Fort Wayne, IN 46845
Cell 225–978–1573
E–mail: raybrandes@aol.com
EDUCATION
BS, Chemical Engineering, Lehigh University (1954)
Attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Industrial Management,
1957-59.
WORK SUMMARY
Mr. Brandes is a highly experienced manager in chemicals production and process risk management. He joined Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), as a part time employee, following thirty seven years with ICI Americas. At ICI, he held positions as Plant Manager, Director of Manufacturing and Director of Safety and Industrial Hygiene. In this last position, he led the development of policy and procedures for managing Chemical Process Safety for a major, multiplant, chemicals manufacturing organization.
He chaired the task group at Organization Resources Counselors, Inc., which prepared Recommendations for the Process Hazard Management of Substances with Catastrophic Potential, upon which OSHA based its final rule for Process Safety, 29 CFR 1910.119. As a member of the Technical Management Subcommittee of the Center for Chemical Process Safety, A.I.Ch.E., he helped prepare Guidelines for Technical Management of Chemical Process Safety. As Chair of the Expert Panel on Management, he participated in the preparation of Review of Emergency Systems, a report to the Congress required by Sec. 305b of SARA. A member of the ad hoc panel of experts for the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) he contributed to the development of guidance to OECD member countries for the prevention of accidents involving hazardous substances. Mr. Brandes provided consultancy to the US EPA in the preparation of RMP guidance for 40 CFR Part 68. He had been a member of the Chemical Accident Prevention committee, EPA
At SAIC, Mr. Brandes provides strong managerial guidance to the consultancy of the Process Safety Business Area. He assures that SAIC's recommendations reflect good management principles, and that cost-effectiveness in plant and refinery operations are considered. He provides consultancy in the management of chemical process safety, with emphasis on practical, cost-effective and sensible action planning. He also provides auditing, project management, hazard identification and other Process Safety services.
As a private consultant, Mr. Brandes provides expert advice and testimony in the Management of Chemical Process Safety. To date, he has assisted in case preparation for regulatory defense, provided depositions relative to the scope of the PSM standard, and assisted in a defense related to regulatory matters. Also, he has assisted in case preparation and provided reports in defenses regarding chemical releases and alleged injuries.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), part time, (Sept. 1991 to present).
Mr. Brandes is a Senior Consultant for the Management of Chemical Process Safety for SAIC. In this position he supports the work of the Process Safety Business Area. He provides guidance toward the integration of each element in SAIC's consultancy in Process Safety Management. From his perspective of Production Management, he enhances SAIC's ability to integrate Process Safety with existing quality, cost reduction and process improvement programs on client sites.
He has provided reviews and auditing of the management of safety and IH, and especially, chemical process safety. He has provided consultancy to refineries and chemical plants in regard of the management practices and organizational approaches to safety. He has provided guidance for developing compliance gameplans for chemical hazard control.
Mr. Brandes leads SAIC’s audits against the OSHA regulation for Process Safety, against the EPA Rule for Risk Management Planning, and has included audits against the CMA Code of Responsible Care as well. He recently completed audits of several large HF Alklyation units against the API Recommended Practice 751. Also, he has completed audits of all refineries for a US major petroleum refining firm, and subsequently provided consultancy to senior corporate executives of that firm.
Mr. Brandes leads team studies for process hazards, having completed studies of all units in two refineries using the Hazard and Operability (HazOp), What if? or Transient Operations HazOp (TOH) method.
He provided consultancy to the US EPA in regard of the RMP rule promulgated in 1996, and to client sites in cost-effective implementation of requirements of the rule. He contributed to the preparation of EPA's model Risk Management Plan (RMP) for ammonia refrigeration.
Mr. Brandes now provides consultancy from the SAIC offices in Baton Rouge, LA.
Independent Consultant (Jan. 1991 to present)
Following retirement from ICI, Mr. Brandes provided consultancy to that firm until his successor became available.
Subsequently, he has provided expert witness and consultancy for several law firms. These include four defenses against process safety regulatory actions, several defenses against liability claims stemming from toxic releases and fires, and one case for an insurance firm and plaintiff in a matter involving confined space. His clients won in all of these actions.
ICI Americas Inc. (ICIA) (June 1954 to Dec. 1990)
After starting as a shift foreman, Mr. Brandes rose through Production, Engineering and Research positions, becoming Plant Manager of a 450-person facility in Marshall, TX, in 1971. Later, he became Manager of the then largest plant in ICIA, in New Castle, DE. Following several years as Director of Manufac¬turing, he was appointed Director of Safety, later Safety and Industrial Hygiene, in 1982.
As Director of Safety, he developed, recommended and implemented a company-wide Safety and Industrial Hygiene management system. Under his guidance, ICIA imple¬mented Process Safety Management in its high-hazard facilities. He directed the development of training courses designed to enable plants to be technically self-suffi¬cient. In addition, he designed ICIA's investigation of the safety, health and environmen¬tal aspects of potential acqui¬sitions. Lost time, recordable injury and motor vehicle accident rates declined steadily and significant¬ly from 1986 onwards after the integration of many acquisitions.
As Director of Manufacturing, he achieved cost savings by consol¬idation within mature businesses, and directed process improve¬ments in others. He improved communications between marketing and production personnel. Under his direction, safety records improved, new plant managers were trained, and the first quality improve¬ment programs in ICI commenced.
In both plants of which he was the manager, he set production records while improving cost control and energy conservation. At the second plant, he accomplished this while key staff members were promoted to other division plants. Labor relations were improved while he negotiated new agreements in the face of a difficult business climate. At the first plant, he settled a deep EEOC investigation without incident. He dealt with a major employee health problem of exposure, arranging empathetic medical care and installing engineering controls to eliminate the problem. He initiated strip mine reclamation activity that was later regarded as a model.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
Mr. Brandes is an accomplished skeet shooter, having been named "All-American" for six of the past twenty years. He was elected to the Delaware Skeet Hall of Fame in 2002.
He was the founding president of Fish of Northern Delaware, Inc., a service organization. He had been active in United Way, including as Fund Drive Chairman in Harrison County, TX. Also, he was a member of the board of the Delaware Nature Society.
PUBLICATIONS
Recommendations for the Process Hazard Management of Substances with Catastrophic Potential, Organization Resources Counselors, Washington, DC 1988.
Guidelines for the Technical Management of Chemical Process Safety, Center for Chemical Process Safety, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, New York, 1989.
Plant Guidelines for Technical Management of Chemical Process Safety, Center for Chemical Process Safety, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, New York, 1992.
Review of Emergency Systems, Environmental Protection Agency, 1988, contributor to, and Chair of the Expert Panel for Chapter 4, Management.
PSM Drives Change, Provides Lessons for PSM Managers, , Chemical Process Safety Report, Thompson Publishing, Sept. 1995.
PSM Auditing: An Opportunity to Improve Reliability at the Plant, Chemical Process Safety Report, Thompson Publishing, Nov. 1994.
Getting Out in Front with Process Safety Implementation, Chemical Process Safety Report, Thompson Publishing, Jan 1994.
Guiding Principles for Chemical Accident Prevention, Preparedness and Response, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Paris, 1992 (Contributor as ad hoc expert).
Process Safety Is a Reliability Program that Will Improve Plant Operations, Chemical Process Safety Report, Thompson Publishing, Jan 2000.
Safety Expert Reflects on PSM Development, Where We Are Now, Chemical Process Safety Report, Thompson Publishing, August 2000.
Expert Details Role of Safe Work Permits in Process Safety, Chemical Process Safety Report, Thompson Publishing, September 2001.
Safety Expert Shares Insights on Managing Change Successfully, Chemical Process Safety Report, Thompson Publishing, August 2002.
March 2018
