On November 3, 2020, at 1:15 p.m., Employee #1, 55, employed by an HVAC company, was working at a customer’s commercial facility. He was removing a coupler and blind from the intake header of an air dryer. The employee did not first relieve the air pressure from the header. When he loosened the coupler bolts,…...
I was raised in process safety, with a focus on flammables, and I was taught that one thing you just don’t allow into your flammable process is plastics! But even I was unaware of how much plastic I had always overlooked, which was right under my nose, such as my LOTO tags. New Hazard –…...
Why do “lagging indicators” remain such a popular means of gauging/measuring the success of the safety effort? We should measure the results and that these lagging indicators can/do play a role in measuring our success in all functions within a business. However, as I would like to point out to C-Suite executives, the company does…...
Leadership should demonstrate a commitment to safety within their organization by setting a clear tone from the top, promoting the vision for safety, and by: Source: JSP 815 Defense Safety Management System (SMS) Framework… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
The HSE Advisory Committee’s definition of safety culture is: An organization’s safety culture is the product of individual and group values, attitudes, perceptions, competencies, and patterns of behavior that determine the commitment to, and the style and proficiency of, an organization’s health and safety management.” A safety culture builds slowly, but behaviors are influenced quickly…...
Here are some FREE and straightforward Safety Management 101 items for your organization’s senior management. These could be applied to a facility’s senior management or at a corporate level. 1) Organizations MUST commit sufficient resources to identify and provide the minimum personnel levels (NOT just safety teams) to manage and address the risks they face…....
An organization that listens to and learns from its people is constantly improving and understands that mistakes, errors in judgment, and the need to adapt are normal. Organizations should listen to and support their personnel by promoting a culture that: When an organization is listening and learning in relation to safety, the following are true:…...
A risk-based approach means focusing assurance efforts on the activities and controls that give rise to the most significant safety risks that may impact the successful delivery of the Organization’s objectives. It can also include focusing assurance in areas where the most benefit will be derived from the effort. This means a high-level prioritization approach…...
A BLEVE at a gas station in Russia killed at least four (4) people. Several excellent videos have been shared with our membership and me…. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
On February 19, 2015, employees were to perform a preventive maintenance inspection inside of a scrubber, which is maintained free of oxygen using a nitrogen blanket. When the designated attendant could not find the entrant employee, other employees searched for him. The entrant employee was found inside the scrubber (a metal tube) where he had…...
The process in progress at the time of the event was the manufacture of methatrexate, an anti-cancer drug. Shortly after employee #1 began to draw bromine liquid into the supposedly clean and empty charging pot, he heard a hissing sound. He then saw a purple haze spewing out from under the lid of the pot…....
When we use the phrase “cascading failures,” this event is nearly a perfect example. 1) A gas station employee attempted to fill a propane tank without the required training. This led to the uncontrolled release of approximately 1500 liters (396 gallons or 1,600 pounds) of liquid propane and evacuated nearby homes. 2) When the staff…...
