ATF investigators determined that the fire originated in the upper level of the engine room, portside aft. A paint locker was located in the area of origin, with various combustible materials stored both inside and outside the locker. Interviews with the vessel’s engineer revealed that a boot warmer had been plugged into an extension cord…...
Hydrogen is finding some footing for wider use as a fuel these days, and I have seen a significant increase in inquiries from existing and new clients about process safety for H2 storage and use. I always follow Chapter 700 of the International Gas Code as my baseline code requirements and then move into NFPA…...
1) Variation in human performance is normal and not causal…. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
This is a real-life story of Elimination vs. Engineering Control We see some odd designs in our work around the world, but recently we came across a setup that defied any logic for a relief valve design basis. For some reason, the OEM and Installer of this process equipment wanted it enclosed for “efficiency”; however,…...
I fight this battle every year! It’s usually a learning experience for people unfamiliar with chemical processing and ASME B31.3. But I do my best to ensure they understand how the 10-minute Pressure Test is done, and then how the Leak Testing is done. So today I decided I need to “test” my practice that…...
Chemical and refinery facility personnel open piping and equipment to perform routine maintenance, add/replace components, or modify pipe routing. The piping may contain hazardous material, such as flammable hydrocarbons, toxic chemicals, or thermally reactive chemicals. Safe work practices dictate the removal or mechanical isolation of hazardous material from piping and equipment (e.g., using valves or…...
In an earlier post tonight, I shared an OSHA Hazard Bulletin from 1993 titled: Chemical Exposures from Industrial Valve and Piping Systems. In that Bulletin OSHA, talks about the hazards and accidents related to workers opening processes. But there is another serious error we see often… Open Ended Piping. This is a serious NO-NO in…...
OSHA Hazard Information Bulletins – Chemical Exposures from Industrial Valve and Piping Systems May 14, 1996 MEMORANDUM FOR: REGIONAL ADMINISTRATORS FROM: MICHAEL CONNORSDEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY SUBJECT: Hazard Information Bulletin – Chemical Exposures from Industrial Valve and Piping Systems The purpose of this Hazard Information Bulletin is to heighten public awareness of the potential for death,…...
The risks in sampling activities can be off the charts without engineering controls, Administrative Controls, and PPE. This post shares my sampling system. I learned this the hard way, and I hope some will take this advice and reduce the risks when we ask operators to collect a sample from a “live process”. As I…...
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1/19/2026 UPDATE: “City officials said a pressurised storage tank exploded inside the factory. The tank was designed to hold steam and high-temperature water.” Source: https://www.firstpost.com/world/two-killed-85-hospitalised-as-blast-rips-through-chinese-steel-plant-factory-managers-detained-13970127.html There was an explosion at a steel plate plant in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, on 1/18/2026. This explosion looks to be a steam/pressure vessel explosion. We can see the steam expansion…...
On June 22, 2023, at about 9:10 p.m., a 5,200-gallon polyethylene storage tank (“tank”) ruptured. The rupture fatally injured one employee. At the time of the incident, the tank needed to be refilled with aluminum chloride; however, sulfuric acid was added instead. Approximately 80 gallons of 93 percent sulfuric acid were added to the 60…...
