SH5108 CHEMICAL HAZARD MANAGEMENT

Introduction to Design for Chemical SHE

Foo Swee Cheng

Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
National University of Singapore
TYPES OF CHEMICAL HAZARDS/ RECEPTORS

• Toxicity
Causes harm to organisms
• Flammability
Has a non-zero flammable range: (UEL – LEL) > 0
• Explosiveness
Produces pressure wave on ignition/ reaction
• Targets of effects
 Human safety & health
 Environmental / ecological damage
 Property damage
 INDUSTRAL/ OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE
Hazard Management

• Hazard Identification: Is the agent hazardous?

• Hazard Recognition : What hazard is present?
• Hazard Evaluation: What is the level/ risk of the hazard
present?
• Hazard Control: How to reduce the risk of the hazard
present?
Hierarchy of control: NSW
https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/446028/hierarchy-of-controls-SW09182.pdf
PRINCIPLES OF HAZARD MANAGEMENT
The As Low As Reasonably Practicable Principle

HARM/ RISK EFFORT/ COST

 OPPORTUNITY FOR RISK REDUCTION

Decreasing effectiveness of risk reduction methods

Concept Phase

Design Phase

Operation Phase

Decreasing opportunity of using risk reduction methods in life-cycle phase

 FATALITY RISK ACCEPTANCE CONCEPTS:
ALARP vs Best Practice
Unacceptable region Except in extraordinary
No exposure allowed circumstances
10–3/ 10–4 QRA
Good practice? +
ALARP region Risk reduction measures? +
Risk is tolerated only Cost disproportionate to gain?
if a benefit is desired SQ
ALARP Decisions
ALARP required
Cost of reduction exceed the
improvement
10–6
Broadly acceptable region Q To ensure risk remains at
ALARP not required this level
SQ: Semi-qualitative
Q: Qualitative
AS LOW AS REASONABLY PRACTICABLE (ALARP)
• Factors considered in deciding what is reasonably practicable to
protect people from harm, including:
• Likelihood of the hazard or risk occurring
• Degree of harm that might result from the hazard or risk
• Knowledge about the hazard or risk, and ways of minimising or
eliminating the risk
• Availability / suitability of ways to eliminate or minimise the risk,
• Cost associated with available ways of eliminating or minimising the
risk
 Is the cost is grossly disproportionate to the risk?
Accessed 15/1/2020: https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/risk
 NATURE OF CHEMICAL HAZARDS & EFFECTS
• Toxicity: Industrial/ occupational hygiene
Occupational Diseases
• Fire/ explosion: Industrial/ occupational safety
Occupational injuries
• Different between major/ minor hazard
Different in scale of consequences
Major hazards: On-site/ offsite effects
Minor hazards: Affect mainly the operators
Same safety/ health principles apply
 DEFINITION: Safety, Health & Env. Effects
• Safety: Single exposure to high level of hazard over a short period
of time, such as in an accident.
 Occupational or Personal safety: Hazard at work focusing on the
safety of workers on the job
 Process safety: failure in work processes releasing large quantity
of hazard causing extensive damage. Example: release of methyl
isocyanate at Bhopal killing > 2000 persons & injured > 20,000.
• Health: Disease from repeated exposure to low level of hazard over
a long period of time, such as over many years
• Environment: Pollute to the environment in atmosphere, soil or
water causing direct or indirect effects on matters
 PRINCIPLES OF SHE PROCESS
Identify the Quantify Frequency Quantify
Nature & Quantity The Risk
HAZARD RELEASE CONSEQUENCE
Minor Hazards: SH5108
• Normal operation X Normal release X Occupational Health

• Degraded X Increased X Occupational Safety

operation release

Major Hazards: SH5202/ SH5204

• Process failure X Process release X Process Safety

PREVENTION MITIGATION
 CHEEMICAL HAZARD MANAGEMENT:
Industrial Hygiene & Industrial Hygienists
• AIHA: Industrial Hygiene is a science and art devoted to the
anticipation, recognition, evaluation, prevention, and control of
those environmental factors or stresses arising in or from the
workplace which may cause sickness, impaired health and well
being, or significant discomfort among workers or among citizens
of the community [IH defined]

• IOHA: the discipline of anticipating, recognizing, evaluating and

controlling health hazards in the working environment with the
objective of protecting worker health and well-being and
safeguarding the community at large
 PURPOSE OF HAZARD CONTROL
CHEMICAL HAZARD MANAGEMENT
• Pre-requisite: Hazards in workplace are under control by design
 Hazard recognized:
Health: Toxic properties (eg. PEL/ OEL) known?
Safety: Fire properties (eg LEL/ UEL) known?
Reactivity & incompatibility properties known?
 Hazard identified: Any recognized hazards in workplace?
 Hazard evaluated: Hazardous levels present at work locations?
• Control: Apply reasonably practicable control methods to reduce
hazard emission/ exposure
• Management: Ensure workplace operations work as design
 Performance Monitoring: equipment & exposure surveillance
OCCUPATIONAL/INDUSTRIAL HEALTH/HYGIENE PRINCIPLES
• Objectives: No-observed-adverse effect over working life
 Workplace environmental concentration below NOAEL level
More effective Project Conception Phase
1. Elimination: use non-hazardous chemicals

Hierarchy of Control
2. Substitution: use less hazardous chemicals
3. Isolation: Distance/ access barrier (Eng. Control?)
4. Engineering control: e.g. ventilation (eg. LEV, Dilution)
5. Administrative control: e.g. Work procedures; house
keeping
6. Personal protection: e.g. mask (for non-routine jobs)
Less effective
Design Phase &/or
 Protection of hypersensitive workers Operational Phase

Pre-employment screening
Periodical medical monitoring
 Inherent SHE Design SAFETY THROUGH DESIGN CHART
Design to

Design to
reduce
hazard
Eliminate hazard Incorporate BPCS/
Protection in Design Define SMS
NO
Eliminated?

Provide
devices
control

procedure / training

Accept risk/abandon system

Provide special
warning
Provide
devices
YES NO
Reduced?
YES
NO
YES Provided?
Provide risk
assessment for YES NO
management Provided?

Conclude hazard YES NO

Provided?
analysis
RESIDUAL RISK TO OPERATION PHASE
 RISK ASSESSMENT & MANAGEMENT
• Risk assessment & Risk management (SH5002); if not taken, please read: Risk
Management CP_2015
 WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH (RISK MANAGEMENT) REGULATIONS
• Adequacy of the design: confirmed by
 Design phase: Exposure modeling (SH5110)
 Operation phase: Exposure evaluation (SH5110)
Operational system reliability (SH5201/ SH5206)
 Manage factors associated with system performance: examples
Machine integrity program; maintenance
Operational procedures
Competency trainings
Management of change: Temporary change/ permanent change
Emergency preparedness
Continuous improvement
 ADEQUATE DESIGN PRINCIPLES:
Heath & safety problems controlled
• BPCS (Basis Process Control Systems) working; operating system/ procedure
 Heath & safety problems controlled by BPCS: Industrial hygiene engineering
 Chronic (health) effects accepted: working/ fugitive emissions
• Protection system works after BPCS failed: Normal operation interrupted
 Heath & safety problems controlled by Protection system(s): Safety
engineering
 Acute (health) effects: Loss of containment/ accidental releases
• Protection system fails after BPCS failed: accidents
 Failure detection: Revealed/ unrevealed failures
 Hazard rate/ risk level: Reliability of BPCS & protection systems
 Risk level accepted: As low as reasonably practicable
 EXAMPLE: Deaths with Trichloroethylene
• US: Trichloroethylene_Acute Exposure Deaths
• Local: two degreasing workers died in continue working after the
fumehood stopped operating
 BPCS: Fumehood; degreasing permitted if fumehood works
 Protection system: procedures; stop work if fumehood fails
 Fumehood failed & workers continuous to work
Machine: Inadequate design
No monitoring system for fumehood operation status
No warning system for fumehood failure
Man: Inadequate training
Workers not trained to monitor fumehood operation
Workers not instructed to stop work if fumehood fails
 CHEMICAL HAZARD MANAGEMENT

• Manage the SHE in all phases of the chemical

cycle
Manufacture
Storage
Transport
Use
Disposal
 PROCESS NORMAL: Allowed Emissions
Chemical Hygiene Hazards
• Normal operations (working release): examples
 Tank breathing
 Vapour emission from drums filling
 Evaporation from degreasing tank
• Fugitive emissions (degradations in operations/
processes): Examples
 Cover (imperfect sealing)
 Seal (diffusion through sealing material)
 Fume hood (capture efficient < 100%)
• Process degradation emissions > allowed levels
 Exposure/ release monitoring
 PROCESS ABNORMAL: Accidental Release
Chemical Safety Hazards (Occupational Safety)
Example: Fume hood extraction fan breakdown

Minor HAZARD Operators killed

BPCS Fails Deviates from Protection Fails Mitigation Fails
design intent
Fumehood Operator
failed Vapor not extracted High vapor level exposed
Initiating Process Loss
event deviation containment LOSS

PREVENTION PROTECTION MITIGATION

Monitor Stop work/ maintenance Evacuation/
Alarm (no working release) maintenance
Supervisory control (no exposure)
SIS?
 COMPETENT AUTHORITIES ON CHEMICAL
MANAGEMENT
• Agencies regulate hazardous chemicals
 With specific inherent properties
 At different stages of their life cycle.
1) Ministry of Manpower: regulates the exposure to chemicals at
workplaces MOM legislation .
2) National Environment Agency (NEA) : regulates hazardous substances
which are highly toxic (EPMA) and/or toxic industrial wastes (NPHA).
3) Singapore Civil Defense Force (SCDF) : regulates the storing &
transportation of flammable materials including petroleum. Fire
Safety Licensing and Enforcement this link
• Singapore Police Force (SPF) : regulates the manufacture, storage of
explosive precursors & license requirements. https://www.police.gov.sg › media
› spf › files › e-services › list_of_15_eps
END