At 1:30 p.m. on December 27, 2021, two employees worked in spray painting operations on a ship. At some point, the hose line was clogged with debris and paint material. The employees poured paint thinner into the hose to attempt to clear the clog. Employee #1 held the hose line while Employee #2 regulated the…...
Paint thinner and open flame heater Read More »
Call me crazy, but this just blew me away. And once again we find ourselves faced with an “industry practice” vs. “RAGAGEP”. We were at a facility several years ago where pieces of equipment are painted and this painting is a huge pride of the manufacturing sector and hence they have some very tight QA…...
99% Polyester and 1% Carbon Fiber in HAZLOCs Read More »
This is an EXCELLENT 1-page Alert on the hazards of “Splash filling” non-conductive flammable liquids. SPEED MATTERS, as does process design! To read more on handling non-conductive flammable liquids CLICK HERE… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
SPLASH FILLING Hexane leads to explosion (European Process Safety Centre (EPSC) Read More »
The report said an abnormal flow of electricity occurred as a result of “improperly grounded equipment” in the roof area of the tank, a static discharge or ignition charge in the tank was the “most probable cause of ignition” in the October 15, 2019 incident. The tank’s roof…...
Improper Grounding Faulted in 2019 Ethanol Tank Explosion Read More »
This is a very high-tech and expensive VaneometerTM. I am kidding, it is only around $40 and it may be one of the simplest safety devices we will ever use. But don’t let the price or simplicity fool you – it is an ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL device for those of you that have ventilation systems, especially…...
Years ago, WorkSafe British Columbia (BC) put out a really nice video about a fatality caused by a worker welding on a used Acetone Drum. Although the video states the drum is a 44-gallon drum, it is in fact a 55-gallon drum. 44 imperial gallons is equal to 52 US gallons – which we call…...
The major hazard involved with transferring flammable liquids is static build-up due to charge separation with the potential for discharge resulting in fire and subsequent loss of containment. Certain non-polar liquids can be charged while flowing through piping. Detectable and hazardous charges must be expected if the specific resistance of the liquid exceeds 108 ohms…....
Flow Velocities and Flammable Liquids Read More »
I studied this incident closely while at MSU and I have never forgotten the dramatic images of what 18,000 gallons of a flammable liquid can do in a sewer! On Feb. 13, 1981, at 5:16 a.m. a series of explosions occurred in the sewer lines of Louisville, KY. The explosions happened after a soybean extraction…...
Hexane spill made it to the sewer (Louisville, KY 1981) Read More »
Flash-fire incidents occurred during multiple types of operations, including maintenance on a control panel when natural gas was being vented, flammable fluids being drained into a bucket, or flammable liquids being transferred between containers. A static discharge can occur when an electrical charge accumulates on the surfaces of two materials, one with a positive charge…...
Preventing Static Discharge (BSEE) Read More »
Enclosed processing areas (vs. outside and open processing areas) that are handling/using the following, shall be ventilated at a rate sufficient to maintain the concentration of flammable vapors within the area at or below 25% of their lower flammable limit (LFL). Class I flammable liquids or as OSHA calls them Category 1/2 flammable liquids, Class II…...
Ventilation requirements for flammable liquid processing areas (NFPA 30, 2021) Read More »
Liquid storage areas where dispensing is conducted must have either a gravity ventilation system or a continuous mechanical exhaust ventilation system. If the dispensing involves Class I liquids (e.g. Category 1 & 2 liquids per OSHA terminology) mechanical ventilation is the ONLY acceptable option. Regardless of the type used there are some FUNDAMENTAL requirements that…...
For the 2021 edition of NFPA 30, the committee introduced a sweeping change in the classification scheme for liquids. The term ignitible liquid has been introduced to initiate a process whereby the terms flammable liquid and combustible liquid are no longer used. This causes the requirements in NFPA 30 and other codes and standards to…...
