in the Valley – A runaway reaction at a pesticide plant causes a catastrophic explosion and fire.

2. Deadly Practices – Fires and explosions result from intentional releases of natural gas into work areas.

3. Dangers of Hot Work – Key lessons to prevent flammable vapor explosions caused by welding and cutting.

4. No Escape: Dangers of Confined Spaces – A chemical fire erupts deep in a hydroelectric plant tunnel, trapping five workers.

5. No Place to Hang Out – After two friends die, Mississippi teens investigate the dangers of oil and gas sites.

6. Inferno: Explosion at Imperial Sugar – Accumulations of sugar dust fuel massive explosions, killing 14 workers.

7. Runaway: Explosion at T2 Laboratories – A heat-producing chemical reaction runs out of control, killing four workers.

8. Combustible Dust: An Insidious Hazard – Dust from industrial processes can become the fuel for devastating explosions.

9. Emergency Preparedness – Lessons from ten years of CSB investigations on preparing for chemical disasters.

10. Half an Hour to Tragedy – Remaining too close to a propane leak proves fatal to responders and others.

11. Blast Wave in Danvers – Solvent vapor explodes at a Boston-area ink plant, devastating a neighborhood.

DISC 3

1. Deadly Contract – An explosion and fire in Waipahu, Hawaii kills five workers during an operation to dispose of contraband fireworks performed under a federal contract.

2. Inherently Safer: The Future of Risk Reduction – An examination of the concept of inherent safety and its application across industry.

3. Hotwork: Hidden Hazards – Welding on top of a storage tank containing flammable vapor leads to tragic consequences.

4. Iron in the Fire – Three separate iron dust fires occur in 2011 at the Hoeganaes plant in Gallatin, Tennessee.

5. Experimenting with Danger – Serious accidents in academic laboratories happen while conducting chemical research.

6. Fatal Exposure: Tragedy at DuPont – Three accidents occur over a 33-hour period at the DuPont plant in Belle, WV.

Bonus Feature: About the CSB – Describes how CSB investigations help to prevent major chemical accidents.

CLICK HERE for more info and to apply. 

The 2014 Global TapRooT® Summit will be held at the Horseshoe Bay Marriott resort, Horseshoe Bay Texas. Horseshoe Bay is approximately one hour from Austin.

Located in Texas Hill Country, the 7,000-acre, AAA Four Diamond Horseshoe Bay Resort sits along the shore of constant-level Lake LBJ.

The 347-room resort is home to three Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed golf courses, an 18-hole, Par 73 Dwarf Bermuda grass putting course, The Waters 50-room condo tower and a full-service marina.

The resort has 16 tennis courts, 4 pools, bike rentals, hiking trails, spa and fitness center, but if that is not enough, there are many other local attractions including Highland Lakes Air Museum, Longhorn Cavern State Park, Fredericksburg Shopping on Main Street, and Marble Falls.

Click image to view more photos.

This post was written by  guest author ”Captain George” Burk.  Learn more about this motivational speaker, author & writer on his website: http://www.georgeburk.com/

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Most of the people I know always think about new ways they can enhance their personal and professional creativity.  Their purpose for doing this is quite simple: they want to think more innovatively and develop the habit of how to think more creatively.

Bad habits, like negative thoughts and hostile self-judgments often block the strategic paradigms of creativity, innovation, anticipation and excellence.  According to Alex Osborn in his book, “Applied Imagination,” one reason many of us tend to function less creatively as we mature is that “we become victimized by habit.”

“Either find a way or make one.” Hannibal, Carthaginian general

The key word here is “victimized” because I believe we have become an “externalized society.”  This occurs when people act and talk like someone else – a person, organization, or governmental entity – owes them something.  In adopting this attitude, they give up any sense of personal and professional responsibility for the choices they make and find it much easier to blame someone else for their “plight.”  In this scenario, everyone sees themselves as a “victim” versus conducting their lives like a “survivor.”  The former mind-set is just a lot easier; the latter more difficult as it requires courage, commitment, discipline, goals, focus and hard work.

The “victims” of today are precisely that because of their choices, and because no one, not their family, friends, bosses, or politicians held them accountable for their actions and choices.  First and foremost, however, is they made the choice not to hold themselves accountable and responsible.

“As a result of education and experience, we begin to develop inhibitions which tend to restrict our thinking” Osborn said.  What occurs are those inhibitions we set as our internal justification for not doing something and that something tends to keep us from attacking new problems (challenges) with enthusiasm and one of our greatest gifts, our imagination.   However, it is possible to change the habit of bad and negative thinking with good ones.  Here’s how:

Creativity guru Edward DeBono says that one way people can change bad habits and negative mind-sets is to exercise your creative mind.   DeBono suggests focusing on an ordinary object, like a drinking glass, or a plate of food and then develop a problem or challenge concerning that object and then brainstorm possible solutions.  The drinking glass or plate if food is a metaphor and only an example.

Don’t dismiss this example and tell yourself it’s too simple, or laugh it off as not useful to you.   Change the mind-set and say to yourself that this does sound logical and makes sense, and that you will experiment with it and see how it can work for you.  Use your creativity and imagination for another object, and then develop a problem or challenge for it and then brainstorm possible solutions.  This exercise is also a form of “mind-mapping.”

In his book “Serious Creativity,” DeBono says, “Mostly we think of creativity as being applied to a serious problem and difficulties that seem incapable of real solutions without a creative breakthrough.”

However, suppose that you begin to focus on an issue no one else has even bothered to think about. For example, DeBono suggests while you drink a glass of water, you can choose to focus, “just on the rim of the glass. Could it be a different shape?  Could there be a detachable rim for hygiene purposes?”

What are the tasks you do every day that be done differently?  Stop and break each task into small, manageable parts.  Are there any steps or procedures that are redundant?  Can you improve upon you are doing, or how you develop and deliver your product or service?  What are the relationships and interactions?

Granted, you may never use many of the ideas you generate from this creative practice but according to DeBono, “The mere exercise of setting out to pick an unusual focus area has a high value. This, in turn becomes a habit itself.”

“If the Creator had purpose in equipping us with a neck, he surely meant for us to stick it out.” ~ Arthur Koestler, writer

History is replete with stories about people that were successful innovators and who proved time and again the value of habitual creativity, anticipation and innovation.  For example, Leonardo da Vinci used his imagination and creativity to explore all the aspects of life and included science, art, architecture and engineering.  An important part of his thinking was to ask, “What if?”

Da Vinci’s creative habit produced paintings like “The Last Supper” which led him to develop detailed plans for flying machines, and underwater diving suits and a host of other inventions.

Thomas Edison is another inventor who made creative thought and action an integral party of his life.  He filed more than 1,000 patents for inventions like the light bulb, an electrical generating system, a sound-recording device and motion picture projectors.   To Edison, creativity and innovation was almost as important as eating.

To help you get into the habit of thinking more creatively, here are a few exercises to help you stretch your mind.

Record at least one observation a day in a notebook.  Observe details and events around you can help open you eyes—and your mind—to a whole new world of colors, words, ideas, thoughts, people, nature and much, much more.  When you take note of your observations and make the connection between your thoughts and what you see, you will begin to develop the habit to think creatively.  By simply stopping every so often and observing the world around you also enhances the quality of your life.

When was the last time you stopped to watch hummingbird take nectar from a flower, or watch a flock of geese flying North or South and wonder how and why they always land at the same body of water year after year, even when the clouds obscure their landing site?

Think like Da Vinci and play the “what if” game.  This is a great way to play with kids, too.

Playing “what ifing” games is great way to learn how to direct your imagination towards a desired mission (purpose), goal, or both.  Michael Michalko, in his book, “Thinkertoys,” says, “This technique lets your ego relax and the playfulness of the ideas it generates will cause your mind to relax even more.”

Michalko offers a number general “what if” examples and include: “What if you had eyes in the back of your head as well as the front?”  What if every person in the world had to adopt one homeless person and take care of that person for life?  What if people slept for 23 hours a day, and were awake for only one hour?

I don’t know about adopting a homeless person and caring for him or her for the rest of my life.  But I do know some parents who seem to have continued being responsible for their adult “kids.”  And, I think I worked with some people who really did sleep 23 hours a day and when they were awake, may as well have been asleep.  Eric Allenbaugh refers to these people as the, “the walking dead.”

So, “What if” you tell your employees they are appreciated and they’re doing a great job?  “What if” someone asks you to be their mentor?  “What if” you ask someone to be your mentor?  “What if” you pat someone on the back and say “thanks?”  “What if”’ you hug your kids and tell your spouse you love them? “What if” I had listened to some of the people around me who said I’d never walk again, or walk stairs, or be productive (well, this last point is open for debate).   “What if” John Davieau hadn’t driven through that ravine, and “what if” he hadn’t turned his truck towards the smell of the smoke?  “What if” he hadn’t found me on fire threw dirt on me and extinguished the flames?

“What if” I hadn’t met you…Well, I think you get the idea.

So, just like most of the things in your life, if you really want to become more creative, you will find a way to make that paradigm become a reality.  It is that simple!

Now, “if” I can remember where I put my cars keys.

“Buy the truth and do not see it; get wisdom, discipline, and understanding. Proverbs 23:23 (NIV)

Chemical Safety Board Deploying to Accident at  Williams Olefins Plant in Geismar, Louisiana

Washington, DC, June 14, 2013 – An investigative team from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is deploying to the scene of a fire and explosion that occurred on Thursday June 13, 2013, at the William Olefins Inc, Plant located in Geismar, Louisiana.

The investigative team will be led by CSB Western Regional Office Director Don Holmstrom and is expected to arrive in Louisiana over the weekend.

For more information, contact Hillary Cohen hillary.cohen@csb.gov 202.446.8094 (cell) or Sandy Gilmour sandy.gilmour@csb.gov 202.251.5496 (cell).

Safety Health & Fire Protection Administrator – New York Power Authority – Astoria, NY

Compliance Officer – Recruiter (DOE site) – Augusta, GA

Senior Production Engineer – Chemical Plant – New Orleans, LA

HES Drilling Consultant – Oxy – Houston, TX

Process Improvement Analyst – Saudi Aramco – Saudi Arabia

Mechanical Engineer II (Reliability) – Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold – Green Valley, AZ

Process Safety Manager – KIK Custom Products – Houston, TX

Metallurgical Engineer – Marathon Petroleum – Robinson, IL

Field Service Manager Cementing – Halliburton – Odessa, TX

Senior Health & Safety Specialist – Monsanto – St Louis, IL

Process Engineer – Business Services/IT – Philadelphia, PA

Compliance Officer (Occurrence Reporting) – Contact Job for DOE Site – Idaho

Quality Performace Analyst – IAP Worldwide – Cape Canaveral, FL

Electrical Reliability Engineer – New Page – Rumford, ME

Aerospace Systems Industrial Hygienist – UTC – Charlotte, NC

Safety & Training Supervisor – Parker Drilling – Gulf of Mexico, USA

Machinery Reliability Engineer – Chevron – Richmond, CA

Health and Safety Specialist – Koch – Orange, TX

PSM Specialist – Chevron – El Segundo, CA

OE Auditor – Chevron – El Segundo, CA

Safety Specialist – Danos – Larose, LA

Field Service Manager Wireline & Perforating – Halliburton – Alvarado, TX

We recently held a 2-Day TapRooT® Onsite course in Korea. Here are a few photos:

TapRooT® Instructor Mark Olson shared these photos from our recent onsite course.

Interested in onsite training? Contact us here: http://www.taproot.com/contact-us

TapRooT® Instructor Harry Thorburn sent over these photos from our recent 2-Day Manchester, England course.

Ken Scott shared these photos from a recent onsite course for a large petroleum company.

Interested in holding an onsite course at your facility? Contact us for a quote: http://www.taproot.com/contact-us

A few photos of our recent 5-Day course in Munich, Germany, from Alan Scott and Ken Reed.

SAVE THE DATE! April 7 – 11, 2014

This monthly column covers some of the frequently asked questions we get about the TapRooT® Global Summit. Today’s question is:

Who should attend the TapRooT® Global Summit?

Answer:  Safety Professionals, Reliability Specialists, Risk Managers, Supervisors, Engineers, Mechanics, Quality Improvement Specialists, Managers, Operators, Doctors and Nurses, Safety Committee Members, Certified TapRooT® Instructors and Performance Improvement Specialists or anyone interested in:

Accident/Incident Investigations: Learn from global experts how to identify real, correctable causes of the accident so that improvements can be recommended to prevent the accident’s recurrence.

Improving Quality: Quality issues are similar to safety accidents but quality mistakes cause quality-related issues instead of injuries. Learn how to develop effective measures to ensure that the root cause of quality issues are addressed from our quality experts.

Stopping Equipment Failures: When human error or equipment failure leads to equipment downtime, root cause analysis techniques can be applied. Find out how to troubleshoot equipment problems to get better information about the equipment failure.

Operational Excellence: Any operational excellence failure can be analyzed using root cause analysis to understand the failure’s root causes and develop effective fixes to prevent recurrence.

There you have it in a nutshell! So save the date, April 7 – 11, 2014 in Horseshoe Bay, Texas! For more information about the 2014 Global TapRooT® Summit, visit the Summit website:

http://www.taproot.com/products-services/summit

TapRooT® Instructor Boris Risnic shared these photos of our recent 5-Day Advanced TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis Team Leader Training in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Interested in our 5-Day TapRooT® Course? Take a look at our courses page at http://www.taproot.com/courses

At the 2013 Global TapRooT® Summit, Mark Paradies gave a General Session talk about Process Safety.

Watch the third installment here:

Learn more about our 2014 Global TapRooT® Summit at http://www.taproot.com/summit.

Did you miss the first installment? View it here: : http://www.taproot.com/archives/38433

The second? View that here: http://www.taproot.com/archives/38566

Our recent 2-Day TapRooT® Course in Wilmington, North Carolina was a great success. We even had a couple of attendee (two right attendees) attend all the way from Angola.

Join us for a TapRooT® Course in your area: http://taproot.com/courses

Health and Safety Specialist – INVISTA S. r.l. – Koch companies – Orange, TX

PSM Specialist – Chevron Products Company – El Segundo, CA

OE Auditor – Chevron Products Company – El Segundo, CA

Mechanical Engineer – Mining – Green Vally, AZ