Page 113 - Serious Incident Prevention How to Achieve and Sustain Accident-Free Operations in Your Plant or Company

CH08pp083-095 4/10/02 12:50 PM Page 91

Identifying the Critical Work 91

American Railroads. The Association’s database includes Non-Accident
Release incidents involving tank cars for all U.S. carriers. The information,
as summarized in Figure 8-3, confirms that manways, rupture discs, other
top fittings, bottom outlets, safety relief valves, and liquid fill lines, are the
most frequent sources of leaks. Success in preventing future incidents will
require the team to ensure that all potential causes of releases are effectively
addressed.
After investigation and input from all members, the improvement team
identifies the specific work needed to minimize transportation incidents
controllable by the team. Critical tasks identified include:

1. Documentation of the tank car inspection and securement process in
a reference manual including:
Preloading inspection procedures and checklists
Procedures for inspecting and replacing gaskets
Proper use of tools for securement
Procedures for tightening and securing dome lids, plugs, caps,
valves, and other connections
Postloading inspection procedures and checklists

2. Formal operator training including:
Importance of zero tank car leaks
Specific actions required to correctly perform each step of the
documented tank car inspection and securement process
Tool selection and proper usage
Skills checks to ensure proficiency

3. An audit process involving scheduled hands-on inspections of tank
car securement by members of the loading and shipping team.

Sustaining Performance

The chemical loading and shipping team is confident that execution of
the work identified as critical will drive the frequency of controllable trans-
portation incidents toward zero. To help sustain long-term execution of the
critical work, the team’s process includes:

Measurement systems for monitoring both the frequency of trans-
portation incidents and results of tank car securement audits