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Published by chemicalprocessingsafety
The Process Safety with Trish & Traci podcast shares insights from recent process-safety incidents to avoid accidents at chemical processing plants.
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With federal OSHA down to roughly 1,700 inspectors for 12 million workplaces — meaning a facility might see a full inspection once every 191 years — self-regulation has effectively become the entire safety system. In this episode, Trish Kerin explains why internal teams stop noticing their own drift from procedure (normalization of deviance) and why "no incidents" doesn't mean a program is working — only that controls haven't been tested yet. She outlines practical fixes: cold-eyes audits between facilities, the three lines of defense model, and the crucial difference between assurance and reassurance. Her bottom line: good process safety isn't just compliance — it drives reliability, productivity and profit.
On this episode of Processing Safety with Trish and Traci, forensic engineer Dr. Sean Brady joins Trish Kerin and Traci Purdum to revisit Piper Alpha, the 1988 North Sea platform disaster that killed 167 workers. They trace how a lost permit-to-work, a missing relief valve, and a design never updated for gas service combined with failed firewalls, redundant systems that bred false confidence and risers that kept feeding the fire. Using the "Jenga tower" metaphor, Brady explains how safety systems degrade unnoticed until they collapse, and why organizations must dispense with likelihood and focus on consequence, controls, and leadership culture to prevent the next catastrophe.
Smart design and layout choices, made well before a crisis hits, can protect plants from cyberattacks, sabotage and extreme weather without a major capital investment. This is based on an article from Amin Almasi, " Disaster Planning in Process Plants: Best Offense is a Passive Defense ," Chemical Processing, July 20, 2026
From an 3 a.m. evacuation drill to a real fire alarm in Toronto, repeated emergencies reveal how — and how poorly — we prepare when we're away from home. Hear why Trish could be the Jessica Fletcher of the process safety world.
On this episode of Processing Safety with Trish and Traci, General Atomics safety engineer Valerie Stakes returns to discuss well-being in the safety profession, building on her 2026 ASSP conference session. She, Trish Kerin and Traci Purdum explore why safety professionals — often wired to please and fix — struggle to set boundaries and how compassion fatigue, unappreciated efforts and repeated exposure to injuries and fatalities take a cumulative toll. They share personal stories of burnout, offer tips on debriefing, networking and using employee assistance programs and close with a guided breathing exercise. The episode also answers a listener’s question on the role of training in operations and emergency response.
Decades of guidance on alarm management exist. So why are control rooms still drowning in noise?
Trish Kerin breaks down the runaway reaction that triggered a mass evacuation in Orange County, California, and explains what facilities handling reactive chemicals can learn about instrumentation, warning signs and emergency communication. Editor's Note: We mention an upcoming webinar that Trish will be hosting: a webinar focused on leadership in uncertain times — looking at key strategies and tools we can use to navigate some of the challenges we're all facing globally right now. Use the code CPREADER for $5 off.
The analog timepieces at Melbourne's Flinders Street Station offer a timeless lesson: sometimes the simplest solution is the most elegant — and the most reliable.
Eleven refinery and fuel facility fires across four continents in roughly 60 days — that's the alarming backdrop for this episode of Process Safety with Trish and Traci. Process safety expert Trish Kerin examines whether the 2026 incidents are a statistical anomaly or a symptom of deeper systemic pressure. She points to deferred maintenance, narrowing margins and the normalization of risk during periods of production stress as key contributing factors. Kerin also addresses the unique vulnerabilities of new facilities and aging infrastructure. Her bottom line: know your controls, check that they're working and talk to your people. Stick around for the bonus material at the end.
When economic pressures mount, safety vigilance can quietly erode — and that's when incidents happen. In this episode, process safety expert Trish Kerin introduces APTBED, a practical decision-making framework for navigating volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous times. The acronym covers six critical areas: Authority (know who's in charge), Psychological Safety (create space for honest information), Tacit and Explicit Knowledge (bring all knowledge into the room), Biases (recognize and manage cognitive blind spots), Expectations (manage them or people will fill the void), and Document Decisions (if it's not written down, it never happened). Good decisions and strong safety culture aren't mutually exclusive — even in a crisis.
When operators inevitably push levels to their limits, a poorly placed vapor inlet nozzle can turn a routine excursion into a tower-wrecking event.
In this episode, Stay Safe Columnist Trish Kerin reads her latest article for Chemical Processing. She's a proud GenXer, and she points out that a line from Dr. Ian Malcolm cuts to the heart of a critical distinction in process safety — the difference between what we are allowed to do and what we ought to do. You can read the column here.
When natural disasters strike industrial facilities, the results can be catastrophic — and most companies aren't ready. In this episode of Process Safety with Trish and Traci, Trish Kerin and Traci Purdum explore NATECH events, where natural hazards collide with industrial risk. Drawing on real incidents including Arkema in Crosby, Texas, BioLab in Lake Charles and the Fukushima disaster, they examine why facilities consistently underestimate natural hazard risk, how to build truly complete ride-out and recovery plans, and why traditional PHAs fall short for NATECH scenarios. Kerin's bottom line: assume the event will happen, and prepare accordingly.
Chernobyl, Bhopal, Three Mile Island, Deepwater Horizon, Texas City — What do they have in common? Human error or human factors were identified as contributing to the incidents. But what are these factors? Understanding how people actually perceive, decide and act is essential to preventing catastrophic industrial accidents and everyday errors. This In Case You Missed It episode brings the written word to life from the column: Human Factors Engineering: Designing Systems Around Our Limitations
In this episode, Trish Kerin and Traci Purdum explore process hazard analysis revalidations and how to make them more effective. Kerin explains the difference between redoing a PHA and revalidating existing assessments, introducing the Delta HAZOP methodology that focuses on creeping change in facilities. She discusses triggers for revalidation, from legislative requirements to significant operational changes, and emphasizes the importance of selecting the right team and methodology. Kerin highlights how AI and machine learning can help gather data and identify trends, while stressing that human expertise remains essential. The key takeaway: approach revalidations with rigor and discipline, not as tick-box exercises, to truly identify hazards and manage risk effectively.
Applying risk management principles helps Process Safety Engineer Trish Kerin navigate her first successful year of self-employment. Listen in as Trish brings her January column to life. You can read her column here.
Engineers couldn't prove danger, so managers launched anyway. Seven astronauts died when O-rings failed in freezing temperatures. Apply the lessons learned to help avoid future incidents. Three Key Takeaways: Reverse the burden of proof: Require positive proof that something is safe before proceeding, rather than forcing engineers to prove it's unsafe. Simplify safety communication: Complex data failed to convince decision-makers, but a simple demonstration (O-ring in ice water) made the danger crystal clear. Protect technical authority: Engineers need more than just formal authority to stop unsafe operations — they need genuine psychological safety to exercise that power without career consequences.
This In Case You Missed It episode brings the written word to life. Today, Trish Kerin, the director of Lead Like Kerin, and Stay Safe columnist for Chemical Processing, will read her column " Bird’s-Eye View Prevents Process Safety Groundings ," which was published to chemicalprocessing.com on Dec. 17, 2025.
In this year-end episode, hosts Trish Kerin and Traci Purdum welcome Hayley Little, a U.K.-based process safety engineer who tracks quarterly catastrophic incidents on LinkedIn. The discussion explores origin stories in process safety, the critical gap in fundamental safety knowledge outside petrochemical industries, and the alarming frequency of preventable incidents in lower-hazard sectors. They discuss innovative solutions including AI tools, virtual reality training and social media outreach to democratize process safety education. The conversation emphasizes the urgent need for better university training, field presence over desk work and human factors integration to make it easier to "accidentally get it right."
This In Case You Missed It episode brings the written word to life. Today, Trish Kerin, the director of Lead Like Kerin, and Stay Safe columnist for Chemical Processing, will read the first few chapters from her book “The Platypus Philosophy – how to identify and manage weak signals” This book explores weak signals and focuses on how to identify and manage them to prevent incidents. It uses fun storytelling about the unique platypus as a technique to explain complex concepts and tools. You can purchase this book on Amazon or snag a signed copy from Trish’s website, leadlikekerin.com .
Ranking source
Apple Podcasts rankings via the Mato Topic Intelligence Platform.
Observed September 18, 2026. Cached outside the daily freshness window; the positions keep the date they were taken on.
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