WINTER 2001     Inside: • Reliance on Existing Environmental Assessments • Physical Demands Analyses (PDA) • Plant Shutdowns • Staff Updates & News Plant Shutdowns — Learning from Experience By Steve Wilk, CIH, ROH     PHH has been involved in a number of plant shutdowns over the past few years that have had significant health and safety issues. These issues resulted in worker over-exposure to chemicals, delays in shutdown schedule and extra costs. By incorporating health and safety into the planning process, many of these stressful issues can be avoided. The following are a few points to remember for anyone involved in plant shutdowns. Set procedures in place prior to job starting. It's always easier to get systems organized and in place prior to the shutdown commencing. If you wait until a problem arises, its too late. You will spend more time and money trying to fix the problem and it will likely interfere with the schedule. Establish your team early and include health and safety in every discussion. Identify potential sources of emissions. Prior to shutdown all potential chemical emissions should be identified and evaluated for potential risk of worker exposure. Where possible these sources should be eliminated or controlled. Make sure you consider potential emissions from the shut-down work itself (i.e., welding, painting, insulating, etc.). Establish risk communications systems. Likely the number one issue that PHH has encountered on problem shutdowns is a lack of risk communication. When unprotected workers are exposed to chemicals, everyone gets upset, inaccurate comments are made and the downward spiral of confusion, mistrust and lack of productivity begins. Once this happens it is extremely difficult to get everyone track and working productively. and develop a program of education and risk communications systems shutdown. Make sure your messages accurate and consistent. Establish sampling and monitoring protocol. If air monitoring is required during the shutdown make sure the equipment is properly calibrated and that you have all the equipment ready. It is very important to understand the limitation of the testing equipment and any cross sensitivities. For example, acetylene can fool a sulfur dioxide sensor and cause error in monitoring results. Know your equipment. Documentation, documentation, documentation. Air monitoring results and incident reports should be properly documented and utilized in determining effectiveness of controls or in the need for new controls. Communicate results regularly. Monitor staff resources. Plant shutdowns and health and safety problems during shut-downs can result in stressful and long shifts from your management team and field staff. If people are getting over tired mistakes will be made that could easily have been avoided. In the heat of a problem this issue is easy to overlook. Make sure your key staff and decision- makers are getting adequate breaks from long and tiring shifts. Proper selection of personal protective equipment (PPE). Handing out the wrong respirator or not knowing the limitation of PPE is a recipe for disaster. Make sure you have the right PPE available on site at the start of the shutdown.     Successful and safe shutdowns don't just happen. Incorporation of health and safety professional at the planning stage of your shutdown is one way you can minimize the risk of unexpected health and safety issues arising during the shutdown.