Shutdown - Emergency

Description
Procedures must be provided for emergency shutdown operations, which involve placing the process in shutdown mode with as little operator interaction as possible (Scholtz & Maher, 2014).

Emergency shutdown operations are typically more dynamic than normal, controlled shutdowns, which should be reflected in the procedures (Sasangohar et al., 2018).

Unique Considerations (Peres et al., 2016)

• Operators may be unfamiliar with the procedures
• Unforeseen or overlooked hazards may exist due to the dynamic situations presented during emergency shutdowns

Guideline: Inclusion of Hazard Information

Hazards that have been identified to potentially exist during the emergency shutdown process must be identified in the procedure as well as the precautions necessary to avoid these hazards.

Support

Shutdown procedures must inform workers of: any unique or unfamiliar hazards that they may encounter during procedure completion, potential consequences of those hazards, and information on the precautions necessary to control or prevent EH&S (environmental, health, and safety) hazards (OSHA 1910.119(f)(1)(iii)(B,E)).

Example