The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) issued a winter warning for chemical facilities nationwide, urging action to prevent potentially catastrophic cold-weather incidents. 

 
CSB data on chemical releases shows a notable increase of incidents at chemical facilities during the cold-weather months. The agency notes that winterization programs in plants that contain hazardous materials can help prevent cold-weather-related disasters.

“Chemical facilities are especially susceptible to incidents during the winter months when they can be affected by extreme cold weather,” said CSB Chair Steve Owens in a press statement. “Every chemical facility must take steps now to winterize its processes in order prevent a major chemical incident from occurring and putting communities, workers and the environment in serious risk.”

 
The CSB has shared key winterization safety lessons that stress the need for dead-legs to be surveyed and removed or permanently and effectively isolated from hazardous process streams. A dead leg is a section of piping connected to the process that has no flow through it.

The agency recommends that companies establish formal, written winterization programs and identify and control winterization hazards, such as ice and hydrate formation, through process hazard analyses, management of change evaluations, pre-startup safety reviews and operating procedures.

 
Additionally, the CSB encourages companies to follow guidance published by the American Petroleum Institute for addressing potential issues encountered in freezing weather. Some of the suggested practices include the creation of formal written programs to find cold-weather vulnerabilities, maintenance and equipment design training/education and a careful review of out-of-service piping or units.