I am not sure where or quite when this vicious rumor began, but let’s make this clear: A Pre-startup Safety Review (PSSR) is an ENTIRELY separate exercise AND MUST be completed BEFORE the Initial Start-Up procedures are implemented. Granted it may be the same personnel doing both tasks, but the PSSR is FULLY COMPLETED BEFORE…...
Scenario: In an industrial setting, a ladder starts 100 feet above grade on the side of a tower. The base landing of the ladder is only there for ladder access, so it meets OSHA minimum dimensions and is equipped with standard guardrail. The length of climb above this base is no more than 24 feet…....
Background Product parts are heated in the furnaces using natural gas to temperatures ranging from 700ºF to 2200ºF to facilitate material processing. The furnace doors are actuated remotely from either the cab of a forklift or a control panel. Parts are loaded and unloaded from the furnaces using forklifts during production runs. The furnaces range…...
Background: Multiple sections of off-set ladders are being designed to be installed on the outside of a grain silo that is 80 feet or more in height. Rest platforms will be installed at each off-set and will be provided with guardrail systems to meet OSHA’s requirements. The rest platforms measure 3 feet by 3 feet…...
Earlier this year I was asked to participate in an incident review involving a flashfire/explosion in a tote-filling process. (NOTE: the official term is an Intermediate Bulk Container or IBC) As I have written about many times, the #1 cause of these flash fires/explosions inside a container/vessel is the generation of static electricity; but this…...
At approximately 10:40 a.m. on April 2, 2019, the housing of a three-inch Y-strainer of an isobutylene line that fed into reactor K8 ruptured and isobutylene was released, forming a vapor cloud. Three employees responded to mitigate the isobutylene vapor in the reactor area. As Employee #1 was at an old control room area and…...
Over my career in S&H and Emergency Response, I have seen the proliferation of “on-line” training get out of control in the past 10 years. Seems the sellers have sold the on-line delivery method as the “silver bullet” – the answer to all the training woes within an organization. Heck even OSHA has allowed some…...
On or about August 10, 2018, representatives of the EPA conducted an inspection of Respondent’s Facility to determine compliance with Section 112(r) of the CAA and 40 C.F.R. Part 68. Information gathered during the EPA inspection revealed that Respondent had the capacity to store 650,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia at the Facility, and regularly stored…...
This past May an employee was filling a nurse tank with anhydrous ammonia and noticed a small leak at the hose coupling. He attempted to tighten the coupling and while doing so the coupling popped off and he was exposed to NH3 vapors. … Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership...
Gas Station Attendant scrubbing with gasoline!! It may be kerosene, but it is a fuel that is he spraying (splashing) onto the pavement and then spreading it out with a broom which in all likelihood is creating static. How and Why it did not ignite makes me wonder if he was using some other fuel…...
Traditional, static exit signs have been a staple in buildings for decades, but some safety experts are beginning to advocate for newer, more dynamic technologies to help us exit buildings safely during emergencies. In this episode of Learn Something New by NFPA Journal®, we explore the new concept of dynamic exit signage. Subscribe to this…...
This past week we got a “Factual Update” from the CSB on the Storage Tank Fire at Intercontinental Terminals Company (ITC) Terminal. After reading this update I was puzzled as to why the facts as we know them to date did not drive OSHA to open a NEP PSM inspection of the facility. Granted their…...
