The Herald of Free Enterprise capsized on March 6, 1987, killing ~200 people. It sank because its inner and outer bow doors had been left open on sailing due to a combination of factors and decisions. The subsequent investigation found that all of these could have been avoided or ameliorated. Management failures set up a […]
OSHA has cited a polymers plant for 12 violations, mainly for exposing workers to chemical hazards from solvents used at the plant. The inspection was initiated following a referral from the National Response Center (NRC) due to an incident involving a methyl chloride release at the plant on July 18, 2013. One repeat PSM violation
As I have mentioned before, this “temporary operations” mode confuses a lot of facilities. Almost all facilities will state, without hesitation, that they have no “temporary operations.” And almost always, as we proceed with our assessment/analysis, we find numerous “temporary operations.” As I write this posting, it is -10°F here in Cincinnati, OH, a temperature
MANY THANKS to my NEWEST and RENEWING Partners in Safety 2014 Fatality Tracker Electrical 6 (2013 = 32) (2012 = 68) Forklift/Manlift 7 (2013=62) (2012 = 52) Mining* 6 2013=87*) (2012 = 92*) *no longer includes China accidents Explosions 26 (2013=194) (2012 = 241) Cranes 3 (2013=51) (2012 = 52) Falls 15 (2013=106)
After more than 18 months of working with communities, workers and industry leaders, the state’s Interagency Working Group on Refinery Safety (Working Group) today released its final report outlining recommendations to improve public and worker safety at and near the state’s oil refineries. A task force has already begun overseeing implementation of many recommendations and
In August 2013, a 32-year-old machine helper entered a large wire mesh manufacturing machine to retrieve a fallen metal bar, and he was struck and killed by a part that feeds the wire into the machine’s welding area. The light curtain that would have automatically turned the machine off before he entered the danger zone
I want to encourage you to ask around and maybe even go as far as auditing around this learning opportunity to assess if this is going on at your facility. If your process involves doing preventive maintenance on flame arrestors and/or conservation vents, what controls are in place for this “routine work”? What kind of
Back in September 2013 (Members CLICK HERE) I updated you on the fact that LANDVIEW was going away and how this would impact us this year when it comes time to make our 5-year update. Now for those of you who are using ALOHA/MARPLOT to plot your Off-Site Consequence Analysis you can get your 2010 census
Although this “guidance” is provided by Ohio EPA and is meant for ONLY facilities located in the state of Ohio, this guidance is an EXCELLENT breakdown of how a facility should view “co-located” containers of their Extremely Hazardous Substances to determine if their “co-located containers/vessels” are actually a “process” that would fall under the CAA’s
EPA announced that a food processing facility has agreed to pay a $19,049 penalty for failing to properly report an ammonia release at its facility. According to EPA, the facility released at least 450 pounds of anhydrous ammonia to the air on September 12, 2012. Employees were evacuated and the local Fire Department responded to a 911
