DSS053: An Overview of "Methods in Chemical Process Safety, Volume Three" with Dr. Paul Amyotte

In this episode of the DustSafetyScience Podcast, we interview Dr. Paul Amyotte, who has been researching dust explosions, process safety, and inherently safer design for over 35 years.

Dr. Amyotte is a Professor of Chemical Engineering at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada. He is also the editor of the Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries and past President of the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering, Engineers Nova Scotia, and Engineers Canada. Most significantly for DustSafetyScience, he served as Dr. Chris Cloney’s Ph.D adviser.

In addition to having held the C.D. Howe Chair in Process Safety, Dr. Amyotte has written several books, book chapters, and over 300 papers; his noted accomplishments include Dust Explosions, Understanding the Myths and Realities of Dust Explosions for a Safer Workplace and the second edition of Process Plants: A Handbook for Inherently Safer Design.

Together with Dr. Faisal Khan, he has edited a new textbook and industry guidebook called [Affiliate] Methods in Chemical Process Safety, Volume Three. As the title suggests, it is the third volume in the series and dedicated to dust explosions. The book has nine chapters, each one penned by a different author. Dr. Chris Cloney, along with Dr. Jef Snoeys, was invited to write a chapter on loss history.

In this episode, Dr. Amyotte answers the following questions:

Where did the idea of this book come from?
What was the main goal for this book?
Who is the main target for the book?
What are you hoping to see from this collaborative effort on dust explosions?

Where Did The Idea Of This Book Come From?

Dr. Amyotte and Dr. Faisal Khan commenced their research collaboration in 2001. When Dr. Khan reached Volume 3 in his Methods in Chemical Process Safety, he suggested that it be dedicated to dust explosions. Experts who contributed include Dr. Chris Cloney, Dr. Jef Snoeys, Dr. Ashok Dastidar, Walt Frank, Dr. Russell A. Ogle, Martin Clouthier, Dr. Bob Zalosh, Dr. Almerinda Di Benedetto, Dr. Rolf Eckhoff and others.

What Was The Main Goal For This Book?

Dr. Amyotte acknowledged that dust explosions occur in such a wide range of industries: chemical processing, manufacturing, agricultural, etc.

“It occurred to me that these are process incidents,” he said. “I wasn’t sure that people were really viewing dust explosions as process incidents. They seem to be, in some areas, viewed as occupational-type incidents.”

However, the traditional occupational health and safety approaches used for slips, trips, falls or proper lifting techniques don’t necessarily apply to technical or industrial process safety, where things could escalate to a very high energy release in a matter of seconds. A company could have an excellent record for occupational safety, but still be at high risk for a dust explosion.

“I think it’s the principles of process safety -the cultural aspects, safety management systems, all of our technical means for prevention and mitigation- that are going to be effective in preventing and mitigating dust explosions,” Dr. Amyotte said.

He explained that the whole idea behind the book was to present the notion that dust explosions don’t always occur in the chemical process industries, but they are process incidents, and the principles of process safety, like those observed in chemical handling industries, are going to be most effective in reducing the risk of dust explosions..

Who Is The Main Target For The Book?

Methods in Chemical Process Safety, Volume Three is aimed at industrial practitioners who work around combustible powders. To a certain extent, its intended audience also includes researchers, as a chapter at the end summarizes new and emerging areas.

“If you look at the table of contents, you can see that what we’re trying to do is address people who are familiar with the risk management process of identifying hazards and then looking at consequence severity, likelihood of occurrence, prevention measures, mitigation measures and relevant standards, which is really core and central to effective process safety efforts,” Dr. Amyotte said.

During the planning stages of the book, Dr. Amyotte and Martin Clouthier sat down with Faisal Khan to lay out a reasonable flow in the table of contents. They wanted to start with some basic concepts before moving into the risk management process of identifying hazards. The goal was to take a global approach to the subject and involve experts in key areas of dust explosion prevention and mitigation.

“Walt Frank really knows DHAs, so we (got) him to write the chapter on hazard identification,” Dr. Amyotte explained. “And who better to write a chapter on the fundamentals of dust explosions than Rolf Eckhoff, who who has written what I think I (and many people would consider to be) the gold standard when it comes to dust explosion books?”

With Dr. Cloney’s work on the incident database, the team saw him as a natural for the chapter on the magnitude of the problem. Dr. Ashok Dastidar, who runs a top-quality testing facility in the U.S., wrote about testing methods; Dr. Russell Ogle co-authored the chapter of risk assessment, and Dr. Bob Zalosh covered regulations, standards, and guidelines across the world.

“Faisal and I were very pleased with the work that the individual chapter authors did and how it all came together. We took it from a fundamental perspective and (said) here’s the magnitude of the problem. Now let’s get into the risk management process, identifying hazards, assessing risk and then looking at safety measures.”

What Are You Hoping To See From This Collaborative Effort On Dust Explosions?

Dr. Amyotte said that he hoped that the book would inspire more collaboration, as greater awareness is urgently needed. He recalled the protest at the EU Parliament Buildings, where people were spraying powdered milk into the air while a road flare was laying on the ground.

“Anyone who’s knowledgeable just looks at that and says, “Oh, my goodness. That is really dangerous.” And yet it’s happening. People are doing it. Unfortunately, there are also people in industry who are exposed to the combustible dust hazard and really don’t understand the magnitude of the issue and what they’re facing. So I guess it’s a matter of sharing and communicating. That’s what we’ve tried to do with the book.”

Conclusion

The writing of Methods in Chemical Process Safety, Volume Three shows that dust explosion experts are willing to share their knowledge, which is highly encouraging. Although no one was injured during the milk-spraying incident in Brussels, there have been other cases where the outcomes was multiple injuries and death. Firefighters and police were present, along with government officials, but no one recognized that milk powder as a dangerous combustible fuel.

Not only is more awareness needed, but we need to keep track of emerging unique scenarios. The dust explosion problem has not been solved: there are always new materials and new applications coming out, and ongoing vigilance is crucial.

If you would like to discuss further, leave your thoughts in the comments section below. You can also reach Dr. Paul Amyotte directly:
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-amyotte-364a2216/
University Webpage: https://www.dal.ca/faculty/engineering/peas/faculty-staff/our-faculty/paul-amyotte.html

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