This series is intended to bring attention to failures in the “coded welding” practices. From not using certified welders, to failures in visual and NDE, and failures in Pressure/Leak testing. This first incident was caused by a decision NOT to perform Post-Weld Heat Treatment on a repaired pressure vessel.
While virtually any liquid trapped in a “blocked-in” section of pipe can cause a rupture due to thermal expansion, specific chemicals are strictly regulated by OSHA 1910.119 (PSM) and NFPA 30 because of their volatility or toxicity. The requirement for a hydrostatic relief valve (HRV) is generally triggered by the chemical’s physical state (liquefied under
Immediate Lethal Zone — Fireball Radius Typical range: 160–820 ft Hazards: Used for: absolute exclusion zone. Severe Burn Zone — High Thermal Radiation Typical range: 820–1,300 ft Thermal radiation: ~12.5–37.5 kW/m² Effects: Used for: firefighter withdrawal line unless cooling operations are effective. Moderate Burn Zone — Pain/Blistering Typical range: 1,300–2,600 ft Thermal radiation: ~5–12.5 kW/m²
Fostering the principles for a strong safety culture is one of the most challenging tasks facing a management team. Successful leadership achieving a strong safety culture will most likely move an organization to the next level of human performance. A leader is any individual who takes personal responsibility for his or her performance as well
I have used this tool, with some modern-day modifications, for years. When I was a safety manager of a facility I would constantly be looking for these indicators as a means to validate what I was “feeling”. As safety pros, we have a sixth sense of how things are going, but there are so many
“Name, blame, shame, retrain” is an often-used phrase for older ineffective paradigms of safety management and accident analysis. Dr. Rosabeth Moss Kanter of Harvard Business School phased the situation this way: “Accountability is a favorite word to invoke when the lack of it has become so apparent.” Kanter, 2009 The concepts of accountability, culpability and
To understand what certification is needed for the visual examination of welds under ASME B31.3, it is critical to distinguish between the two (2) distinct roles defined by the Code:1) the Examiner and2) the Inspector While in fact, B31.3 requires 100% visual examination of fabrication (341.4.1), the “certification” depends on which of these two roles
Earlier, I outlined the six (6) stages of a Behavior Modification Intervention. Now, I want to discuss how the same six-step process used to change the behaviors of hourly workers can be used to promote critical health and safety behaviors amongst management personnel. Management behavior will heavily influence the success or failure of a Behavior-Based
Several studies have evaluated the effectiveness of behavioral modification programs in improving workplace safety. These studies have focused on establishing the following: their ability to decrease accidents/injuries, their ability to increase safe behavior and which components in a behavioral observation safety processes are most important in changing unsafe behavior and reducing accidents and injuries
In many processes, the use of a rupture disc (RD) between the vessel being protected and the Relief Valve (RV) is a fairly common practice. This is ALWAYS done for design necessities and not just “because”. Some processes could be corrosive to the RV internals, at least this is the most common reason for this
The boiler was in the basement at the rear of the school. This happen on a Sunday when the school was closed. If this was during the week there would have been 15 children and a teacher and teacher assistant in that classroom. The damage was so bad the rear of the school building had
