Bryan Haywood

Former Production Manager Pleads Guilty After Releasing Chemical Pollutants into the Cape Fear River (Active Failure vs Latent Organizational Failure)

This case is a classic example of how Latent Organizational Failures INFLUENCE the decision-making of workers (and middle managers). At the end of this press release, the DOJ admits that “Company management had informed some of its employees that if operations came to a halt, the company would suffer serious financial harm, potentially including dissolution.”…...

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Stefan Kühl’s metaphor, the Safety Theater

Inspired by Stefan Kühl’s metaphor, the Safety Theater is a stage where people in an organization play their parts. From left to right:(1) A worker in full PPE flashes a big smile for the audit,(2) A corporate safety manager holds up a script labeled “Zero Harm”,(3) Backstage, a couple of managers whisper warnings about the…...

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Safety Thought of the Week… are worker behaviors the problem?

I know I made these mistakes in my early years. In the early 1990’s “Behavior Based Safety” was all the rage, and it had me “hook, line, and sinker.” Sometimes, I wish I was still in contact with some operators/maintenance tech who got the raw end of our (mostly mine) investigations and causal analysis so…...

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Wrong Chemical – Wrong Tank (Cl2)

A total of seven people were taken to the hospital after a chlorine gas leak was reported. The cause of the leak was a truck driver who delivered a chemical to a Water Plant and “unintentionally mixed two chemical compounds in a holding tank.” This then released the chlorine gas “from the tank vent.” The…...

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CSB Update on Fatal H2S Release @ TX Refinery

Interesting facts about this event: On October 10, 2024, at 4:23 p.m., approximately 27,000 pounds of hydrogen sulfide gas were released during maintenance at the Refinery in Deer Park, Texas. The release fatally injured two (2) contract workers. Background Information The facility is a petroleum refinery located in Deer Park, Texas and is a Limited…...

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IMPORTANCE OF HAZARDOUS ZONE MARKINGS AND SAFETY PROTOCOL AWARENESS (USCG)

This United States Coast Guard alert supports my expectation that we must demarcate our HAZLOCs. I usually get pushback as the code does not explicitly require the boundaries of our HAZLOCs to be marked in any way. But in reality, if we want workers to respect the hazards of working inside a HAZLOC, then we…...

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IMPORTANCE OF ADHERING TO HOT WORK PROCEDURES & IMPLEMENTING ROBUST LOCKOUT/TAGOUT PROGRAMS (USCG)

A recent marine casualty, resulting in a fire and severe injuries to two crewmembers, highlights the risks associated with:… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...

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Changing our fit-test methods requires an MOC

For decades, businesses have used the TSI Porta-Count QNFT method to fit test tight-fitting respirators. Today, new variations of this NIOSH-approved method (e.g., Condensation Nuclei Counter(CNC) are faster, and we have seen many organizations adopt these new methods. However, changing our Fit-Testing method may require an MOC. I say “may” as not all PSM processes…...

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Does changing a chemical supplier require an MOC

Imagine the purchasing manager announcing at a staff meeting that the business is changing the supplier for one of your PSM/RMP-covered chemicals. There is nothing special about this chemical; it is a 100% pure solution/gas, so you think nothing is changing. But this chemical has come under a lot of questions by yours truly, and…...

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2 safety-critical devices in pressure testing our piping

It is great when I can convince an organization to pressure test and leak test its process piping. However, if this task is not done according to the book, we may have created a serious hazard. Two (2) safety-critical devices are often overlooked during pressure and leak testing, and missing either one or both can…...

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