The process safety guerrilla: Giving your company a future, even if it does not want one

Abstract You understand well that a strong process safety program not only prevents incidents but also improves overall operational discipline, quality, efficiency, and profitability. Unfortunately, your management thinks that process safety is some kind of hippie environmentalist thing that will shave a few dollars off quarter‐over‐quarter growth. If only you could implement the kind of transformative program demonstrated by the Center for Chemical Process Safety founding companies and other industry leaders, unfortunately, you're not at a sufficient level to champion such a transition, and the people at that level are not even in the ballpark, never mind willing to step up to the plate. Some day, maybe soon, the plant will go up in flames, and along with it will go your 401(k) and the livelihoods of your family, friends, and neighbors. Now is the time for the downtrodden to rise up. How? By implementing the time‐honed guerrilla strategies used throughout the generations by those who lack the power of position. These strategies include theft, gangs, subterfuge, sabotage, arson, assassination, official corruption, and others. Well… not really. But these “crimes” do suggest legal and effective ways of building a stronger process safety program from the bottom up. This article will summarize ways that clever and persistent “process safety guerillas” have precipitated positive change at their companies. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog 2010