I have several chlorine projects going on and a couple of them are being installed by the same contractor, one of the best contractors in the chemical industry (I wish I could name them by my CA prevents me from listing them as a client or supporter!). They used the pandemic to get everything installed […]
This redneck from western KY can understand one of the most fundamental requirements from ASME B31 standards… ONLY certified welders can make the welds AND each weld MUST be IDENTIFIED as to who made the weld(s)! Now ASME gives us options for meeting the “identification” requirements (e.g., stamping or Isometric Drawings). Still, these two requirements
During my “lost years” early in my college days (i.e. before I discovered firefighting and OSH) I built swimming pools during the summers. That job required a lot of piping work, which I got pretty good at, at least I thought I had until I got into my first Chlorine (Cl2) process as a safety
This was buried in my archives by mistake until a member found it while digging through all the PowerPoint presentations. It is from way back in 2008 when I was heavily involved in Water Treatment Plants and their use of Chlorine and the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standard (CFATS) roll-out. The presentation was put together for
Monika Chrzaszcz, U.S. EPA, Region 5, presented at this years MI Safety Conference on the matters of Anhydrous Ammonia and how the chemical impacts EPCRA and RMP. Her presentation points out some of the RMP amendments that are in place now and those coming, as well as EPCRA Tier II reporting and release reporting.
NFPA 499, Recommended Practice for the Classification of Combustible Dusts and of Hazardous (Classified) Locations for Electrical Installations in Chemical Process Areas was updated for 2021 and this update involves a very peculiar reference that has me scratching my head. This reference is also another example of why Safety and Process Safety professionals have come
We have discussed this numerous times over the years, but we rarely have a first-hand account of a “bleed” within a DB&B causing an LOPC event. But because CALARP now has a Program 4 Incident Reporting trigger, we get to see firsthand how a 3/4″ bleeder on a 14″ pipe handling a HHC/EHS can cause
Way back in 2017, the state of California (CA) revised it’s Accidental Release Prevention program by adding a Program Level 4 for the state’s refineries. In addition to the expanded prevention program requirements, the refineries are required to submit investigation reports, including root cause analysis after any major incident. But the one aspect of the Program
You may have seen this latest and greatest “detection method” in your junk mail, pop-up ads, or in a search of the internet. These tapes work and they work well in my experiences, but as with any product, there are some serious drawbacks that one must understand before using these products. Before I get into
Many of you that handle anhydrous ammonia are familiar with The Compressed Gas Association’s (CGA) 2.1, Requirements for the Storage and Handling of Anhydrous Ammonia, which is the baseline RAGAGEP for ammonia fertilizer distributor facilities. But the organization has another ammonia standard, G-2, Ammonia that is an EXCELLENT compliment to CGA 2.1. The G-2 standard
I have written many articles on “scrubbing NH3” in preparation for line breaks/equipment openings or emergency removal from a compromised container and with NH3 the scrubbing media is simply water (H2O). I learned these “scrubbing” methods while working one summer in an internship and the safety pro who hired me was also an MSU graduate
Chlorine (Cl2) has a strong warning property: most people can detect Cl2 at approximately 0.002 ppm in air (the official odor threshold per the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry) and 0.31 ppm in water. However, most data indicate an odor threshold of 0.2-0.4 ppm. In other words, even the most minute leak will
