Hazardous Materials

The IFC and IBC are written based on the Maximum Allowable Quantity (MAQ) of the hazardous materials involved.  Many will look at the tables and find their MAQ; however, the footnotes contain a lot of liberties that could quadruple the MAQs if certain designs are in place. Given this basic understanding of maximum allowable quantities…...

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PHMSA and FRA are issuing this safety advisory as a follow-up to the agencies’ joint safety advisory published on August 7, 2013 and FRA’s Emergency Order No. 28 published that same day, both of which relate to the July 6, 2013, catastrophic accident in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec. In this safety advisory, PHMSA and FRA are reinforcing…...

Please join the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Homeland Security, Occupational Health and Safety Administration, and several other federal agencies including the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, for a series of listening sessions on Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security (Executive Order 13650 (EO).  The first session will be held November 5 in Texas City,…...

On the 20th of October 2011 there was a traffic accident in Murcia (Spain) involving a Liquid Natural Gas tanker which resulted in the cargo exploding. This the second explosion of this type recorded in the World, following that which occurred in Tivissa (Spain) in 2002. The initial accident occurred when the tanker collided with…...

A perfectly placed private security camera caught the exact moment when a fire broke out at a broken gas line in downtown Columbia Wednesday afternoon.  The gas line was hit around 4 p.m. while a private contractor was digging to install underground communications lines near Richland and Sumter streets.  SCE&G employees responded to the scene,…...

PHMSA is issuing an Advisory Bulletin to alert all pipeline operators of a T.D. Williamson, Inc. (TDW) Leak Repair Clamp (LRC) recall issued by TDW on June 17, 2013. The recall covers all TDW LRCs of any pressure class and any size. The LRCs may develop a dangerous leak due to a defective seal. Hazardous…...

Over the last several years we have come across several facilities that handle anhydrous ammonia and have a dangerous misunderstanding of “hazardous locations”. It seems that somewhere/someone had informed them that their engine room(s) did not need proper ventilation since they were below the 10,000 pound PSM/RMP threshold. They were badly misinformed and here’s why……...

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has issued an Emergency Order and Safety Advisory to help prevent trains operating on mainline tracks or sidings from moving unintentionally. The FRA’s announcement was made in response to the July 6, 2013 derailment in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, Canada, as it awaits additional data once the investigation…...