I have mentioned “farm leak testing” several times in my ramblings, and every time I caution against industrial facilities, especially those falling under OSHA’s PSM or EPA’s RMP. Essentially, a “farmer’s leak test” uses NH3 as the leak-test medium before using their implement to knife the NH3 into the ground as a fertilizer, as this […]
NOTE: I normally remove company names, as I am not about name shaming, but this company has earned its shame! The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) today released an update on its investigation into the deadly May 26, 2026, catastrophic failure of a 1.2-million-gallon atmospheric storage tank at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging
I talk a lot about “pressure and leak testing” our piping systems before they are put into service or returned to service after breaching the pressure boundaries, but the same practice should apply to our process vessels/tanks. But I almost always get the “you must be on drugs” look when I ask about this in
Recent Marine Minerals Administration inspections identified unsafe use of portable electronic devices (PEDs) – including pagers, cell phones, cameras, video equipment, and radios – in hazardous areas offshore. During one inspection, MMA observed a wireline operator using a cellphone on a mobile offshore drilling unit during active wireline operations. This use violated facility safety procedures
In winter 2026, a small gas explosion and fire occurred in a Dawson Creek home, causing two workers to sustain burns. The incident also damaged a furnace, hot water heater, and the home’s interior. Two (2) unqualified workers were disconnecting gas piping while the gas supply was still on in order to remove a
Five leaks of extremely flammable hydrocarbons occurred at the plant between February 2018 and September 2019, including one that lasted four months. The leaks were discovered after Health & Safety Executive inspectors detected a strong smell of flammable gas on a routine inspection – all five leaks were attributed to Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI). An
The simple answer is yes. Georgia had a state fire code regulating liquid and gaseous nitrogen in January 2021, when the Foundation Food Group (FFG) accident occurred in Gainesville, Georgia. What was in effect in January 2021?
Today, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released a new safety video on its investigation into the deadly January 28, 2021, liquid nitrogen release at the Foundation Food Group (FFG) poultry processing plant in Gainesville, Georgia, that killed six people and seriously injured three others. The release occurred when the bubbler tube,
This is another very common question for those getting into PSM/RMP, where their RAGAGEP requires the piping to be protected from a “blocked-in liquid” scenario, such as Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). Many realize the dilemma only after installing their HRVs/TRVs; unfortunately, they have to go back and remove these relief valves to perform the “Pressure
Yes. Under ASME B31.3, hydrostatic leak testing is the default and universally preferred method for verifying the integrity of a piping system. The code mandates it as the primary option, and alternative methods are permitted only when the owner explicitly deems hydrostatic testing “impracticable.”
Neither NFPA 30 nor NFPA 77 specifies a 25-ohm resistance threshold for metal-to-metal bonding and grounding circuits, and neither document has a history of endorsing 25 ohms for equipment and piping bonds. Instead, the confusion regarding “25 ohms” typically stems from a crossover with a completely different code:
Does your facility require a “leak test” of piping/equipment that is opened for maintenance BEFORE it is returned to service? Historically, the code allowed previously leak-tested flanged joints, instrument threaded joints, and tubing joints to be pulled apart and reassembled without a re-test. The updated provisions significantly expanded this. The code now broadly permits all
