Your PHA tip for the week…
Lead the PHA team to think through the safeguards that are in place that are intended to:… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
OSHA Citation Report: Water, Sewage, and Other Systems (2025)
This report summarizes the enforcement activity for the water and wastewater utility sector. During this period, 63 citations were issued across 18 inspections, resulting in $830,945 in penalties. Executive Summary of Penalties and Citations The data indicates that while Hazard Communication and Respiratory Protection are frequently cited, the vast majority of the financial impact stems…...
OSHA Compliance Report: Chemical Manufacturing (2025)
Reporting Period: October 2024 – September 2025 This report summarizes the enforcement activity for the chemical manufacturing sector over the past fiscal year. With 883 total citations across 264 inspections, the industry faced over $3.78 million in penalties. Executive Summary: The “Top 5” Risk Areas The majority of financial and safety risks is concentrated in…...
Caustic (NAOH) is a seriously hazardous chemical found in many workplaces and often times ignored
An HSE investigation found clear failings leading to two (2) separate incidents of exposure to caustic soda at a manufacturer. The chemical manufacturing company has been fined £3.8 million ($5.1 million in USD) after two (2) employees at two (2) separate sites suffered serious chemical burns as a result of exposure to sodium hydroxide, known…...
MIOSHA’s LPG standard has a great image for HAZLOC
This week I was in that “state up north”. It is how Ohio State fans refer to the great state of Michigan. If you did not know, the two programs are crazy rivalries in all sports. While I was conducting a Flammable Liquids Process Engineering/Code Design Review, I came across a greater risk… three (3)…...
Was yesterday’s tragedy in WV another “Reactive Chemistry” event?
I asked Gemini Plus about the reaction of M200A (M200A, a proprietary amine-based solvent often associated with gas sweetening or industrial cleaning) and Nitric Acid, as has been reported in the media as the two (2) chemicals involved in yesterday’s tragic event in WV. It has been reported that H2S was involved; yet, reading this…...
Did NFPA just put Combustible Dust into a Process Safety Management System
I like to tell clients that NFPA has done what OSHA failed to do… make Combustible Dust a PSM-covered process. Well, not exactly, but NFPA 660 has certainly advanced how we manage the risks associated with Combustible Dusts. The new (2026) NFPA 660 has the following SMS elements:… Membership Required You must be a member...
Dealing with a Welding QA Failure
Once again, auditing pays off! No way in heck, my audits should be the method to identify QA failures on a piping installation, but it seems the past 10 years or so, it’s happening more and more. This event was a significant failure on the General Contractor and the Sub-Contractor, who was doing the actual…...
Technical Updates: Weld Defects & Fatigue
Several reports released this week by safety authorities (including ABSA and the CSB) have highlighted “latent” welding failures in pressure systems: The recurring theme this week is the “Empty Tank” fallacy. As a safety professional, these incidents underscore that the most dangerous tanks are often the ones that are “empty” but not gas-free. For your…...
Is N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) solvent considered a “Toxic” under the International Fire Code
Under the International Fire Code (IFC), N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) is not classified as a “Toxic” or “Highly Toxic” material. While NMP is legally classified as a toxic substance under environmental and labor laws (such as the EPA’s TSCA and OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard) due to its health effects, the IFC uses a very specific, narrow definition…...
Grand Rapids, MI Flammable Liquid Code (.ppt)
I’m in Grand Rapids this week working with a client on a flammable liquids process that is under the PSM TQ, but over the Maximum Allowable Quantity for “outside”. The city began adopting the IFC in 2006 and is now using the 2021 edition. I am sharing the PPT file for the management presentation/training, if…...
If I do RT examinations of 100% of my pipe welds, do I get any exemptions for pressure/leak testing?
The short answer is no. Radiographic Testing (RT) and pressure testing (Hydrostatic or Pneumatic) serve two (2) fundamentally different purposes in piping integrity. While it might seem like “over-testing,” they are not interchangeable in ASME B31.3 (Process Piping) or ASME B31.1 (Power Piping). Here is the breakdown of why 100% RT does not exempt you…...