One of my favorite courses to teach is my LOTO Overview course, where I try and convey the OSHA minimum requirements for a functioning Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) program, and each time I do this course I always tell my “water fountain story” from my days at Great Lakes Chemical. My plant manager at GLCC was a…...
This week EPA updated the RMP Rule, which includes all of the amendments that had been delayed. One such amendment was to §68.96 Emergency response exercises where EPA now requires facilities with Program 2 and 3 covered process to conduct some “official” actions in regards to “table-top” and “field exercises”. In this article I will break down…...
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today (12/4/2018) that the amendments to the Risk Management Program under the Clean Air Act put forward in a final rule published in the Federal Register on January 13, 2017 are now in effect. The rule amending 40 CFR part 68, published at 82 FR 4594 (January 13, 2017)…...
I don’t think I have done a process safety course or a HAZMAT course where I do not have a lengthy sidebar discussion to explain why NH3 is a flammable gas under OSHA definitions, but not under DOT definitions. Yes, NH3 has a LEL of 15-16% and a UEL of 25-28% so it has a flammable range,…...
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There is a reason why this “spring loaded-CLOSED” safety valve is called a “dead-man” valve, but trying to kill yourself with anhydrous ammonia is not it! The things that get shared in my Process Safety courses… someone thought this was a good idea and someone else thought it was even a better idea to snap…...
On 11/20/207 a cosmetic plant in NY suffered a fatal fire. The explosion and subsequent fire was caused by static electricity and Flammable liquids. I need to point out that the fatality was from smoke inhalation and was an employee who was not involved in the handling of the flammable liquids in the initial event…....
In June 2014 a qualified diesel mechanic, 39, died from burns and blunt force trauma when a refrigeration compressor blew up during his work. He and another gentleman, a boilermaker by trade who worked as a welder offered to move the refrigeration compressor from the cellar in order to assist. While they were in the cellar…...
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The day before Thanksgiving a driver was killed (may he RIP) when he entered the cargo hold of his box truck to”investigate a leak”. As can be seen in the video below, the delivery truck was an enclosed box truck, rather than the style of truck typically used to transport gas cylinders as shown below. …...
An excellent video demonstrating how flammable vapors that are heavier than air (e.g. Vapor Density > 1) move and ignite from an ignition source a distance away from the liquid…. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
This is an excellent video that shows us that SURFACE AREA of the flammable liquid MATTERS, thus the importance of SECONDARY CONTAINMENT or better, the use of an impounding basin AWAY from the container(s). Later in the video, we can see why Flammable Liquids and Oxidizers should be SEGREGATED…. Membership Required You must be a...
