Reader Feedback: Process Safety

March 4, 2013
Sometimes Even the Best Maintenance Practices Fail to Manage to Keep Some of These Plants Safe

I enjoyed your September 2012 editorial. Struck a chord with me. One other element that strikes me when we talk about plant safety is the condition of our aging refineries. Sometimes even the best maintenance practices fail to manage to keep some of these plants safe. They beg for refits and technology updates.

BP Whiting is in the throes of a mega expansion leaning on fieldbus. Not sure how much refitting is being done on existing processes. I'm sure there are plenty of processes there and in our other U.S. refineries that would be safer with investments in modern technology.

Jim Shields
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