After nearly 20 years in ER specializing in large-scale incidents, I can say that with this news I am sorry I got out of the work when I did. This addition to the rails of the USA will be a fun and wild addition. LNG—referred to as “Methane, refrigerated liquid” within the HMR—has been transported […]
I see this practice, keeping cylinders in-service beyond their hydro due dates, and I just want to make everyone aware that although this practice may be complaint with 49 CFR Part 180, it sets up the Emergency Response Team (ERT) with a potentially serious Breathing Air (BA) issue during a response. There are two failures,
This week I shared a serious chlorine incident that sent seven (7) people to the hospital, including firefighters and neighbors. This incident could have been managed very easily and with much fewer impacts on responders and the community had the facility followed basic RAGAGEP requirements for their 1-ton chlorine containers. Basically, the leak was on
We have discussed hydrostatic testing of all sorts of containers, most notably our SCBA cylinders and our process piping. But one very important cylinder I do not mention near enough is the 1-ton Chlorine cylinders. All chlorine cylinders, except DOT 3E 1800, MUST BE HYDROSTATICALLY TESTED EVERY FIVE-YEARS from the date of the previous hydro
A company was fined $200,000 for a chlorine leak incident on Sept 4, 2016, in which seven people were taken to hospital. The incident involved a chlorine leak in a cylinder stored in a chlorine storage facility. The leak triggered an alarm from one of the facility’s chlorine detectors and a worker activated the chlorine
RECOMMENDATIONS The NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP) recommends that fire departments ensure all firefighters responding to natural gas or propane incidents: use gas detection equipment and do not rely upon their sense of smell to determine if propane or natural gas is present understand that the odorant in natural gas or
This week another RMP Reconsideration Final Rule requirement was born. Many of you had already made the necessary changes to your written management system way back in December 2019, but for those of you that put things off to the last minute… well that last minute just came and is now gone! So what exactly
Recently we witnessed an electrical work perform a lockout on a piece of equipment that was not starting during the start-up phase of the process. This piece of equipment was absolutely critical for the process to run safely so this worker and the facility personnel witnessing this as well failed to recognize a CRITICAL mistake
March 12, 2021 MEMORANDUM FOR: REGIONAL ADMINISTRATORS STATE PLAN DESIGNEES THROUGH AMANDA EDENS Deputy Assistant Secretary FROM: PATRICK J. KAPUST, Acting Director Directorate of Enforcement Programs SUBJECT: Updated Interim Enforcement Response Plan for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) This Updated Interim Enforcement Response Plan for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) provides new instructions and guidance to
A 32-year-old male employee was crushed by/caught in a rotating machine roller while attempting to package a mattress. The victim was in the process of operating the machine, rolling, and wrapping a twin-sized mattress with cellophane to prepare it for packaging and shipping when he was caught by the roller. Two machines function together to
We have all done it… used the words “confined space” when we were actually discussing a Permit-Required Confined Space. But in the year 2021, I hope we have come to realize the huge difference between the two types of spaces. Just merely speaking in terms of OSHA compliance, there is a good reason why 1910.146
The CAFO resolves alleged CAA violations that Complainant asserted occurred in conjunction with Respondent’s storage and handling of toluene diisocyanate, an extremely hazardous substance, at its former plant growth media manufacturing facility. Respondent reports that the Facility ceased operations on or about December 3, 2020. Respondent also reports that subsequently, all equipment, inventory, raw materials
