I am always trying to give my students a visual when I begin talking about IDLH values. It’s one thing to say that Chlorine’s IDLH is 10 ppm and explain what that means within the training room. So I have been playing with some AI sources, mainly Google Gemini and ChatGPT, to create visual aids…...
In all my years of training, responding, and now teaching others, my NO-GO has always been 10,000 ppm. But why 10,000 ppm? Is this a Haywood thing, or is this based on science and the limitations of most direct reading instruments (DRI)? Well, here are the facts as to why 10,000 ppm should be your…...
I thought this image was a good way to show why Codes and standards for hazardous materials such as NH3 REQUIRE REMOTE Emergency Shutdown Systems. For example, CGA 2.1 states the following:… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
NIOSH has released its Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation report regarding the Maine Lumber Mill COM DUST explosion. Lots of learnings in this report. Fire origin and explosion cause The State Fire Marshal’s Office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) cause-and-origin preliminary investigation classified the fire as accidental. It indicated that the area…...
Bear with me on this, as I know this is getting deeper than most think about Respiratory Protection. But the vast majority of the people I train and fit test are personnel who enter/work in IDLH environments, so I get very picky about my RP practices. OSHA’s long-standing Fit Test Procedures in Mandatory Appendix A…...
Choosing between methane and pentane for calibrating a direct-reading combustible gas indicator (CGI) depends primarily on your specific application, the target hazards in your environment, and sensor technology constraints. But there are BOTH a “Pentane Advantage” and a “Methane Advantage” Match the Target Gas (Best Practice for Specific Hazards)… Membership Required You must be a...
When you pump reactive, highly polar, or oxidizing gases like chlorine (Cl2), chlorine dioxide (ClO2), or ammonia (NH3) through standard silicone, polyurethane, or Tygon tubing, the tubing acts like a chemical absorber/scrubber. The gas is actively consumed or trapped by the hose before it ever reaches the instrument’s sensors. This creates severe process safety and…...
NOTE: Be sure to check your BRAND and MODEL for specifics. I have used MSA devices in this article because they are the brand I have used for 30+ years, and I am a huge fan of their products. ALL brands will have similar restrictions. ATTENTION TO these details matters! Yes, MSA enforces strict maximum…...
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) officially consolidated several legacy respiratory and PPE standards—including NFPA 1981 (open-circuit SCBA) and NFPA 1982 (PASS devices)—into a single unified standard: NFPA 1970. The 2025 edition mandates three (3) primary mechanical and electronic upgrades for all new structural firefighting SCBAs:… Membership Required You must be a member to access...
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has finalized Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) profiles and technical analytical standards for major toxic hydrogen halides. These mandates establish airborne exposure limits to guarantee rapid worker escape under acute exposure conditions and dictate strict sampling guidelines for modern industrial hygiene. NIOSH has updated…...
Employees who refuse to undergo a medical evaluation cannot be assigned to work in areas where they are required to wear a respirator…. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
In the past 12-months I have been told by three (3) organizations that I can not audit the fit testing records because they are “personal medical records”. After some time, I finally convinced their legal team that fit tests are not medical records, and I was then allowed to audit the records. And of course,…...
