Chemical Process Safety (PSM/RMP)

The Federal EPA just updated their RMP User Manual.  This is the go-to manual to find all the answers to your RMP submittal questions when using RMP eSubmit Software.  The manual “unofficially” also provides much insight into all the submittal data you are being asked to provide.  It even explains how the WCS and ARS […]

Sen. Chuck Schumer announced today that OSHA, the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), and Homeland Security (DHS) have agreed to create new protocols requiring notifications and coordination with local governments & emergency services when a company is cited with serious violations in wake of the deadly chemical explosion and fire at a cosmetic factory.  In January,

In the International Fire Code, Section 606 – Mechanical Refrigeration has two distinct requirements regarding the refrigerant detector(s) and their alarm signal and in both requirements, the phrase “approved location” is used.  In one case, they are talking about the location of the actual refrigerant detector/sensor, and in the other case, they are talking about

CORRECTION Made 3/21/2018 So I was glad I was sitting down when I started reading the Public Review #2 Draft of IIAR-6, Standard for Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Closed-Circuit Ammonia Refrigeration Systems.  Now it’s just a DRAFT version out for public review and comments, but I was so pleased to see TABLE 13.1, Overpressure Protection

Between November 20 and December 31, 2017, WorkSafeBC officers conducted the first phase of a three-phase ammonia inspection initiative. Officers inspected ice rinks and recreational facilities that use ammonia as a refrigerant. The focus of the inspections was: risk assessment, exposure control plans, work procedures, emergency response and evacuation plans Of the 223 sites inspected,

Improperly managed hot work has proven to be a leading cause of loss each year. Don’t get burned by it.  With the FM Global Hot Work Permit app, you can efficiently conduct, track and monitor hot work from the palm of your hand, while maintaining consistency with FM Global data sheets and engineering standards.  The Hot Work

Just when you think you have seen it all, some business steps up and surprises me once again!  This time we visit a refrigeration process at a cold storage facility that specialized in fruit juice concentrates.  This team did not like to “defrost” their evaporators the traditional way using hot gas; so much that they preferred to

At 12:15 a.m. on June 21, 2017, an employee was unlocking manual valves of a digester. As the valves were loosened, sulfur dioxide leaked from the drain and contacted the employee’s face. The employee sustained irritation to his lungs and eyes, which he was hospitalized and received treatment.

The State of Ohio’s EPA performed “Business Impact Analysis” on their version of the Risk Management Plan, as part of an Ohio requirement.  The Ohio EPA RMP rules, which are consistent with federal requirements, became effective August 13, 1999. Ohio EPA received “Delegation of Authority” for the Accidental Release Prevention Program, or Risk Management Plan (RMP) program, effective

For those of us who live and work in states that have Risk Management Plan enforcement delegation (like Ohio), Risk Management Plan “fees” are nothing new.  But now, Federal EPA is considering charging a “Fee” for those facilities that submit an RMP AND are under federal EPA RMP enforcement. There is no mention if this