Cheat Sheet for % by Volume vs Parts per Million (ppm)
The fundamental conversion rule is that 1% equals 10,000 ppm. Here is the conversion table scaling down from a completely pure atmosphere (100%) to a microscopic trace (1 ppm).
MI inspection failures and failure to abate recognized deficiencies lead to Life-Altering Injuries and $350K in citations
A company has been fined £350,000 after the catastrophic collapse of a storage tank at its premises, which left a self-employed worker with life-changing injuries. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated the incident, which occurred on 21 June 2023 at an offshore supply base. The base handles around two thousand ship movements per year,
Updates to NFPA 704, 2027 – Some flammable gases will be a “3” rather than a “4” based on their fundamental burning velocity
The 2027 edition of NFPA 704, Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response, includes new definitions of the terms “battery energy storage system” and “lithium-based battery,” along with associated annex material. Updates have been made in Section 6.2, Degrees of Hazards for Flammability Hazards, to align with NFPA 1
Updates to NFPA 497, 2027
NFPA has updated its NFPA 497, Recommended Practice for the Classification of Flammable Liquids, Gases, or Vapors and of Hazardous (Classified) Locations for Electrical Installations in Chemical Process Areas, with a few minor revisions. Probably the most significant revision is NFPA’s position on “intentional releases and maintenance venting.” The most beneficial revision was NFPA officially
NFPA 30 and NFPA 497 HAZLOCs… why are the two different?
In the 2027 edition of NFPA 30, the standard now provides a NEW schematic illustrating the spatial layout of hazardous (classified) locations for indoor areas with process equipment containing ignitible (flammable or combustible) liquids at pressures of 100 psig or less. I am not sure why they included this in NFPA 30 (Chapter 7) or
Understanding “fundamental burning velocity of less than 10 cm/s” with Category 1B Flammable Gases
The new means to analyze risks associated with flammable gases is their “burning velocity,” and the new limit is 10 cm/s. So I wanted to provide some real-world examples of what this looks like. So I asked AI to compare 10 cm/s flame front with the speed of a person walking and a jackrabbit. OSHA
My initial take on the ME Silo Explosion
As the experts begin their investigation into the tragedy, I was curious about whether the Co-Gen facility on site played a role. So, using some aerial images, I pieced together the scene as best I could from the accident image and drone footage. This is just how I do my scene examination when my services
IFC/IBC paving the path for Category 1B Flammable Refrigerants
I recently was helping a client with some questions regarding their CAT 1B Flammable Refrigerant Process and was surprised to see that the “new” MAQ for these refrigerants is 10,000 pounds. Add the footnote exceptions, and we could have 30,000 pounds of this flammable refrigerant in a single fire area, either in “storage” or in
Bollards Infographic from Gemini+
You just knew it was a matter of time before I did this. It took me only 4 revisions to get to this final product. It is NOT perfect, but it is an ACCURATE rendition of how they must be built/installed. The second infographic was me asking the question in a different way and it
Can I max out the MAQs for each of my hazardous material classes in a single control area and still not have to do an H occupancy?
Yes, we can absolutely max out the Maximum Allowable Quantities (MAQs) for multiple different hazard classes within a single control area and still avoid triggering a Group H (Hazardous) occupancy. However, there is also a major caveat regarding how those materials are categorized and whether they pose overlapping physical or health hazards. Here is how
Understanding the three (3) methods of protecting piping supports in flammable liquids service (IFC 5703.6.8 Piping supports)
5703.6.8 Piping supports have three (3) recognized methods to protect piping that may be exposed to a “pool fire”. First lets look at the code language: 5703.6.8 Piping supports. Piping systems shall be substantially supported and protected against physical damage and excessive stresses arising from settlement, vibration, expansion, contraction or exposure to fire. The supports
Properly applying NFPA 496 Pressurized Enclosures in a HAZLOC
NFPA 496 (Standard for Purged and Pressurized Enclosures for Electrical Equipment) is one of the most powerful engineering tools available for hazardous locations, but it is also one of the most abused standards for HAZLOCs. Like the Combustible Gas Detection System (CGDS) provisions in NFPA 70, NFPA 496 allows a facility to install ordinary, non-classified