safety

Posted: August 7th, 2013

MEMO

Name:

Course:

Instructor:

MEMO

Bull and Park Petroleum Plant,

1243 Buffallo Hills Avenue,

New York,

17^th September 2012.

To: Plant Manager

From:

Subject:

The organization in the production of petroleum products uses numerous hazardous process steps. It is essential for the entity to ensure utmost follow up in the safety precautions, especially upon its employees who are involved directly in the various process steps. Process steps in this entity could affect the employees as well as the surrounding community if releases of the waste are not conducted in a professional and considerable manner. Release of chemicals could be through means such as deliberate employee acts, accidents and natural events (Rose, 2001).

Accidents are caused by the presence of errors made by employees in the processes. In addition, this could also be because of process slowdown due to failed equipment in the process steps. On the other hand, natural phenomena such as flooding and lightning could also result in accidents. In addition, deliberate acts could also result in fatalities or accidents. Such include theft, sabotage, vandalism and theft (Rose, 2001).

Hence, the process of establishing risks involves the need to conduct analysis of deliberate acts and evaluation of the need for risk reduction and mitigation measures. In our organization, the production processes are divided into parts, which have varied levels of possible risks. The next risk assessment phase involves the conduct vulnerability analysis, which essentially determines how risk might take place.

The last phase involves the consideration of the necessary steps that might be undertaken to lower the risks associated with the process stage by conduct of security measures and safeguards. In our organization, we conducted a threat analysis that entails the process of identification of the various sources, types, possibilities and the risks associated with a threat. This involved the establishment of the presence of potential adversaries who have the potential to release and obtain chemicals that pose serious threats to the health and life of the employees and those in the community. In addition, this also has the possibility of affecting the consumers of the products, as spillages into the main product would lead to eventual contamination to the products (Rose, 2001).

Various types of threats were identified: the possibility of spillages in the production process involving dangerous and corrosive chemicals, the possibility of explosions and fires and the possibility of spillages into the surroundings of the community. Hence, these identified threats are then further evaluated in terms of the possibility of occurrence. This begins with the development of an initial risk estimate that aims at providing estimates of the implications of the occurrence of the risks and threats of the oil production process.

The identification of the possibility of the occurrence of threats involves the identification of all the various chemicals sued which have the ability to result in unwarranted health and physical injuries on the employees, the community, as well as the clients of the products (Rose, 2001). We also classified the presence of the various chemicals available and used in all the production process for the various petroleum products. Such would allow for the possible safe and restricted access of the place of storage of the availed chemicals.

Other threats exist to the organization; they are classified as caused by natural events. Events such as floods and hurricanes are unforeseeable threats, which have slight chances for predictability. A vulnerability analysis is essential as it enables the evaluation of all possibilities in terms of threats (Rose, 2001). Vulnerability analysis involves evaluation of situations such as threats posed by terror groups and adversaries in the petroleum industry. This could be propagated by employees in the organization hired by the adversaries to initiate threats.

Recommendations:

The organization could reduce the threats that could be posed to the organization, its employees, the community and the clients through stricter process of production. Such could include a greater degree of supervision in production to ensure that the employees adhere to safety regulation by use of protective outfits in the production process. In addition, this could be enhanced by restrictions in terms of the various storage areas, use of equipment and processing zones for employees (Rose, 2001).

It is essential to classify the threats posed in the various sub-sectors, in each production process. Hence, there is a need to ensure that the organization has the ability in inform the law enforcement authorities of any possibility or suspicious threats propagated by employees and adversaries (Rose, 2001). The establishment of a clear line of communication of directly involved parties in respect to the various production processes is needed. In addition, the line of communication could include communication with the legal authorities; communication with the employees involved in the production processes, the clients in terms of explaining to them of the production vulnerabilities and threats to enable them accrue observance of the possibility of risks in production processes (Rose, 2001).

Furthermore, it is essential for the entity to ensure the presence of evacuation procedures in incidences of natural disasters as well as incidences such as explosions and fires, which are synonymous in the petroleum production processes. Additionally classification enables the presence of focus on the ranks of risks in all the production processes.

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Name to receive copy

Reference

Rose, P. R. (2001). Risk analysis and management of petroleum exploration ventures. Tulsa, Okla: American Association of Petroleum Geologists.