“Minor” LOPC events that are allowed to continue over a weekend can be a COSTLY MISTAKE! Any LOPC event MUST be reported ASAP to that it can be addressed, regardless of how “minor” it may be considered! We have to keep our HHC/EHS’s in their PRIMARY CONTAINMENT and when we have a failure that lets…...
EPA EPCRA/CERCLA citations for two (2) Ammonia releases ($82K) Read More »
Opening a Natural Gas Condensate line with a battery-operated drill inside a compressor building is ASKING for trouble. Basic HAZLOC work practices include using INTRINSICALLY SAFE tools that are APPROVED for the HAZLOC, which has been an OSHA requirement since 1981… 1910.307(c) Electrical installations. Equipment, wiring methods, and installations of equipment in hazardous (classified) locations…...
Line Break gone bad (Natural Gas Condensate w/ flash fire) Read More »
Remember that project where we installed new XXXXXXX and to save money we did not remove the old XXXXX and just piped around it? We always thought that the old piping and valves were not a hazard, well think again… On May 20, 2019, an offshore oil and gas worker was conducting daily rounds, which…...
Inadvertent Opening of Valve Causes Injury (Safety Alert) Read More »
At approximately 10:40 a.m. on April 2, 2019, the housing of a three-inch Y-strainer of an isobutylene line that fed into reactor K8 ruptured and isobutylene was released, forming a vapor cloud. Three employees responded to mitigate the isobutylene vapor in the reactor area…. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View...
At 4:45 a.m. on July 29, 2018, 16 employees were operating vegetable packaging equipment and performing material handling activities at a vegetable processing facility that used ammonia refrigeration. A fan unit for an evaporative condenser unit fell onto the condenser coil due to the structural failure of a motor bracket. While falling, the fan cut…...
Structural failure leads to NH3 LOPC event and 16 employees treated and 3 hospitalized Read More »
This video is exactly why the ASME B31 piping RAGAGEPs prefer hydrostatic pressure testing vs. pneumatic methods. When we take piping up to 400 psi and higher we are creating a serious hazard; thus the code(s) have built-in administrative controls to ensure personnel are NOT near the piping when the test pressure is achieved and…...
Why Hydrostatic Pressure testing is the preferred method – over pneumatic methods Read More »
This video was shared with me from outside the USA. The audience certainly does not understand what they are witnessing or they would not be watching so closely. Although we can not see the fire impinging on the vessel, we can see the RV discharge has ignited. Then after a few moments, I’m told this…...
This is NOT my personal interpretation of this ASME B31.3 “leak testing” requirement(s), but it is the official position of the Alberta Canada pressure equipment safety authority. I share this as another “official” explanation of what ASME B31.3 requires in terms of pressure/leak testing and this regulatory agency’s interpretation of how they read this critical…...
Pressure testing for individual piping system components (an official interp) Read More »
This little matter always leads to an energetic discussion during our Emergency Response assessments/planning exercises. But most states have a state code that will read something like this… Access to refrigeration systems having a refrigerant circuit containing more than 220 pounds (100 kg) of Group A1 or 30 pounds (14 kg) of any other group…...
An operator was working to remove a pressure gauge on what was assumed to be depressurized tubing. The upstream piping the pressure gauge tubing was connected to had been isolated, de-pressured and air-gapped so that this section of line was positively and physically isolated from the process. However, during the work to isolate the process…...
Line Break gone bad (Butane w/ improper energy isolation) Read More »
A new direct expansion chiller was installed at an ice arena to replace an existing chiller. After almost 20 weeks of service, an ammonia leak was detected, which released ammonia into the machinery room. The low level (25 ppm) ammonia alarm sounded and the ventilation system was activated to continuously evacuate vapors to the outdoors…...
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has revised regulations designed to reduce the risk of accidental releases of hazardous chemicals. These regulations are part of the EPA’s Risk Management Program (RMP), which the Agency established under authority in the Clean Air Act and recently amended on January 13, 2017. After a process of reconsidering several parts…...
EPA publishes the FINAL RMP Rule (Rescinded Amendments) Read More »
