The Incident: In September 2000, a steel lecture bottle located within a hood in a UNR laboratory ruptured with explosive force. The explosion occurred at night and no one was present in the laboratory at the time of the incident. There was, however, significant damage to the lab hood. The gas cylinder contained methyl nitrite…...
Ruptured Gas Cylinder Destroys Laboratory Hood at the University of Nevada Read More »
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OSHA’s PRCS Decision Flow Chart Read More »
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RMP Program Level Determination Flowchart (LA-DEQ) Read More »
In determining threshold quantities for toxic chemicals, OSHA used the Gaussian dispersion model. OSHA made the following assumptions:… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
The science behind OSHA’s PSM Thresholds Read More »
On Tuesday, April 8, 1997, at approximately 8:59 a.m., a 5,700-gallon hydrochloric acid (HCl) storage tank ruptured during filling. The failure of the HCl tank caused a significant portion of its liquid contents (which totaled about 4,800 gallons of 31% HCl) to suddenly surge over the secondary containment. The force of the liquid also caused…...
5,700-gallon hydrochloric acid (HCl) storage tank ruptured during filling Read More »
The use of risk controls or barriers to protect the people from hazards is a core principle of safety. Barriers are employed to serve two purposes: to prevent the release of hazardous energy and to mitigate harm in the event hazardous energy is released Energy is defined broadly as used here and includes multiple forms,…...
The Function of Safety Barriers (Layers of Protection) Read More »
Safety Management Systems (SMS) was developed to integrate safety as part of an organization’s management of safety performance. The benefits of process-based management systems are a well-established component of quality performance. As organizations and the technologies they employ became more complex and diverse, and the rate of change in the pace of societal expectations, technical…...
Safety Management Systems (ANSI/ISO/PSM/RMP/SIF) Read More »
An organizational event-causal story developed by James Reason starts with the organizational factors: Strategic decisions, Generic organizational processes – forecasting, budgeting, allocating resources, planning, scheduling, communicating, managing, auditing, etc. These processes are colored and shaped by the corporate culture, unspoken attitudes, and unwritten rules concerning how the organization carries out its business. [Reason, 1997]… Membership...
From Latent Conditions to Active Failures (Dr. James Reason Human Failure Model) Read More »
This is one of the most commonly misunderstood RMP/PSM compliance issues for facilities that use rail cars as storage tanks and or use “tube trailers” as storage tanks. EPA has been clear since 1998 on how these rail cars that are hooked up to the process and those that are “stored on spurs” are to…...
EPA’s Risk Management Plan (RMP) and Transportation Containers Read More »
Clarifications and Interpretations of the PSM Standard The guidance contained in this appendix is provided for compliance assistance. This appendix contains clarifications agreed to in a settlement agreement dated April 5, 1993, between OSHA, the United Steelworkers of America, the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union, and the Building and Construction Trades Department of…...
OSHA Q&A on PSM Compliance (CPL02-02-045, 1994) Read More »
A five-pound CO2 cylinder being stored in a compressed gas storage cage at a power plant failed catastrophically and became a missile. The cylinder destroyed the storage cage, then struck one of six stationary hydrogen storage cylinders used as emergency make-up for the hydrogen supply system. One of the hydrogen cylinders was broken away from…...
Here is a list of questions investigators may ask to determine whether line management deficiencies affected the accident. These questions are based on the seven (7) guiding principles of an SMS. These are not intended to be exhaustive. Investigator(s) should adapt these questions or develop new ones based on the specific characteristics of the accident…....
