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
Under 2019’s ESHB 1817, owners of petroleum refining or petrochemical manufacturing must ensure their contractors and subcontractors use a skilled and trained workforce to perform all on-site construction, alteration, demolition, installation, repair, or maintenance work. The new law is under Chapter 49.80 RCW. A “skilled and trained workforce” means a workforce where all the workers
The following policy updates apply to anhydrous ammonia storage tanks (tanks) in the state of Kansas as of 2/13/2021. The state has issued new retirement dates for the “railcars” that have been modified and used as fixed storage tanks for decades. This policy is intended to apply to the Fertilizer Industry within the state. It
Having spent my entire safety career in chemicals, I have always been amazed when communities rezone and permit housing developments such as apartments/condos with high density populations within spitting distance of chemical/processing facilities and then the city officials are furious when there is an event that causes disruption in these housing developments. This story is
One of the most hazardous tasks that take place within a chemical process is the NON-Routine Opening of the process. And sadly, there are no RAGAGEPs or OSHA standards that establish minimum safeguards for such hazardous activities. Which I guess in some ways, is better as it has allowed the industry to establish some really
