With Houston, Florida and the Southeastern United States impacted by flooding and storm damage as a result of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, the Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates (SOCMA) is coordinating a retrospective panel discussion on disaster planning and response at the National Chemical Safety Symposium hosted by ChemStewards, October 11-12, in Houston, Texas. ChemStewards, SOCMA's environmental, health, safety and security program (EHS&S), assists chemical companies in optimizing their performance and creating a safe and secure manufacturing environment.
"Hurricanes Harvey and Irma had a significant impact on the chemical industry, especially in the Houston area, but throughout the storm and its aftermath, safety was of the utmost importance to our SOCMA member companies," says Dr. J. Holland Jordan, managing director of ChemStewards. "With the Safety Symposium set for October in Houston, we felt this was an opportune time to bring in company leaders, plant operators and others who worked with these companies throughout the storm to share insight about how their employees and facilities fared. A situation such as this is at the very heart of why it's important to have a strong EHS&S program plan in place. During the discussion, we hope to gain a better understanding of what worked during the response, as well as areas that could be improved upon moving forward."
Among the panelists are:
- Larry Birdsell, custom processing business director, Trecora Chemical, Inc.
- Greg Milewski, manager of process safety, KMCO, LLC
- Keith Terhune, vice president, industrial and supply chain, KMCO, LLC
- Dana Cooper, CEO and President, Cooper-Hayes LLC
The event kicks off on October 11 at the Houston Marriott West Loop by the Galleria with a Legislative and Regulatory Roundtable hosted by SOCMA's Government Relations team, followed by a Safety Symposium workshop in the afternoon. The Symposium, scheduled for October 12, features experts addressing critical issues impacting the chemical industry, including Vanessa Sutherland, chairperson of the Chemical Safety Board. Primary topics of discussion include process safety, occupational safety, operational excellence and regulatory compliance.
For more information, visit: www.socma.com