Written by NICOLE AUSTIN and KIM BUCEK
I HEART SAFETY T H E P RO C E S S S A F ET Y M A N AG E M E N T S E R I E S
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huge milestone in distillery safety was reached last year, with the issuance of the very first issue of the Process Safety Management Series from the newly named DISCUS Safety and Risk Management Committee (previously the Fire Protection Committee). Fire safety in distilleries has been a well understood area of risk management, thanks largely to the intense, collaborative work done by what was the DISCUS Fire Protection Committee. Recognizing that codes in this area are difficult for even experienced engineers to fully grasp, the committee worked over several decades to bring together experts from all sides of the industry, including operations, insurance, equipment manufacturers,
The primary function of Safety Relief Valves is the protection of life, property, and environment. A Safety Relief Valve is a (safety) device designed to protect a vessel or system against over-pressure should all other safety systems fail. W W W . ARTISANSPIRITMAG . C O M
All stills should have independent pressure relief. process safety engineers, and code experts, to explain how the codes may be best applied in our industry in a manner reflective of our best practices and knowledge. The benefits of this approach are many. Rather than starting from a blank page every time something is built or upgraded, we may consult the Recommended Fire Protection Practices for Distilled Spirits Beverage Facilities manual to see how codes and standards have previously been applied and know that if we follow that guidance then we have the whole industry behind us. It fosters fairness and consistency in the implementation of standards. And most importantly, it helps keep our colleagues and consumers safe. As helpful as the fire manual is, craft distillers will likely also be familiar with its limits. The manual was only available for a fee or free to DISCUS Members. The guidance was written largely from the perspective of existing large-scale producers for the audience of knowledgeable engineers, with underlying assumptions around size and scale that are often not applicable to small distillers or are unwieldy and confusing to implement at our scale. Most importantly, it addressed only the portion of process safety risks associated
specifically with fire safety. Thankfully, there has been a sea change in distillery safety. The Safety and Risk Management Committee broadened their scope to include all areas of safety and risk management in distilleries (hence the new name) and has created a new Process Safety Working Group to tackle this effort. The committee has also launched a Small-Scale Production Working Group, to ensure that education and guidance will be helpful and appropriate for these types of distilleries. The very first issue in the Process Safety Management Series, released in July 2022, is reflective of this new approach. It’s a BIG DEAL. HUGE. Other words that are synonyms for “very important, life saving, industry protecting.” This first issue in the series addresses Pressure and Vacuum Relief in Pot Still Distillation. Approaching this correctly is an opportunity to mitigate one of the most significant process safety risks common to most distilleries. It is our hope and intent that this document will help every distiller
‘Pressure relief valves should not serve any other process related function — their only function is safety. 31