Chemical Process Safety (PSM/RMP)

Facility Siting 101 – 25′ safe distance – vapors travel along ground (Video)

Take notice… single hose. Means liquid gasoline is going in the tank, but where are the vapors going if there is not a vapor return hose back to the truck? ALSO, the tank has an atmospheric vent pipe somewhere so as to vent vapor pressure should the tank get warmer and the gasoline Vp increases…....

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Are we missing the mark when it comes to 1910.120(q)(3)(vi)

Most response groups practice the 2-in/2-out rule during a HAZMAT response. But the devil is in the details when complying with 1910.120(q)(3)(vi). How many have attempted to pick up a grown man, weighing 200+ pounds, while they are donned in a wet Level A suit and carry them out of the Hot/Warm Zone? I can…...

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Nondestructive Examination in Lieu of Pressure Testing for Repairs and Alterations

This can be a sensitive topic at many facilities. I was raised to believe that whenever the pressure-retaining boundary is physically broken during line or equipment opening tasks, the line or equipment MUST be pressure- and leak-tested before being returned to service. I get a lot of hate mail and even more weird looks when…...

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A useful interpretation of ASME B31.3 Pressure/Leak testing

Does the fabricator of a B31.3 piping system still have to pressure test components that are manufactured to a standard listed in Table 326.1 when that standard states that the component is hydrotested as a requirement of the standard?… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log...

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State Fire Codes Performance-based Design Alternative (PSM/RMP Model – 2024 Updates)

To quote the IFC committee, “the purpose of performance-based design criteria is to promote innovative, flexible and responsive solutions that optimize the expenditure and consumption of resources while preserving social and economic value.”  Section 5001.3 Performance-Based Design Alternative is intended to be compatible with EPA’s RMP and OSHA’s PSM requirements, so it would reduce the burden…...

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LPG Hose Failure (Video)

In the video, you can see the gas company employees placing the ladder and pulling the hose that runs from the unit with the pipe. In an instant, the hose apparently ruptured, and it shot out; even the final section of the hose, where the dispensing pump is located, was about to hit another worker,…...

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Line Break gone bad (H2 & Contractors)

10/28/25 UPDATE: Hydrogen (H2) FATAL Line Break RIP 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙? The two deceased workers, identified as Mr K (43) and Mr A (50s), were subcontractors conducting scheduled maintenance on a hydrogen pipeline. The task involved inserting a blocking plate into a pipeline to isolate flow, a process requiring the loosening of flange bolts. The explosion…...

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Lack of safeguards leads to Pressure Vessel failure (Sightglass Fails)

A pressure vessel at a food processing facility failed when a sight glass ruptured during an overpressure event, spraying hot liquid at 100 psi into the workspace. The vessel had been operating above its maximum allowable working pressure for weeks due to: Contributing factors included which left parts of the vessel unprotected from overpressure.  The…...

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Line Break Gone Bad @ Power Generation Facility (ZES of Steam could not be confirmed)

Two (2) maintenance men at an electric power generation plant removed a check valve cover from a steam system. The section of the steam line was isolated and tagged, but it could not be vented or drained first. The section was only partially depressurized when the cover was loosened. When the employees removed all fasteners…...

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Line (Equipment) Opening Gone Bad (Propane)

At about 9:27 a.m. on September 5, 2008, Employee #1, was assigned to remove the cap of a check valve on a propane tank to connect a valve with a hose for a “pump down.” Instead, he removed the entire check valve, causing the rapid release of a large amount of liquid propane. The vapor…...

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Pressure/Leak Test gone bad (improper Torque)

On July 26, 2006, Employee #1 performed a pneumatic leak test on a 6-in. diameter, Schedule 40, jacketed, steel pipe, after coworkers welded sections of it. Employee #1 then secured a test tree on the end of the pipe with an adjustable wrench, then pressurized the pipe, and checked it for leaks for ten minutes…....

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