The Courier-Journal has released more photos. Below is my analysis of these photos, using their and Google Maps road images. The first image below is the PRE-EXPLOSION image. In it, we can see the two (2) standing cooling towers/condensers. The one in the blue box is the one that was destroyed and came to rest…...
My take on Louisville Explosion Read More »
A few years ago, I put forth the idea that workers pass through the 3 Cs in their decision-making process as they learn to take more and more risks. Those three (3) Cs were: That article stirred quite a bit of debate among the SAFTENG community and so I thought it was time to share…...
For each one of my Advanced SMS courses, I always start the course by having the students list the 16 Elements of the SAFTENG Safety Process/SMS in order of importance. I tell them there is no right or wrong answer. Over the past couple of years, I began to keep the answers to the questions…...
This week, we saw a fatal explosion in Louisville, KY. This same facility, albeit under a previous ownership, had a catastrophic failure of a PV in 2003. The photos coming out of the post-analysis of this week’s event look to be a similar type of explosion. CLICK HERE to see the pics. Here is my…...
Catastrophic Failure of Pressure Vessel (Again?) Read More »
Inspections As of the 3rd quarter of the fiscal year (Q3), EPA completed 133 CAA Section 112(r) (Risk Management Program) inspections. Enforcement Cases As of the 3rd quarter of the fiscal year (Q3), EPA took action at 73 facilities to decrease the likelihood of chemical accidents. Sasol Chemicals: In April 2024, EPA finalized a settlement…...
EPA RMP FY 2024 PARTIAL YEAR RESULTS Read More »
This is one of the most requested presentations I use when working with C-Suite Executives and Senior Safety Leadership…. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
Safety Leadership and Culture Read More »
This is a presentation I use when doing some of my SMS and Incident Management training courses…. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
Incident Management – Safety Management System Element Read More »
I teach about a dozen flammable liquid courses annually, and it is one of my favorite courses to teach, as I love the technical side of hazardous materials. And my course always starts with a discussion around the 1st step in making a flammable liquid a hazardous material… FLASH POINT. And over the 30+ years,…...
What is a “flash point”? Read More »
On January 18, 2024, at 9:15 a.m., Employee #1, 37, was working inside a 7,000-gallon tanker trailer. Employee #1 was tasked with inspecting the damage to the interior of the tanker. Employee #1 was in the early stages of the tank inspection when he lost consciousness. A coworker noticed Employee #1 lost consciousness, and s/he…...
Work dies and “would-be rescuer” severely injured in Tank Truck incident Read More »
On April 3, 2024, at 9:00 a.m., an employee, 44, working as a plant operator for a building materials manufacturer was reinstalling mixer blades onto the shaft inside a Vince Hagan HM-10 Horizontal Concrete Mixer. The employee had been on a crew between January 2024 and April 2024 engaged in the shaft and blade replacement…...
Chain hoist used inside PRCS results in fatality Read More »
A 60-year-old welder fell 32 feet while constructing the leading edge of a storage tank roof. His employer was an aboveground storage tank manufacturer. He had over 40 years of job experience. He was with three other workers constructing the leading edge with sheets of metal sheathing. The roof was 76-feet wide by 34.5-feet high,
Welder Fell 32 Feet from Storage Tank Roof (NIOSH FACE) Read More »
As most of you know, I am a massive fan of the work OR-OSHA does to make our jobs more proficient. This latest publication is a rockstar and something almost every workplace can utilize (for FREE) to make the men and women who do the dirty and dangerous work MORE knowledgeable in Hazard Identification. We
OR-OSHA publishes new Hazard ID Student Handbook Read More »
