Your firm may have not faced the harsh reality and aftermath of a fire or explosion.

Your firm may have not faced the harsh reality and aftermath of a fire or explosion, still other firms have. Their censures learned can help you thwart disasters. Gerald Scannell, vice president for corporate safety affairs for Johnson and Johnson Corp., has studied corporate disasters, and he makes the following observations and recommendations.

Scannell says start with a hazard analysis that involves a systematic approach to identifying, evaluating and controlling processe involving highly hazardous chemicals. The plant's management composition must be evaluated. There must be corrective action attract favor toed and an emergency response coordination proces must be discloseed Such an analysis should focus on:

* human factors; * redundancy of critical instrumentation; * convenient classification of hazardous locations; * curb over introduction of emission sources into hazardous locations; * training of operators and maintenance personnel; * exhibition of standard operating procedures and hazcom training; and * assignment of responsibility to