Free – Page 2 – Safety Engineering (SAFTENG)

OSHA Plans to submit another NPRM for LOTO in November

July 8, 2026 / Free, Lockout Tagout, OSHA Compliance / Bryan Haywood

Recent technological advancements that employ computer-based controls of hazardous energy (e.g., mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, chemical, and radiation) conflict with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) existing lock-out/tag-out (LOTO) standard. The use of these computer-based controls has become more prevalent as equipment manufacturers modernize their designs to increase productivity. Additionally, National Consensus Standards have evolved, and […]

I had to ask… Can a PRCS be reclassified using (c)(7) if the piping passing through remains “charged” with a hazardous material?

July 8, 2026 / Free, OSHA Compliance, Permit Required Confined Spaces / Bryan Haywood

My official question to OSHA was… Recently, OSHA issued an LOI aligning with NFPA 350 regarding PRCS isolation. In particular, OSHA stated that a pipe passing through a PRCS but not terminating within the space would NOT have to be isolated and evacuated. I want to know if this practice would be acceptable if the

LPG Tanker Accident – Catastrophic Tanker Failure with remote ignition (video)

July 3, 2026 / Flammable Gases, Free, Hazardous Materials / Bryan Haywood

Four (4) people were killed, and several others sustained injuries after an LPG tanker crashed into a toll plaza and erupted in flames. The tanker was carrying around 18 tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and lost control before crashing into the toll plaza. According to the police, the tanker first hit a road divider

B.C. firm fined $110K after wood fiber engulfs worker in horrific PRCS fatal incident

July 1, 2026 / Free, OSHA Compliance, Permit Required Confined Spaces / Bryan Haywood

A fire ignited inside a silo (a confined space) at this firm’s sawmill, and the water used to extinguish it had frozen the wood fiber inside the silo. While a subcontractor’s worker was pressure washing the fiber inside the silo, a large volume of fiber dislodged from an overhang above the work area. The fiber

What is the difference between a pipe vent and a pipe drain?

June 29, 2026 / Free, Hazardous Materials / Bryan Haywood

The primary difference between a pipe vent and a pipe drain lies in their location and function within a piping system. In both industrial process piping and residential plumbing, they serve as essential controls for pressure and fluid management.

Fatal Refrigeration Accident: Compressor Explosion During Nitrogen Pressure Testing (Investigation)

June 29, 2026 / Chemical Process Safety (PSM/RMP), Free, Hazardous Materials, OSHA Compliance / Bryan Haywood

What’s the difference in Nondestructive Examinations (NDE) and Nondestructive Testing (NDT)?

June 29, 2026 / Chemical Process Safety (PSM/RMP), Free, Hazardous Materials, OSHA Compliance / Bryan Haywood

While the terms “Non-Destructive Testing (NDT)” and “Non-Destructive Examination (NDE)” are often used interchangeably in casual professional conversation, they have distinct technical nuances based on the depth of the process and the intended outcome.

Catastrophic failure of an air receiver amputates both legs of the worker

June 29, 2026 / Free, OSHA Compliance / Bryan Haywood

Employee #1 was injured when the 300-gallon air receiver of an air compressor unit ruptured, resulting in severe injuries to both his legs. The accident was caused by rust inside the receiver, which weakened the steel because the receiver was not drained. The safety valve was inoperative due to corrosion from a lack of testing.

EPA defines Responding and Non-Responding Facilities in its last RMP Fact Sheet

June 29, 2026 / Chemical Process Safety (PSM/RMP), Emergency Response, Free / Bryan Haywood

How do companies follow the emergency response element requirements? To comply with the regulations, a facility needs to develop an emergency program or procedures. These are often contained in one of two types of RMP emergency plans: one for responding facilities and one for non-responding facilities.

EPA publishes a Fact Sheet: Risk Management Program Emergency Response Exercises

June 29, 2026 / Chemical Process Safety (PSM/RMP), Emergency Response, Free / Bryan Haywood

This fact sheet summarizes the exercise requirements of the Emergency Response portion of a facility’s Program. It provides guidance for how a facility can comply with existing regulations and what emergency responders can expect from a facility.

EPA RMP Citations @ food facility (NH3 & $93K)

June 29, 2026 / Free, PSM and RMP Citations/Analysis / Bryan Haywood

Respondent owns and operates a processed cheese manufacturing facility. On or about December 16-18, 2024, representatives of the EPA conducted an inspection of Respondent’s Facility to determine compliance with 40 C.F.R. Part 68 (the “Subject Compliance Inspection”). Information gathered during the EPA’s Inspection revealed that the Respondent had greater than 10,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia

OSHA has proposed $3.5M in fines for violations by 3 employers during a Houston facility chemical spill response

June 29, 2026 / Emergency Response, Free, OSHA Compliance / Bryan Haywood

OSHA has proposed more than $3.5 million in fines against three (3) companies after federal inspectors determined they failed to protect workers during post-emergency response cleanup after a chemical spill at an industrial facility in Channelview. OSHA initiated three (3) inspections following a Dec. 27, 2025, sulfuric acid spill that resulted in multiple employee injuries.