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Accident Case - DuPont Methyl Chloride Release


Quiz Questions

1. DuPont management, following their Management of Change process, approved a design for the rupture disc alarm system that lacked sufficient reliability to advice operators of a flammable methyl chloride release. This resulted in methyl chloride incident.
True
False
2. ____________ introduced the "zero incidents" goal in the early 1900s as a management directive to drive injury rates down to zero through continuous improvement of safety practices.
EPA
OSHA
DuPont
All of the above
3. Methyl chloride is a _____________ gas.
Blue colored
Yellow colored
Colorless
It is not a gas
4. ___________ are overpressure protection devices used in processes operating above ambient pressure and are intended to prevent equipment damage, including catastrophic failure.
Valves
Orifice meters
Detectors
Rupture discs
5. What are the root causes for methyl chloride incident at DuPont?
DuPont’s MOC process approved a design for the rupture disc alarm system that lacked sufficient reliability for minimizing the release of methyl chloride.
DuPont did not resolve the "nuisance alarm" condition in a timely manner despite various safety reviews.
Operators became desensitized to the rupture disc burst alarm
Both A and B
6. Phosgene, in liquid and gaseous forms, is __________ and highly toxic and has a characteristic odor of freshly cut hay or grass.
Light blue in color
Yellow colored
Green colored
Colorless
7. Which one of the following method can create Hot spots?
Electric tracing
Steam tracing
Bubble tracing
None of the above
8. The DuPont SOPs for the change-out frequency of the nitrogen and phosgene hoses directs replacement every _________ days.
10
30
60
90
9. Which of the following is not a PPE?
Hard hat
Safety glasses
Yellow head band
All of the above
10.

Phosgene indicator badges change color when exposed to phosgene and the color indicates the concentration __________ after exposure.

1 minute
3 minutes
5 minutes
10 minutes
11.

DuPont estimates that about ________ pounds of phosgene were released to the atmosphere when the hose failed.

2
4
6
7
12. Phosgene permeation through ________ had resulted in leaks at Belle in the past; however, the PHA team did not consider this hazard for the phosgene cylinder hoses.
PTFE
PPE
POFE
PPPE
13. The phosgene shed at Belle in very large amounts is because DuPont relies on ____________ to decrease the concentrations of Phosgene.
Natural Ventilation
Artificial Ventilation attached to the storage
Manual control of the gas
None of the above
14. PTFE-lined pigtails are suitable for use with poisonous, toxic, or pyrophoric gases because permeation of gas through the PTFE wall creates a potential hazard only at some conditions.
True
False
15. Though the overall proportion of new to departing employees has remained consistent, a significant reduction of employees with an average of 30 years of experience working on the Belle site contributes to a loss of institutional and plant-specific knowledge.
True
False
16. Which of the following are the root causes for the DuPont incidents?
A maintenance software program change was not documented or reviewed in accordance with the MOC process.
DuPont did not provide a back-up method to ensure timely change-out of the hoses.
DuPont relied on a maintenance software program to initiate the automatic change-out of phosgene hoses at the prescribed interval.
All of the above
17. The Belle plant analyzer in the phosgene shed has no audible alarm to alert personnel in the area; instead, Belle plant procedures require the board operator to notify personnel of the release and only operators at the phosgene shed can activate the switch for the warning light.
True
False
18. About 8 months after the series of incidents at the Belle plant triggered this investigation, another significant release of _________ occurred.
CO
Diethylene
Methanol
Tetranapthalene
19. OSHA is authorized under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to inspect workplaces to ensure that employers are providing a safe and healthy work environment by complying with OSHA standards.
True
False
20. On January 20, 2011, the _____________ investigation resulted in a recommendation being issued to the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department to establish a Hazardous Chemical Release Prevention Program, whose objective is to enhance the prevention of accidental releases of highly hazardous chemicals and optimize responses if they occur.
CSB Bayer Crop Science
OSHA
PEA
None of the above