Combustible Dust Testing

Laboratory testing to quantify dust explosion and reactivity hazards

Safety Data Sheets

Develop critical safety data for inclusion in SDS documents

Gas and Vapor

Laboratory testing to quantify explosion hazards for vapor and gas mixtures

UN-DOT
Classification of hazardous materials subject to shipping and storage regulations
Hydrogen
Testing and consulting on the explosion risks associated with devices and processes which use or produce hydrogen
Safety Data Sheets

Develop critical safety data for inclusion in SDS documents

Thermal Stability

Safe storage or processing requires an understanding of the possible hazards associated with sensitivity to variations in temperature

Adiabatic Calorimetry
Data demonstrate the consequences of process upsets, such as failed equipment or improper procedures, and guide mitigation strategies including Emergency Relief System (ERS) design
Reaction Calorimetry
Data yield heat and gas removal requirements to control the desired process chemistry
Battery Safety

Testing to support safe design of batteries and electrical power backup facilities particularly to satisfy UL9540a ed.4

Safety Data Sheets

Develop critical safety data for inclusion in SDS documents

Cable Testing
Evaluate electrical cables to demonstrate reliability and identify defects or degradation
Equipment Qualification (EQ)
Testing and analysis to ensure that critical equipment will operate under adverse environmental conditions
Water Hammer
Analysis and testing to identify and prevent unwanted hydraulic pressure transients in process piping
Acoustic Vibration
Identify and eliminate potential sources of unwanted vibration in piping and structural systems
Gas & Air Intrusion
Analysis and testing to identify and prevent intrusion of gas or air in piping systems
ISO/IEC 17025:2017

Fauske & Associates fulfills the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:2017 in the field of Testing

ISO 9001:2015
Fauske & Associates fulfills the requirements of ISO 9001:2015
Dust Hazards Analysis
Evaluate your process to identify combustible dust hazards and perform dust explosion testing
On-Site Risk Management
On-site safety studies can help identify explosibility and chemical reaction hazards so that appropriate testing, simulations, or calculations are identified to support safe scale up
DIERS Methodology
Design emergency pressure relief systems to mitigate the consequences of unwanted chemical reactivity and account for two-phase flow using the right tools and methods
Deflagrations (Dust/Vapor/Gas)

Properly size pressure relief vents to protect your processes from dust, vapor, and gas explosions

Effluent Handling

Pressure relief sizing is just the first step and it is critical to safely handle the effluent discharge from an overpressure event

FATE™ & Facility Modeling

FATE (Facility Flow, Aerosol, Thermal, and Explosion) is a flexible, fast-running code developed and maintained by Fauske and Associates under an ASME NQA-1 compliant QA program.

Mechanical, Piping, and Electrical
Engineering and testing to support safe plant operations and develop solutions to problems in heat transfer, fluid, flow, and electric power systems
Hydrogen Safety
Testing and consulting on the explosion risks associated with devices and processes which use or produce hydrogen
Thermal Hydraulics
Testing and analysis to ensure that critical equipment will operate under adverse environmental conditions
Nuclear Safety
Our Nuclear Services Group is recognized for comprehensive evaluations to help commercial nuclear power plants operate efficiently and stay compliant
Radioactive Waste
Safety analysis to underpin decomissioning process at facilities which have produced or used radioactive nuclear materials
Adiabatic Safety Calorimeters (ARSST and VSP2)

Low thermal inertial adiabatic calorimeters specially designed to provide directly scalable data that are critical to safe process design

Other Lab Equipment and Parts for the DSC/ARC/ARSST/VSP2 Calorimeters

Products and equipment for the process safety or process development laboratory

FERST

Software for emergency relief system design to ensure safe processing of reactive chemicals, including consideration of two-phase flow and runaway chemical reactions

FATE

Facility modeling software mechanistically tracks transport of heat, gasses, vapors, and aerosols for safety analysis of multi-room facilities

Blog

Our highly experienced team keeps you up-to-date on the latest process safety developments.

Process Safety Newsletter

Stay informed with our quarterly Process Safety Newsletters sharing topical articles and practical advice.

Resources

With over 40 years of industry expertise, we have a wealth of process safety knowledge to share.

Recent Posts

Clearing the Clouds Around Facility Safety Planning 

Posted by Fauske & Associates on 10.09.18

By Sara Peters, Sr. Customer Communications & Brand Specialist,  Fauske & Associates, LLC

Safety planning in a facility is expected.  Experts look at the “what if” scenarios and try to create and implement procedures to mitigate the potential for damage.  But what happens when a situation arises that a plant has not prepared for?

Mother Nature has come at the US hard in the last few years. Fires out west, multiple hurricanes in the gulf, deep freezes in the south,  nor’ easters wreaking their own special havoc.  To say that such extreme and changing weather patterns have caught pretty much everyone in the country off guard is an understatement. tornado

Yes, different weather events are expected in each season and prepared for accordingly. For example, where I live, tornado season is upon us and the drills and siren tests have begun since our region is tornado prone. But, that doesn’t mean that tornadoes and the wind and flooding issues that accompany such strong storms are the only type of catastrophic events we could face. After all, the New Madrid fault line does run through the southern tip of my state. And, even though the occurrence of an earthquake might seem minimal for now, It is not all together unlikely. Have the manufacturing facilities and chemical plants in the area factored the possibility of an earthquake into their facility safety planning? I would hope so, but the reality is planning for a tornado is probably addressed more in their plant safety planning because the threat is greater.

Although a good safety expert will consider numerous situations in their planning efforts, truth be told, you can’t plan for every scenario, no matter how hard you might try.  And, even with the most current data and statistics at your fingertips,  you cannot estimate the severity of every scenario. No one could have predicted the full extent of the destruction that weather has wrought in recent months/years.  In the end, not only are private citizens left to deal with the aftermath, but so too is industry. 

This recent article published in Chemical Processing addresses the impact of recent severe and extreme weather events on the chemical industry. It also serves as a good reminder of the importance of constantly reviewing process safety planning strategies to ensure your plan is keeping up with the inevitable changes.

If you happen to be from Illinois, you might be surprised to read "Illinois Emergency Management Says Be Ready for the Big One With Earthquake Preparedness." Search the net for your state to find similar.  For a list of recent earthquakes near your state, click here and select your state.

A key factor in such planning is to understand the volatility of the materials you use and the safety measures required to keep your equipment operational. A combustible dust hazard analysis (DHA), and process hazards analysis (PHA) along with dust and chemical characterization can help identify potential hazards. Add to that, an understanding of the structural considerations brought about by aging facilities and urban growth in surrounding areas for the most comprehensive Process Safety Management (PSM) approach. The safety plan that is developed should be revisited regularly to account for such variables.

I urge all of you to revisit your safety planning in light of the most recent wave of environmental disasters.  If you need help with PHAs, DHAs or testing along with other important PSM assessments and tools, let us know.  Safety is our passion and we are here to help.    

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Topics: Process Safety

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