In August 2024, while loading anhydrous ammonia into a railcar at a manufacturing site, a shear coupling on the loadout arm failed to function. Two out of three bolts failed, causing the coupling to open and resulting in a loss of primary containment (LOPC) of pressurized liquefied ammonia, which formed an ammonia vapor cloud.  A proximity sensor adjacent to the shear coupling was not actuated....

All alcohols are NOT created equal! Alcohols may be flammable, but there is one alcohol whose flammability is NOT its primary hazard. Most know about ETHANOL. It is used in fuels, as well as in food and drinks. It is flammable, and its flammability is its PRIMARY HAZARD. But its sister, METHANOL, is VERY DIFFERENT. Both are flammable, but METHANOL is very toxic, making its TOXICITY its PRIMARY HAZARD....

Industrial Safety can be explained in two (2) simple aspects: 1) Culture/Management 2) Technical Safety Culture/Management is simply stated as MANAGEMENT OWNS and DRIVES safety. Without this aspect, the quality of the safety process means very little. Technical Safety is the QUALITY of the Safety Management System and its ability to meet the expectations that Management has established. Neither can...

A CSB safety video on its investigation into the fatal December 8, 2020, explosion at the Optima Belle chemical facility in Belle, West Virginia.

The chlorine (Cl2) event in TX this week has been reported as a 10,000-pound release that lasted 48 minutes. Three of the four workers injured in the incident have been released, while the fourth is still receiving treatment. Still no word on what caused the release or what part of the primary containment system failed.

OSHA announced it has updated the inspection program that directs agency enforcement resources to establishments with the highest rates of injuries and illnesses based on injury and illness data submitted in accordance with OSHA’s recordkeeping requirements. The Site-Specific Targeting program is OSHA’s primary planned inspection program for non-construction establishments with 20 or...

At 12:30 p.m. on February 7, 2022, an employee, 45, was disconnecting the discharge line of a 4-inch mobile water pump. The discharge line was blocked with ice, and the running pump was deadheaded, leading to a buildup of heat and pressure in the discharge line after the check valve. … HomeRead More »

Another tragic ending to a “Line Break” gone bad. This one involved opening a flange on a steam line in an attempt to “bleed off” the steam by loosening flange bolts. IT DID NOT GO AS PLANNED, and two workers perished with 70% burns! At 6:52 p.m. on August 10, 2020, two (2) employees (30) and a coworker were attempting to remove a blockage from a hydrolyzer. The employees and...

As we have discussed here for years, “flanged joints” are usually MORE difficult to manage than are welded connections. However, somehow the rumor got started that flanged connections can be done by “Billy Joe Jim Bob.” Nothing could be further from the truth! And guess which connections most often leak? Yep, flanged connections. There are many reasons for this higher leak rate,...

Betting this was just under 10 pounds. That’s a RQ joke as the RQ for Cl2 is 10 pounds – CLEARLY we have exceeded that in this event. (But you never know!) All jokes aside, this is a big one. People wanting to know why it’s taking so long to get an “all clear” 2-hrs after the leak was isolated just don’t know Chlorine! At 3X’s heavier than air, it’s a LAZY chemical – just wants to sit down...

Respondent produced, used, or stored ammonia at the Facility and released a reportable quantity of an EHS, ammonia. On or about August 31, 2022, a “release,” as that term is defined by Section 329(8) of EPCRA, of ammonia in excess of 100 pounds occurred at the Facility (the release). As a result of the information obtained by EPA and subsequent investigation, Complainant has determined...

A 45-year-old senior fire captain is facing charges after authorities say he improperly conducted respirator fit tests for firefighters and lied about it. He is charged with forgery and tampering with records, the County Prosecutor’s Office said Friday. He signed reports stating the tests had been completed when they had not been finished between Jan. 7 and Jan. 27, officials said. He was arrested...