I am amazed at how technically incompetent our profession is becoming. I guess I need to praise my old bosses/plant managers once again as I grew up being the safety hero in the plants I worked at. You see, it was NOT my role to drive safety (although I was often the one picking up…...
Respondent operates a petrochemical manufacturing facility (NAICS Code 32511) that produces vinyl chloride for use in the plastics industry. The production areas represent a single RMProgram covered process involving sixteen (16) RMProgram regulated chemicals. At its stationary source, the Respondent has 27,000,000 pounds of vinyl chloride and 6,700,000 pounds of chlorine. At its stationary source,…...
We debated this topic a couple of years back and although I am not sure we came to an agreement, I was, still am, set on the idea that 1910.146(c)(5) and (c)(7) can NOT be used simultaneously on the same PRCS. In other words, the PRCS either qualifies for (c)(5) entry or (c)(7) entry; or…...
UPDATED on 7/1/2019 – Pics of the tank that “exploded” being recovered from the river Well, only time will tell, but my best guess from viewing the video footage from several angles is that it appears that a vertical atmospheric storage tank did go airborne and this resulted in a large fireball. I have no…...
The information in this report is preliminary and will be either supplemented or corrected during the course of the investigation. On April 25, 2019, about 4:33 a.m. central daylight time, about 750 gallons (3,800 pounds) of anhydrous ammonia liquefied compressed gas (UN1005, Division 2.2) were accidentally released from two 1,000-gallon nurse tanks mounted on a…...
This week we saw two Canadian businesses be fined over $1.2 M (CAD) for discharging their “Ammonia bleed water” to a storm drain which discharged into a river killing around 70 fish. The business, a University in British Columbia, hired a refrigeration contractor to make repairs to the refrigeration system, at which time the contractor…...
This is a presentation from Safety2019! that was done by one of our longest running corporate sponsor (10+ years), Dow Corning. Mike is now the Executive Vice President, Process Safety (Americas) with DEKRA and quite possibly the best “code pro” when it comes to flammable liquids, especially when they are in Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC). …...
Respondent owns and operates a controlled temperature storage warehouse. The Facility is located within a mixed business-residential area within half a mile of many businesses and residences. At the time of the EPA inspection, approximately 14,600 pounds in total ammonia was present at the Facility; however, the facility had two (2) separate refrigeration systems, each…...
As it usually goes, the vast majority of challenges and questions I have received thus far from yesterday’s ASSP2019! Presentation centered around the most controversial characteristic of 1910.146… 4. Contains any other recognized serious safety or health hazard I could have spent half a day talking about this single characteristic, but I had only 35…...
OSHA cited a chemical manufacturer after a chemical release at the manufacturing plant exposed workers to ethylene oxide. The company faces $262,548 in penalties. OSHA initiated an inspection after the exposure hospitalized one employee and left five others suffering symptoms of ethylene oxide (EtO) exposure. The Agency cited 25 serious violations, including deficient emergency action…...
OSHA has cited the company contracted to clean lines and vessels at the plant and the processing plant for serious safety violations after a fatal fire at a natural gas processing plant in Pennsylvania. OSHA inspected the company contracted to clean lines and vessels at the plant after four contractors suffered burns and needed hospitalization. One of…...
One of my pet-peeves is CONTROLLING ACCESS to process battery limits. Even OSHA and EPA felt this was so critical that they actually mention it TWICE in their process safety standard/rule. They cover it in Operating Procedures for all company personnel and again in Contractors for those visiting the facility. But there is one group…...
