Chemical Process Safety (PSM/RMP)

For the 2024 edition:

Several major revisions have been made to the 2024 edition of NFPA 58, Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code.

The 2024 edition includes a revision to change written hot work permits to documented hot work permits to address the use of new digital platforms used to issue permits.  The biggest change is… A requirement has also been added to allow the duration of the fire watch to be reduced to…

The 2024 edition includes the following changes:

The Hot Work Permit element of both OSHA’s PSM standard and EPA’s Risk Management Plan is one of the shortest elements’ of the 14 elements.  Its presence is to require a written permit to be issued when performing Hot Work in/on/adjacent to a covered process.  Some may not fully understand the need for this element,

On November 28, 1999, a blockage occurred in the South Teal Unit. The blockage or plug occurred somewhere in the recycle waste line on the second level of South Teal. This line brings crude Teal with excess aluminum to T-103, which feeds back to the reactors. During the night shift, they were able to blow

A recent Coast Guard investigation involving a fire and subsequent loss of propulsion on board an inspected vessel serves as a reminder of safety issues caused by condensate forming in airlines. During the investigation, an underlying issue was discovered that caused condensate to form in airlines that supplied compressed air to the vessel’s air-operated engine

If you are a regular visitor to this site, you know I love to use the International Fire Code, which many states adopt in full or in some “revised” langauge as their “state fire/hazmat code”.  One particular item that garners a lot of questions and comments is the IFC’s requirement that ALL hazardous materials (those

On May 11, 2023, @ 8:04 a.m., an employee working for an oil and gas support services company was found dead. On May 10th, the night before, the employee had instructed his coworkers from other contractors to go home, and he would finish the job. This was the last time anyone had spoken to the

This fatal incident displays the CRITICAL role of having procedures for responding to leaks, even “small releases.”  1910.119(n) Emergency planning and response The employer shall establish and implement an emergency action plan for the entire plant in accordance with the provisions of 29 CFR 1910.38. In addition, the emergency action plan shall include procedures for

Having spent my entire career in Flame Retardant Clothing, I learned that improper laundering could render the PPE useless, maybe even hazardous to wear.  In my time, we always had a contractor launder and maintain our FRC.  It was not cheap, but it was necessary to ensure the PPE worked as intended when we needed

To simplify this, the Maximum Allowable Working Pressure (MAWP) is the maximum pressure at which the hose can operate routinely.  Although, I strongly suggest the “operating ranges” be far less than the MAWP.  However, achieving the MAWP does NOT mean the hose will necessarily fail.  Where the hose will fail is called the “Burst Pressure.”