Chemical Process Safety (PSM/RMP)

Before I begin, nothing I am going to say in this article is required by OSHA or EPA; however, keep in mind that OSHA and EPA process safety requirements are the BOTTOM OF THE BARREL when it comes to true process safety.  So with that said, let’s discuss PHA scenario likelihoods.  Regardless of methodology used,…...

As most, sadly not all, safety professionals will attest to, there is a hierachy of four (4) controls we use to manage risks: 1) Substitution/Elimination, 2) Engineering Controls, 3) Administrative Controls, and 4) Personal Protective Equipment.  In process safety environments, the hazards are often times so great that ALL FOUR layers may be needed.  What…...

There have not been many “catastrophic accidents” in the refrigeration industry to study in great detail (PLEASE do NOT translate this into something it is not).  But there is one such realitively recent (2008) that occured in Korea and claimed the lives of 40 workers.  Although Korea does not have a comparable process safety management…...

Most have seen the amazing CCTV footage from the 2007 ammonia release from the ag business in Seward, IL, but those two videos leave a lot of questions.  This posting is a follow-up video regarding the trucking company’s clean-up plan and contains a news video that gives us some perspective on the area’s layout.  In…...

I have discussed Stress Corrosion Cracking in refrigeration vessels and have been asked “if it can occur in vessels, can it occur in our piping too”.  The short answer is YES.  But I want to state again, I am NOT a metallurgist and I am not the person to contact about your SCC concerns.  I…...

Unfortunately there are countless industrial disasters that led up to the USA’s version of Process Safety Management standards from both OSHA and EPA; but in my world of flammable liquids and gases, it was Flixborough that resonated with me.  It just seemed that every process safety or flammable liquids/gases training that I attended Flixborough always…...

I have highlighted some surprises for those of you in OH that may be reading this!  FYI, Anhydrous Ammonia is a Group B2 refrigerant, based on Addenda to Designation and Safety Classifications of Refrigerants.  Be sure to click on the Links to the other applicable OH Fire Codes referenced in this section!… Membership Required You must...

After the fatal phosgene incident in WV on January 23, 2010, the CSB asked OSHA to take sustained measures to minimize the exposure of hazards to workers handling highly toxic gases from cylinders and associated regulators, gages, hoses, and appliances. Ensure that OSHA managers, compliance officers, equivalent state OSHA plan personnel, and regulated parties conform, under…...