3d printing and process safety

The news has been full of reports of how a company put their plan for 3D printing of a plastic gun on the net and how one person was even able to fire a bullet from it. It appears right now that the printer prints using plastic material. The advantages claimed are accuracy, less wastage. An article by Bloomberg  "Your future will be made by 3D printers" is interesting to read.

In the future, maybe 3D printing will improve process safety by eliminating manufacturing defects!!


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Drones for flare tip inspection

While we read about drones being used for military purposes, here is another use for them -a refinery has used a drone fitted with a camera for inspection of the flare tip while refinery was in operation. Now this is what I call as innovative usage of technology! Read the article in this link. 

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A confined space fatality

Three years ago, a experienced person (17 years experience) lost his life when he entered a space inside a ship that was inerted with nitrogen. This, through he was trained and experienced.
 Read the accident report in this link.

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Another hot work tank explosion

A refinery in China experienced a hot work accident that killed two workers. Apparently the tank in which the accident took place was decommissioned. Ensure you take all precautions when doing hot work on tanks.
Read the news articles in these links:
Tank explosion 1
Tank explosion 2

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Vessel blast kills one

In a fertilizer manufacturing facility very close to the Louisana unit, one person was killed when a vessel ruptured when it was being pressurized with nitrogen.
Read about the incident in this link.

Contribute to the surviving victims of Bhopal by buying my book "Practical Process Safety Management"