A soap and detergent manufacturer faces $161,310 in federal penalties after an OSHA investigation of a chemical gas release that sent a dozen workers to the hospital in July 2024. OSHA initiated an inspection on July 11 after being notified by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and the facility’s operator about an incident involving a…...
An arc flash occurred in an energized 600-volt, 3-phase main distribution center installed in a shipping container to provide temporary power to a building under construction. A mobile crane attempted to remove the container before the underground utility lines had been disconnected, and the internal bus bars twisted until contact between phases resulted in a…...
Arc Flash – Electrical – Low voltage electrical system (30V to 1000V) Read More »
I have shared many funny and confusing safety signs and labels. This one is another example of how NOT to write your warning label. Not only is it the LAST of six warnings, but can you see anything else with its failure… THANKS, Travis Rhoden, MS, CSP… Membership Required You must be a member to...
More fun with Warning Label language Read More »
Human factors, as we know it today, got its inspiration from these basic ideas about human error. It then showed something different: an alternative way of looking at human error. As a result, there are basically two ways of looking at human error today. We can see human error as a cause of failure, or…...
Safety Thought of the Week… Old View vs New View in Human Factors Read More »
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Wait for it… Missing Finger Wave with unguarded saw Read More »
If I had a nickel for every time I have heard this phrase over the past 20 years of consulting… “industry standard,” I would have retired after 5 years. What is an “industry standard”? It is far from being a Recognized and Generally Accepted Good Engineering Practice (RAGAGEP), that’s for sure. However, companies with an…...
What is an “industry standard”? Read More »
The contractor, 35, entered the railcar to conduct an air quality test while two other men waited outside. The two men noticed he was unresponsive and began to assist him. Firefighters determined the person in question was lying unresponsive inside the railroad tanker car, according to the department. Authorities said the man was a contractor…...
PRCS FATALITY – RAILCAR; O2 Deficiency Read More »
MORT was first developed in the USA to analyze the root causes and causal factors for incidents in the nuclear power and aviation industries, but it has now been applied in many industries. However, it seems to be a “lost art” these days! MORT is a pre-populated tree based on a model of an organization’s…...
Management Oversight and Risk Tree (MORT) Read More »
Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 225 requires railroad carriers to report all employee injuries that fall under the regulations to ensure FRA is provided with accurate information concerning the hazards and risks that exist on the Nation’s railroads. Part 225 also requires all railroads to abide by their Internal Control Plans, including…...
FRA’s position on injury incentive programs mirrors OSHA’s Read More »
Since we are in a snow apocalypse here in the Midwest, I thought I would lose my mind hearing all the “weather professionals” declaring that with wind chills below zero, the roads will freeze as the salt won’t work below 15F. And I thought these were “science-based” professionals. TIP: Wind chill is how the temperature…...
Safety Thought of the Week… Wind Chill Read More »
This was the headline in our local news after a chemical company failed to participate in a community meeting after their product leaked from a railcar sitting in a railyard about 4 miles from the plant. It took several days to get folks back into their homes; as you can imagine, they were unhappy. However,…...
Not the PR you want Read More »
I have spent my career working with flammable liquids, and those who have followed my writings on the topic understand why I have stopped using 1910.106 as my baseline flammable liquid safety standard and instead began using either the IFC or NFPA 30. I have been involved in several serious events where atmospheric storage tanks…...
OSHA may allow it, but NFPA and IFC allow it ONLY under “special purposes” Read More »
