There is one requirement in the HAZWOPER standard that has been in place since its promulgation, which almost every industrial facility with its own internal HAZMAT response team fails to meet. I receive a significant amount of pushback when I cover this OSHA minimum requirement, and I am always as shocked by the response as […]
If we pay close attention to PPE pictures, especially at Emergency Responses, we can see that this critical aspect of proper PPE donning is usually not followed, placing responders at increased risk. So, what is the PPE Shingle Effect, and WHY is it REQUIRED?
You get to pick ONLY three (3) pieces of data about a chemical you have responded to. You know the chemical, so what would the three (3) pieces of data you would want to know be and why? Here are my three and why…
Here is OSHA’s current interpretation of the HAZWOPER standard as it relates to IDLH operations. The LOI specifically addresses the HAZWOPER requirement for workers who are engaged in remedial operations as well as in emergency response operations in atmospheres that are or may be IDLH AND who utilize self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) for the control
WARNING! If you have an ER instructor who claims you can enter the Hot or Warm zone the first time in using LEVEL C PPE, you need to fire them! I have been conducting HAZMAT training for 28 years, and every year, I pick up a few new ER clients who need a refresher course.
On July 9, 1959, the Charlotte Fire Department responded to a fire at the former Charlotte Chemical Company on West Templeton Avenue, just off South Boulevard. The building, then under demolition, still housed a large vat of chemical material in the basement. Believing the substance to be kerosene, firefighters fought the fire with standard tactics—until
Respondent produced, used, or stored ammonia at the Facility and released a reportable quantity of an EHS, ammonia. On or about August 31, 2022, a “release” of ammonia in excess of 100 pounds occurred at the Facility (the release). As a result of the information obtained by the EPA and subsequent investigation, the Complainant has
A team of auditors identified a potential risk associated with bypassed safety devices and inconsistent interpretation of regulations after multiple incidents of noncompliance were issued, associated with the operator’s failure to comply with 30 CFR 250.869 and 30 CFR 250.870 in 2025. The BSEE Performance-Based Risk Inspection (PBRI) covered five assets (all production platforms) in
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has investigated a recent offshore gas release incident resulting from the failure of a ¾-inch pipe nipple connected to a compressor suction scrubber (Figure 1). The failure led to an immediateplatform shut-in and a full muster of personnel onboard. The released gas posed a significant safety risk,
When you see it… Flammable liquid railcar, in fact, it’s a carcinogenic flammable liquid, a Benzene railcar on fire. I know it’s hot as heck in MS this time of year, but dang: Just a lot of opportunities! The better option: Set up an unmanned(!!!) monitor nozzle, lay a couple hundred, if not 1,000s, of
At an Ethylene unit in the Czech Republic (2015), when swapping over cooling water supply lines during a flowmeter calibration, the operator made a simple mistake. While intending to open valve #3 on the spare supply line, he closed the identical valve #2 instead, shutting off all cooling water to the Light Ends columns. A
A picture-perfect BLEVE caught on drone cam. A storm chaser captured this fire and BLEVE while traveling to chase a storm in Canada. This was in Sidney, MT, and may be the best training video showing a BLEVE (he has even slowed the footage down so we can see it in slow motion).
