Refinery and Petrochemical Operations Safety Expert

Technical Consultant #2095

Refinery safety management systems evaluation and recommendations.
Fire and explosion investigations.
Emergency response planning.
Petrochemical operations and troubleshooting.
Evaluations of refinery EH&S (Environmental Health and Safety) procedures and practices.
Process improvement projects for refinery operations, EH&S practices.
Improving petrochemical industry and regulatory agencies communication.

Expert Witness Experience

Refinery and petrochemical process operations, engineering, and safety management.
Accepted as an expert in one or more of these venues:
Judicial District Court (14)
Judicial District Court (19)
U. S. District Court - Middle District
Circuit Court of Cook County
U. S. District Court - Eastern District

Undisclosed Company, President, 1997 - Present

Assessed the safety management systems for 14 refineries.
Developed comprehensive risk management protocol to evaluate effectiveness of management systems and provided recommendations.
Follow-up assessments and evaluations to assure effective implementation.
Performed safety assessments with risk reduction and technology enhancement recommendations for petrochemical facilities.
Evaluated safe work permit procedures and practices at 12 refineries.
Performed fire and explosion investigations.
Developed operations staffing technique for world's largest refinery at Ulsan, South Korea.
Refinery pre-startup safety audits.
Evaluated of facilities and management systems associated with several refinery purchases.
Using Management of Organization Change (MOOC) techniques to aid in transition planning.

Exxon Co., USA, 1980 - 1997

Process Operations Manager, 1983 - 1997

Directed all refinery process operations.
Managed a work force of 650 company employees and 100 contract employees.
Exercised stewardship responsibility for facility safe operation, environmental and production performance.
Oversaw operating budget exceeding $600 million per year.
Served on the refinery Management Committee that guided broad refinery direction.
Chaired the company wide Process Managers Committee that oversaw safety standards, safe operating committees, HAZOP activities, cost, and reliability improvements on an Exxon refining circuit wide basis.
Developed an effective emergency response organization, integrating refinery resources with those of the local community.
Initiated and participated in the formation of an industry and government agency group to enhance both emergency response and public perception.
Chaired a task force that developed safety, health, and environmental metrics for each refinery's performance, which was adopted as best practice by other functions.
Participated in process safety assessments of domestic and international Exxon refineries.
Chaired several groups that examined and recommended optimum operations staffing levels and organization structure for refineries.
Leader and steward for the refinery's Process Safety Management programs.
Acted as primary technical participant in several OSHA and EPA settlements.
Participated as key management representative in the successfully bargaining of 5 multi-company labor contracts and 15 labor arbitrations.

Technical Manager, 1980 - 1993

Managed approximately 300 engineers who coordinated day-to-day technical and computing product support.
Provided project development, detailed engineering process designs, and implementation.
Guided the career development of all refinery professional employees.
Served as a member of the refinery Management Committee.

Credentials

Professional Training

HAZOP
Fault Tree Process Hazard Analysis
Certified Industrial Firefighter and Incident Commander
Additional training courses: Design, Operating Procedure development, Heater Operations, Safety Engineering, Work Permits, HAZWOPER, Quality Management, Supervisory Principles, Safe Operations.

Educator

Conducted courses on Risk Management for Exxon's U.S. refinery operations supervision

Conferences

Keynote speaker on Safe Operations for Exxon Worldwide Technology Conference
Speaker on emergency response at API Safe Operations Subcommittee General Meeting