Pulp and Paper Safety Management Overview

Aug 21, 2024

Cariboo Pulp and Paper Overview

  • Established: 1972 in Quesnel
  • Employment: Over 300 employees
  • Production Capacity: 1,000 metric tons of NBSK pulp daily
  • Community Role: Major economic engine for Quesnel

Domtar Facility Overview

  • Established: 1965 in Kamloops
  • Employment: About 340 employees
  • Production Capacity: Over 400,000 air-dried metric tons of softwood kraft pulp per year

Safety Hazards in Pulp Mills

Types of Hazards:

  • Physical Hazards: Mobile equipment, heavy machinery
  • Chemical Hazards: Toxic gases, flammable liquids

Importance of Safety Management

  • Essential to manage these hazards to prevent catastrophic events
  • Need for proper design and handling of chemicals
  • Civic duty to minimize impact on the community

Process Safety Management (PSM)

  • Definition: Focuses on preventing accidental releases of hazardous chemicals and energy
  • Goal: Keeping hazardous materials contained within tanks and pipes

Key Components of PSM:

  1. Training: Ensuring staff are competent and trained
  2. Integration: New systems must be incorporated into operations
  3. Change Management: Handling changes effectively and safely

Steps to Develop a PSM System:

  • Decide to implement a PSM system
  • Identify chemicals and processes to include (setting boundaries)
  • Gather process safety information:
    • Materials involved, quantities, pressures, temperatures
    • Create up-to-date process and instrumentation diagrams
  • Form a cross-functional team for Process Hazard Analysis (PHA)

Process Hazard Analysis (PHA)

  • Purpose: Organized method to analyze processes by breaking them down into manageable categories (nodes)
  • Documentation: Critical for understanding and analyzing processes
  • Collaboration: Involve all employees in the decision-making process

Example of Risk Management:

  • Liquid Sulfur Dioxide: Eliminated from bleaching process after 35 years due to identified hazards

Auditing and Continuous Improvement

  • Audit Frequency: Every three years
  • Assessment Areas: Quality upsets, potential releases, process changes, new equipment
  • Outcome: Identification of previously unrecognized risks, leading to risk mitigation

Ownership and Resources

  • Ownership: The mill must own, maintain, and operate the PSM process
  • Collaboration: Utilize external resources and expertise to assist

Cultural Change and Long-term Commitment

  • Journey of Change: Necessary to foster a culture of safety
  • Investment: Requires time, resources, and money, but ultimately beneficial

Final Thoughts

  • Commitment to Safety: Domtar owns the risks and ensures safety for employees and the community

  • Benefits of PSM:

    • Predictability in safety, reliability, and cost
    • Enhanced community safety
    • Positive impact on business success

  • Conclusion: Understanding and controlling risks leads to a safer workplace and community.