All year I have received dozens of phone calls and e-mails from friends and colleagues in the automotive industry regarding this new refrigerant for A/C units inside 2016 model vehicles. Over the next couple of months, I will be posting a series of articles about this new refrigerant and the impact it is having on […]
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Everyone once in a while we come across purged and pressurized enclosures during our PSM/RMP audits involving processes that contain/process flammable liquids or gases. These purged and pressurized enclosures are used in lieu of using enclosures that are either intrinsically safe or explosion proof. But this method of protecting the process from ignition sources is
Employer(s) with employee(s) exposed to PSM-covered processes formerly exempted under OSHA’s 1992 interpretation of “retail facility” now must comply with the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.119 if the facility, or portion of the facility processing the highly hazardous chemical, does not fall into the North American Industrial Classification System definition of retail trade (NAICS 44
Today, OSHA issued their revised policy on their “retail exemption” and this change in OSHA enforcement will actually impact thousands of businesses who have submitted a Risk Management Plan. It all comes down to how EPA instituted their “Program Levels” when they implemented their RMP Rule. EPA has always said that if your process was
Today OSHA issued another REVISED POSITION in their enforcement of the Process Safety Management Standard. Today they rescinded their previous position and now employer(s) with employee(s) exposed to PSM-covered processes formerly exempted under OSHA’s 1992 interpretation of “retail facility” now must comply with the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.119 if the facility, or portion of
The National Board Annual Violation Tracking Report identifies specific violations (per device type) commonly found on five (5) types of pressure equipment during jurisdiction-required inspections. The following data reflects the reporting period of 1/1/2014 – 12/31/2014 as reported by participating member jurisdictions. The Violation Tracking Report indicates problem areas and trends related to boiler and
The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors has released its First Quarter Report of Violation Findings for 2015. The data captures problem areas and trends related to boiler and pressure vessel operation, installation, maintenance, and repair; and also identifies problems before unsafe conditions occur. This report serves as an important source of documentation for
Yes, absolutely. A BLEVE is not restricted to materials that are gases at standard temperature and pressure (STP), such as propane, butane, or anhydrous ammonia. Any liquid—even non-flammable ones like water, as seen in catastrophic boiler explosions—can BLEVE if the right thermodynamic conditions are met prior to vessel failure.
A recent fatality at an ammonia refrigeration process in Canada points to a potential weakness in “contractor safety” at facilities with active process safety management systems in place. PSM/RMP facilities regularly get “safety information and data” from their contractors; this information is usually the contractor’s OSHA injury/illness rates, experience modification rate, etc. But many PSM/RMP
A fire at the Chevron refinery in Richmond in August 2012 raised public concern about refinery safety and emergency response in California. Following a directive from the Governor’s February 2014 report on “Improving Public and Worker Safety at Oil Refineries,” CalEPA formed the Interagency Refinery Task Force (IRTF). The IRTF membership includes ten state agencies,
Between 1996 and 2008 it is estimated that there have been 173 loss of primary containment (LOPC) incidents reported in RIDDOR that can be attributable to ageing plant. This represents 5.5% of all loss of containment events. The limited information provided in RIDDOR about the underlying causes means that it is difficult to identify which
