Workers were weatherproofing the outer layer of a large ammonia storage tank when contractor-operated equipment struck a bleed pipe, causing an unplanned release of ammonia. Two (2) workers were exposed to ammonia, one worker suffering fatal injury and the other worker suffering minor injuries. NOTE: Another case of an EEBA not working because it was […]
While moving a mattress, employees accidentally bumped a stove knob, turning on the gas, which was left on overnight. This allowed gas to accumulate inside the camper. When the supervisor entered the unit, fresh air mixed with the propane, creating a flammable concentration. Once the power for lighting was restored, the ignition occurred, resulting in
An error in “requalification” of the 60-pound cylinder and an “overfilling event” led to the spectacular catastrophic failure of the 60-pound cylinder. The 60-pound propane cylinder split open instantly, releasing all of its contents. The force of the explosion ripped the metal cylinder cage door off its hinges, dented and deformed other propane cylinders in
A refinery has been fined more than $182,000 by WorkSafeBC after an incident that saw an employee’s clothing sprayed with hot oil. On Wednesday, April 8, WorkSafeBC put out a media release regarding the incident and a corresponding penalty of $182,282.38 levied against the refinery on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. A summary posted on the agency’s
Snapped this pic this week and thought it would be a great pic to start a discussion about Car-Sealing valves in their OPEN position. And yes, Car Seals are for more than just Pressure Relief Systems. In the pic below, there are two (2) valves that are candidates for Car Seals; one (1) of the
At 2:45 p.m. on September 19, 2014, two employees, both 50, were replacing a valve in a process line that transported 70% caustic solution of sodium hydroxide (NAOH) from storage tanks to a loading rack. While they were removing the valve and a stopper plate that had been previously inserted into the line, the employees
NTSB UPDATE: Upon arrival, the driver discovered the DOT 407 aluminum cargo tank was leaking and contacted his company to report it. NTSB officials say approximately 20 minutes later, the cargo tank exploded, separating the back compartment from the remainder of the cargo tank. The blast killed the driver and sent a plant worker to
Employee #1, a warehouse operator, dropped his safety glasses into the compartment of a railroad tank car that was being filled with aerosol. The aerosol was blown through a line by low-pressure nitrogen (N2) gas. After Employee #1 notified coworkers and his supervisor, the material flow was turned off, but NOT the gas. Wearing an
I have been writing a lot about the hazards of using N2 and CO2 in occupied spaces without adequate safeguards. This fatal accident occurred inside what many will call an “instrument shack” within a chemical process. This room had a gas chromatograph machine that was NOT intrinsically safe, so it was within a “pressureized enclosure”
Hazmat crews respond to propane tank leak in Suffolk Talk to anyone who deals with LPG, and they will tell you that we normally see an increase in leaking tanks this time of year. However, I believe we are seeing an increase in these events year after year. One speculation is that delivery businesses are
Nitrogen (N2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are becoming very popular in food plants for a whole host of reasons. A number of years ago, we lost six workers to an N2 event at a food plant in GA. A look at OSHA data from 2020 to the present shows incidents involving N2 (see below). But
Two companies have been fined after two pest control contractors, 34 and 49, died while carrying out pest control work at a chicken factory on October 4, 2018. The men had entered an area full of concentrated nitrogen pumped from a chiller system. When the duo failed to return home from work the night before,
