Whenever I am doing a Chlorine project this always comes up, as I almost always try and get anyone who is using elemental chlorine to make the switch to “bleach”, or sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). Too many facilities are not capable of safely storing and handling elemental chlorine – that is just a hard fact. These…...
This case has bounced around for a while now, but the power plant won their case and had the 29 C.F.R. § 1910.120(q)(3)(iv) citation vacated by the OSHRC. On a personal note, I agree with the dissenting opinion. Only Item 2 of that citation is at issue on review—it alleges a violation of 29 C.F.R…....
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I will give these guys this credit… they make great videos for the ammonia refrigeration industry. But as a safety professional, I was appalled at some of their actions and lack of safety while watching two of their videos. This particular video shows two (2) workers removing and replacing an NH3 valve – a clear…...
This week I shared a serious chlorine incident that sent seven (7) people to the hospital, including firefighters and neighbors. This incident could have been managed very easily and with much fewer impacts on responders and the community had the facility followed basic RAGAGEP requirements for their 1-ton chlorine containers. Basically, the leak was on…...
We have discussed hydrostatic testing of all sorts of containers, most notably our SCBA cylinders and our process piping. But one very important cylinder I do not mention near enough is the 1-ton Chlorine cylinders. All chlorine cylinders, except DOT 3E 1800, MUST BE HYDROSTATICALLY TESTED EVERY FIVE-YEARS from the date of the previous hydro…...
A company was fined $200,000 for a chlorine leak incident on Sept 4, 2016, in which seven people were taken to hospital. The incident involved a chlorine leak in a cylinder stored in a chlorine storage facility. The leak triggered an alarm from one of the facility’s chlorine detectors and a worker activated the chlorine…...
This week another RMP Reconsideration Final Rule requirement was born. Many of you had already made the necessary changes to your written management system way back in December 2019, but for those of you that put things off to the last minute… well that last minute just came and is now gone! So what exactly…...
This is a nice video of workers demonstrating a “day in the life of an ammonia refrigeration technician”. They spend their 17 minutes searching for an NH3 leak and isolating the system feeding the leak. There are quite a few learning opportunities, but their actions are fairly common in this industry. We have a ways…...
The 2021 NBIC Draft Edition is currently under review for final acceptance by the NBIC Committee. The list of major changes found below are subject to final approval by the NBIC Committee. This final approval vote will take place after the full Public Review process has been completed. The 2021 edition of the NBIC will be…...
The purpose of this Enforcement Alert is to highlight the importance of accident prevention efforts during startup periods and other times of non-routine operations. Chemical accidents can occur at any time, but there are times when facilities are more prone to accidents. The startup is a particularly vulnerable time. The Chemical Safety Board (CSB) noted…...
Three (3) Elk Grove Village Fire Department investigators along with one from the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) established that a faulty 1/4″ drain valve on a vessel level controller system caused the liquid ammonia leak at the food processing plant in Elk Grove Village, IL. The leak led to an explosion…...
