The 2024 IFC does a nice job of defining our options for work areas where compressed gases that are ASPHYXINATS are stored or used. A client wanted to use Argon, Nitrogen, and Helium in their Labs, and we were asked if this posed a hazard. We took the “inherently safe design” option first, which is…...
INERT GASES – Ventilation and/or Detection? Read More »
The following describes the NIOSH policy for determining the attenuation provided by hearing protection devices for individual workers. This statement updates the 1998 NIOSH Criteria for a Recommended Standard—Occupational Noise Exposure. RecommendationNIOSH recommends employers use individual, quantitative fit testing to evaluate the attenuation received by workers from their hearing protection devices. Quantitative fit testing is…...
NIOSH Science Policy Update – Fit-Testing HPDs Read More »
The Standard entitled “Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories” (29 CFR 1910.1450; the “Standard”) applies to laboratories that use hazardous chemicals in accord with the Standard’s definitions for “laboratory use of hazardous chemicals” and “laboratory scale.” The Standard requires these laboratories to maintain worker exposures at or below the permissible exposure limits specified for…...
Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories (1910.1450) Read More »
Question: If an employer has no recordable cases for the year, is an OSHA 300-A Annual Summary still required to be completed, certified, and posted? Answer: Yes. After the end of the year, employers must review the Log to verify its accuracy, summarize the 300 Log information on the 300A summary form, and certify the…...
OSHA recordkeeping when you have no recordables for the year Read More »
At 11:50 a.m. on October 21, 2021, an employee, 51, was assisting his coworkers in troubleshooting the fresh hydrogen fluoride (HF) system to the vaporizer. The employee was looking at an actuator that was across from a whisping flange when the flange failed, and hydrogen fluoride was sprayed on him. The employee screamed, and his…...
HF flange fails and results in fatality Read More »
This is what drives me crazy! A water treatment plant that falls under EPA’s RMP and yet has made zero effort to comply with the standard gets 11 citations, and the fine was $13,500, which was “adjusted” down to $10,800. This is a PUBLIC entity handling Chlorine (Cl2) in a densely populated area (see Google…...
EPA RMP citations @ water treatment plant (Cl2 & $13,500) Read More »
A hydrocarbon leak caused the fire at a California refinery on February 1, 2025. The leak occurred while two workers were opening equipment for maintenance…. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
Line/Equipment Opening Gone Bad (Hydrocarbon) Read More »
It has been reported that OSHA issued a citation to a Railroad ( a subsidiary of one of the six Class 1 RR’s) after an employee experienced respiratory distress when they were told to wear a self-contained breathing apparatus during the process of disconnecting train cars at the derailment site. The employee had not been…...
The role of “Skilled Support Personnel” in an Emergency Response Read More »
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Some great safety advice for the C-Suite (Video) Read More »
I hate the phrase, “you can’t fix stupid.” It is offensive and mean; most importantly, that phrase is just wrong. Stop saying it. Stop using this phrase right now. “You can’t fix stupid” is serving you and your organization poorly. It colors your thinking, it makes you stop investigations too early, it sounds like something…...
The Kentucky agency that oversees boiler safety claims the plant operated a vessel that exploded without a proper inspection permit. The Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction found that the cooker that exploded was installed without a required permit that would have triggered a state inspection. https://www.wdrb.com/wdrb-investigates/criminal-charges-could-apply-to-inspection-failure-before-fatal-louisville-plant-explosion-official-says/article_704fb426-e566-11ef-a8a2-87af2efe4771.html… Membership Required You must be a member...
B31.3 requires that each piping system be leak-tested to ensure tightness prior to initial operation [¶345.1]. B31 imposes certain restrictions on the types of leak tests which may be used, some general requirements for conducting leak tests, some preparation requirements for leak tests, some specific requirements for each type of leak test, and some record…...
The DO’s and Don’ts of Pressure and Leak Testing Piping (ASME B31) Read More »
