A COMPARISON THE AICh E CODE OF ETHICS

A COMPARISON: THE AICh. E CODE OF ETHICS VERSUS REAL WORLD MISTAKES Kristi Bennett, Senior Counsel Eastman Chemical Company AICh. E November 2020

AICHE CODE OF ETHICS • Uphold and advance the integrity, honor and dignity of the engineering profession by: • Being honest and impartial and serving with fidelity their employers, their clients, and the public • Striving to increase the competence and prestige of the engineering profession • Using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement of human welfare

AICHE CODE OF ETHICS • How will those goals be achieved? 1. Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and protect the environment in performance of their professional duties. 2. Formally advise their employers or clients (and consider further disclosure, if warranted) if they perceive that a consequence of their duties will adversely affect the present or future health or safety of their colleagues or the public. 3. Accept responsibility for their actions, seek and heed critical review of their work and offer objective criticism of the work of others. 4. Issue statements or present information only in an objective and truthful manner.

AICHE CODE OF ETHICS • How will those goals be achieved? 5. Act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees, avoiding conflicts of interest and never breaching confidentiality. 6. Treat all colleagues and co-workers fairly and respectfully, recognizing their unique contributions and capabilities by fostering an environment of equity, diversity and inclusion. 7. Perform professional services only in areas of their competence. 8. Build their professional reputations on the merits of their services.

AICHE CODE OF ETHICS • How will those goals be achieved? 9. Continue their professional development throughout their careers, and provide opportunities for the professional development of those under their supervision. KUDOS TO YOU TODAY! 10. Never tolerate harassment. 11. Conduct themselves in a fair, honorable and respectful manner.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE CODE OF ETHICS IS NOT FOLLOWED? Seven World-Renowned Disasters How might they have been avoided?

JUNE 1974 – FLIXBOROUGH, ENGLAND • Temporary feed pipes ruptured causing massive explosions • The resulting explosion leveled the entire plant facility. • Twenty-eight people died, and 36 others were injured. • Damage extended to 1821 nearby houses and 167 shops and factories.

JUNE 1974 – FLIXBOROUGH, ENGLAND • This accident could have been prevented by following proper safety procedures. First, the bypass line was installed without a safety review or adequate supervision by experienced engineering personnel. The bypass was sketched on the floor of the machine shop using chalk! • Second, the plant site contained excessively large inventories of dangerous compounds. This included 330, 000 gallons of cyclohexane, 66, 000 gallons of naphtha, 11, 000 gallons of toluene, 26, 400 gallons of benzene, and 450 gallons of gasoline. These inventories contributed to the fires after the initial blast. Finally, the bypass modification was substandard in design. As a rule, any modifications should be of the same quality as the construction of the remainder of the plant.

JUNE 1974 – FLIXBOROUGH, ENGLAND If the Code of Ethics had been followed… 1. Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and protect the environment in performance of their professional duties. 2. Formally advise their employers or clients (and consider further disclosure, if warranted) if they perceive that a consequence of their duties will adversely affect the present or future health or safety of their colleagues or the public.

JUNE 1974 – FLIXBOROUGH, ENGLAND Takeaway: We all get pushed to complete work quickly because time is money. When public safety is paramount, we must take the time necessary to make the right choices.

DECEMBER 1984 – BHOPAL, INDIA • Toxic 45 tons of dangerous gas methyl isocyanate escaped the plant • The toxic cloud spread to the adjacent town, killing over 2000 civilians and injuring an estimated 20, 000 more.

DECEMBER 1984 – BHOPAL, INDIA This accident could have been prevented/the process by which the contamination occurred could have been identified, with well-executed safety reviews. The scrubber and flare system should have been fully operational to prevent the release. Inventories of dangerous chemicals could have been minimized. A process redesign to reduce the inventory of hazardous MIC would have been another solution.

DECEMBER 1984 – BHOPAL, INDIA If the Code of Ethics had been followed… In addition to 1 & 2, what if 3 had been followed? Accept responsibility for their actions, seek and heed critical review of their work and offer objective criticism of the work of others.

DECEMBER 1984 – BHOPAL, INDIA Takeaway: If there are risks, identify them, and then minimize them.

JULY 1976 – SEVESO, ITALY • Explosion released a cloud of dioxin • Within days a total of 3, 300 animals, mostly poultry and rabbits, were found dead. • Evacuations were delayed due to poor communication with local authorities resulting in over 250 cases of chloracne. AFP / Getty Image

JULY 1976 – SEVESO, ITALY • The accident could have been prevented if proper containment systems had been used to contain the reactor releases. • Proper application of fundamental engineering safety principles could have prevented the accident such that the initiation steps would not have occurred AND the hazards could have been identified and corrected before the accidents occurred.

JULY 1976 – SEVESO, ITALY • If the Code of Ethics had been followed… What if professional services had been performed only in the engineers’ areas of competence?

JULY 1976 – SEVESO, ITALY • Takeaway: Communication is key. Anticipation of risk can mean mitigation of risk.

OCTOBER 1989 – PASADENA, • Massive explosion TEXAS • 23 fatalities, 314 injuries, and capital losses of over $715 million. • Accident investigation showed that safe operating procedures were not followed. • It appears that SOPs were not followed. • Usually the polyethylene particles (product) settle in the settling leg and are removed through the product takeoff valve. Occasionally, the product plugs the settling leg, and the plug is removed by maintenance personnel. The normal—and safe—procedure includes closing the DEMCO valve, removing the air lines, and locking the valve in the closed position. Then the product takeoff valve is removed to give access to the plugged leg. • The accident investigation evidence showed that this safe procedure was not followed; specifically, the product takeoff valve was removed, the DEMCO valve was in the open position, and the lockout device was removed.

OCTOBER 1989 – PASADENA, TEXAS • If the Code of Ethics had been followed? Hold safety, health and welfare of the public paramount… Formally advise…and consider further disclosure if warranted…adversely affect…health or safety of…colleagues or the public…

• Takeaways? OCTOBER 1989 – PASADENA, TEXAS • Regular review of SOP’s, application of lessons learned

MARCH 2005 – TEXAS CITY, TEXAS • Violent explosions caused by ignited hydrocarbon vapor cloud • Fifteen employees killed and approximately 180 injured. • Criminal violations of federal environmental laws resulting in a $50 million fine and $1. 6 billion in victim compensation.

MARCH 2005 – TEXAS CITY, TEXAS • This accident/the results can have been avoided if… • The site trailers were properly located • Known and existing problems had been repaired/near misses had been properly investigated/design changes had occurred

MARCH 2005 – TEXAS CITY, TEXAS • If the Code of Ethics had been followed… Yes, you got it. Hold safety paramount, advise of adverse impacts, accept responsibility, present information in an objective and truthful manner.

Key Takeaway: MARCH 2005 – TEXAS CITY, TEXAS Near-misses are opportunities to prevent catastrophe.

DECEMBER 2007 – JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA • Powerful explosion and fire was the equivalent to detonating 1, 400 lbs of TNT • Debris from the explosion was found up to a mile away from the plant • Four employees were killed another 32 injured.

DECEMBER 2007 – JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA • How could the disaster have been avoided? (1) design redundancy, (2) the reactor relief system was incapable of relieving the pressure from the runaway reactions, and (3) despite a number of previous and similar near-misses the company employees failed to recognize the hazards of the runaway reactions associated with this manufacturing process (even though the two owners of the company had undergraduate degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering).

DECEMBER 2007 – JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA If the Code of Ethics had been followed… Certainly at this point, we see a pattern.

DECEMBER 2007 – JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA Key Takeaways: Do not ignore near-misses; confirm gaps are filled; think about worst case scenarios.

FEBRUARY 2008 – PORT WENTWORTH, GEORGIA • Series of sugar dust explosions • Fourteen fatalities and 36 injuries

FEBRUARY 2008 – PORT WENTWORTH, GEORGIA • How could the disaster have been avoided? • Elimination of ignition sources • Improved housekeeping • Correction of hazardous conditions, even though they were well known.

FEBRUARY 2008 – PORT WENTWORTH, GEORGIA • If the Code of Ethics had been followed? • Key Takeaways? Always pick the low-hanging fruit. Something as simple as housekeeping could have saved lives. Well-known hazards were ignored. An accident was bound to happen.

INCLUSION & DIVERSITY IN THE CHEMICAL ENGINEERING FIELD 6. Treat all colleagues and co-workers fairly and respectfully, recognizing their unique contributions and capabilities by fostering an environment of equity, diversity and inclusion. “Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance. ” (Vernā Myers, Diversity Advocate and author of Moving Diversity Forward)

QUESTIONS?