We have all heard it and seen the countless banners/signs proclaiming “safety first”. And I have at least 50 shocker photos at SAFTENG of some crazy, unsafe acts caught while hanging such proclamations. I worked for some bosses who I had no doubt were dedicated to worker safety, and none of them liked the “safety…...
I recently worked on a project with three (3) processes built by three (3) different contractors from three (3) different countries. This business is located in the USA, and the other countries are South Korea, Japan, and China. As you can imagine, we (the USA) use the imperial units of measure, and these other countries…...
Most safety pros live by the LOTO standard daily, or at least weekly! If not, you may need to re-evaluate where you are spending your time! As there is no other standard that impacts manufacturing businesses and brings more value to our safety efforts than does LOTO (IMPO). So this question gets to the heart…...
In 2026, cutting and pasting OSHA standards and revising a few words does NOT make for a safety program/safe work practice. Yet already this year, I have seen two LOTO programs that state Lockout and tagout devices shall be standardized within the facility in at least one of the following criteria: Color; shape; or size;…...
In 2026, cutting and pasting OSHA standards and revising a few words does NOT make for a safety program/safe work practice. Yet already this year, I have seen two LOTO programs that state Lockout and tagout devices shall be standardized within the facility in at least one of the following criteria: Color; shape; or size;…...
I know many safety professionals will know this, but when we ask operators or “Authorized Employees”, the vast majority have never been trained on the lockout mechanism on these 1/4 turn ball valves!!! Once we know and we use them, should they be fixed/replaced when we find them broken or missing? Of course, we can…...
This is what over-torquing looks like on a four (4) bolt flange. The gasket began as the image on the bottom and came out as the image on the top! And we wonder how flanges leak, and leak again, and eventually fail?… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready...
Several years back, I worked with an organization that had an in-house Operational Testing program with a really catchy name. I actually loved the name, but as I learned more about the process, it was simply a catchy name for a very bad process. It was an attempt by a business to have BOTH a…...
Recently, I had the opportunity to help a client gain the full picture of what has to be done regarding the BULK TRANSFER hoses to unload their HHC/EHS from Tanker Trucks/ISO Containers and Railcars. Now, before we get into the specifics, I know a number of folks will fall back on the compliance position that…...
Last week, David Ayers, Ph.D., CSP, CHMM, and I had a nice chat regarding LOTO and Complex Processes, and one of the areas associated with these LOTOs is the “evacuation” of the HAZMAT within the process/system. We did not have enough time for me to get deep into the weeds on this aspect of isolating…...
In our PSM/RMP and OSH audits, we always spend more time on the Life Safety Standards, such as PRCS, LOTO, LEO, Respiratory Protection, etc. One of the most common errors we find in these audits is the lack of training for the attendants. It’s not that they are not meeting 1910.146(i)(1) – 1910.146(i)(10) training obligations;…...
An explosion at a large outdoor oil storage tank at Korea National Oil Corporation Pipeline’s Yeongnam branch is preliminarily attributed to static electricity generated during a petroleum component verification process. The incident occurred at a large-scale oil storage facility housing 12 to 14 tanks, raising concerns that it could have escalated into a major disaster…....
