1. Accident and Loss Statistics
Chemical Process Safety
ChE 258

2. Overview Accidents Models Engineering Ethics Loss Statistics
Perceptions
Example

3. Definition
Accident –
is an undesired event that resulted in unwanted deterioration of
health of a living organism
value of an organization
quality of the environment

4. Safety, Hazard, and Risk
Safety or loss prevention is the prevention of accidents by the use of appropriate technologies to identify the hazards of a chemical plant and to eliminate them before an accident occurs.

5. Safety, Hazard, and Risk
A hazard is anything with potential for producing an accident
Risk is the probability of a hazard resulting in an accident.

6. Types of Personnel Accidents
Struck by
Contact by
Caught in
Caught between
Foot-level Fall
Exposure
Struck against
Contact with
Caught out
Overexertion
Fall to below

7. Accident Causation Theory
“Acts of God”
“Pilot Error” – beginning of industrial revolution
“Mismanagement” – current legal leanings

8. Heinrich Domino Theory
Predictable chronological sequence of causal factors lead to accidents
Fault of person
Unsafe practices
Unsafe conditions
Accident, and
Loss
Developed by H.W. Heinrich in 1920’s

9. Marcum’s 7 Domino Sequence of “Misactsidents”
Supposes that all accidents can be avoided and that the liability resides with management
Inadequate preparation
Substandard performance
Miscompensated risks
Harmful contact incident
Adverse reaction
Sustained losses, and
Incurred costs

10. System-Induced Error
An accident occurs if a triggering event occurs at a time when the innate error tendencies of humans as determined by performance influencing factor lead to an error in an unforgiving environment
Developed during the 1980’s

11. System-Induced Error Innate error tendencies of humans Fallible memory
Reliance on rules
Information processing limitations

12. System-Induced Error Performance influencing factors
Physiological and Psychological state
Low motivation
Overloaded
Inadequate training

13. System-Induced Errors
Unforgiving Environment
Absence of barriers (physical) to making errors
No support for recovery

14. System-Induced Error
An accident occurs if a triggering event occurs at a time when the innate error tendencies of humans as determined by performance influencing factor lead to an error in an unforgiving environment

15. Chemical Engineering Ethics American Institute of Chemical Engineers
Fundamental Principles
Engineers shall uphold and advance the integrity, honor and dignity of the engineering profession by
1 using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement of human welfare;
2 being honest and impartial and serving with fidelity the public, their employers, and clients;
3 striving to increase the competence and prestige of the engineering profession

16. Chemical Engineering Ethics American Institute of Chemical Engineers
Fundamental Canons
1 Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public in performance of their professional duties.
2 Engineers shall perform services only in areas of their competence.
3 Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.
4 Engineers shall act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees, and shall avoid conflicts of interest.

17. Chemical Engineering Ethics American Institute of Chemical Engineers
Fundamental Canons
5 Engineers shall build their professional reputations on the merits of their services.
6 Engineers shall act in such a manner as to uphold and enhance the honor, integrity, and dignity of the engineering profession.
7 Engineers shall continue their professional development throughout their careers and shall provide opportunities for the professional development of those engineers under their supervision.

18. OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Established by Congress in 1970 in the “Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970” OHSAct
OSHA has defined terms related to work related losses

19. OSHA Definitions
Occupational Injury is any injury such as a cut, fracture, sprain, amputation, etc. which results from an exposure involving a single incident in the work environment.
From Table 1.2 in text

20. OSHA Definitions
Occupational Illness of an employee is any abnormal condition or disorder, other than one resulting from an occupational injury caused by exposure to environmental factors associated with employment. It includes acute and chronic illnesses or diseases which may be caused by inhalation, absorption, ingestion, or direct contact.

21. OSHA Definitions
Lost Workdays are those days which the employee would have worked but could not because of occupational injury or illness. Also need to account for diminished long term performance.

22. OSHA Definitions
Recordable Cases are those involving an occupational injury or occupational illness, including deaths. Not recordable are first aid cases which involve onetime treatment and subsequent observation of minor scratches, cuts, burns, splinters, etc., which do not ordinarily require medical care.

23. OSHA Definitions
Nonfatal cases without lost workdays are cases of occupational injury or illness which did not involve fatalities or lost workdays but did result in (1) transfer to another job or termination of employment, or (2) medical treatment other than first aid, or (3) diagnosis of occupational illness, or (4) loss of consciousness, or (5) restriction of work or motion.

24. OSHA Definitions
There are tables of “lost work days” that are assigned to losses of various members of the body
Fatality is equivalent to 24 worker years

25. OSHA Definitions
These “lost work days” are not only based on how long it will take to recover but also on the individuals diminished ability to carry out the job function

26. Injury and Loss Statistics
There are several different statistics that have been defined and collected by government and industrial agencies

27. OSHA Injury & Illness Rate
(# of Injuries&Illness*200,000)/(Total hrs all employees)
Based on 100 worker-years

28. OSHA Lost Workdays Incidence Rate
Same bases, but use lost workdays
Lost Workdays Incidence Rate =
(# lost workdays * 200,000)/(Total hrs worked)

29. Other Loss Statistics FAR is the Fatal Accident Rate
FAR=(# of Fatalitiesx108)/(Total hrs all employees)
Based on 1000 workers’ career
Table 1.3 & 1.4 lists several FARs

30. Other Loss Statistics
Fatality Rate

31. Causes of Accidental Death in US

32. Major causes of death in US

33. Accident Pyramid
Typically there are numerous property losses and minor injuries for every fatality
“An accident is usually visible the day before it happens”

34. Risk
Risk is the product of the probability of the occurrence of an accident and the severity of the accident
The Chemical Processing Industry has the possibility for severe accidents due to operating conditions and materials
Engineers try to reduce the probability of occurrence to reduce the risk
In the real world we have to accept some risks

35. Public Perceptions
Public Opinion Poll “Would you say chemicals do more good than harm, more harm than good, or about the same amount of each”
The Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA) recently (2000) changed its name to American Chemists Council (ACC) to avoid the word “chemical”

36. Risk to Human Life Survey
You will rank which causes the greatest number of deaths each year
Each question is the same, only decreasing rank
Causes of death
Handguns
Smoking
Motor Vehicles
Private Aviation
Commercial Aviation
Alcoholic Beverages
Nuclear Power
Food Preservatives
Pesticides
Skiing

37. Risk to Human Life Survey
Start Internet Explorer
LIBRIX Front Page
Give username and password
If first time, username is AFS name and password is Student number
“Risk to Human Life” survey

38. LIBRIX Go to “My Profile”
Change password to your choice so that you can remember
Will use LIBRIX some more during the semester.

40. In Class Assignment
The FAR for travel by car is reported as 57 while that for travel by air is 240
If the average speed of travel is 50 mph by car and 250 mph by air, determine the deaths per million miles travel by car or air.
If you are required to make a round trip from St. Louis to Los Angeles, which is the safer mode of transportation as indicated by the statistics?

41. Solution 1) Calculations
2) For a fixed distance, air travel is the safest mode