Sound levels in a plant or in a lab are often high enough to be distracting, and sometimes they are high enough to create health and safety concerns for workers in the immediate area. We've published a noise level calculator…
Be vigilant about parallel pumping conditions that can lead to catastrophic failures During my career, I have seen several massive centrifugal pump failures caused by pump users attempting to operate pumps in parallel without the proper equipment review, procedural review…
December 2015 marked a landmark international agreement to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in order to limit the rise in global temperatures to less than 2°C above pre-industrial temperatures. This agreement, made at the 21st Conference of the Parties to…
Plant layout is as important a part of process plant design as it ever was, but it is rarely taught as part of chemical engineering courses While process plant layout is a critical aspect of chemical process industries (CPI) operations,…
Early in 2016, OSHA (the Occupational Health and Safety Administration) announced its “final rule” regarding respirable crystalline silica. This rule has been under consideration since 2013. The final ruling reduces the permissible exposure limit (or PEL) for workers in businesses…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA; www.epa.gov) has finalized a rule adding a hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) category to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) list of reportable chemicals. This action will expand the scope of chemicals subject to TRI reporting and provide…
Water is both a life-giving source and a potentially devastating force. Citing this range of water’s power during the opening session of Weftec (New Orleans; September 24–28; www.weftec.org), New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu described how the city has triumphed over…
A new technology that uses plasma to kill bacteria and simultaneously oxidize organic material in water systems offers a non-chemical alternative to water treatment in several industry sectors, such as food and beverage, power generation, oil and gas and others.…
The ability to reduce fugitive emissions through the use of strategic design modifications not only protects workers and the environment, but reduces losses of valuable process materials The industrialized nations of the world have all placed increased emphasis on the…
Passage of the Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act has created a long and challenging road ahead for U.S. EPA rulemaking On June 22, 2016, the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (LCSA) was signed into law with…