We work in an industry where there is very little tolerance for errors since we deal with highly hazardous, flammable chemicals. Normally our plants operate with exceptional safety records since they are built to exacting standards, inspected frequently to monitor changes in integrity and personnel are highly trained. However, sometimes human error, cutting corners or putting production before safety can cause serious accidents. This blog focuses on the importance of doing things right every day, every time. It discusses incidents where small errors led to huge consequences. These errors can be due to inadvertent mistakes, normalization of deviance, fatigue, intentionally ignoring safety procedures or failure to recognize hazards. Inadvertent mistakes could include forgetting to properly line up a valve system, installing the wrong gasket or pushing a button before the system is ready to operate. Normalization of deviance (View my other blog) is where the unacceptable becomes acceptable. For example, you might drive to work without your seat belt and or work at height without a harness and safety lanyard. These are dangerous, unacceptable practices. However, you may get away with this for a while and then it becomes normal practice. Eventually, the odds will catch up and an incident happens. These two poor practices also fall under the category of intentionally ignoring safety procedures since our plants require seat belts and fall protection. Failure to recognize hazards could include failure to recognize that an area is a confined space and that appropriate oxygen and hazardous gas testing must be done before entering the space. During my career, the following 10 items have been implemented to avoid these accidents. a. Maintain a sense of vulnerability. Past success does not guarantee future safety performance. b. Strictly conform to engineering standards. c. Use multi-discipline teams for PHA’s, HAZOP’s and Management of Change. d. If you see something, say something. Don’t let a known hazard remain unchecked. e. Avoid the situation where production trumps safety and people have to prove it's unsafe to halt a job. f. Implement strong quality control measures. g. Utilize checklists for all activities including maintenance work, operations, engineering and projects. h. Conduct comprehensive pre-startup safety reviews. i. Implement strong, multidiscipline management of the change process. j. Implement strong PMI programs with suppliers, in the warehouse and the field. We must all be vigilant in our actions operating and maintaining our plants to avoid a small error becoming a major incident. Becht Engineering has significant experience in process safety management, maintenance and reliability assessments and can support improvement for your plant.