I have scrubbed the names of the accused and deceased worker, as this could happen at just about any facility where hazardous materials are present. I should also state, the lawyers are suing the Refinery, the deceased employer (a contractor firm hired by the refinery), the manufacturer of the H2S monitor, the parent company of […]
In August 2024, while loading anhydrous ammonia into a railcar at a manufacturing site, a shear coupling on the loadout arm failed to function. Two out of three bolts failed, causing the coupling to open and resulting in a loss of primary containment (LOPC) of pressurized liquefied ammonia, which formed an ammonia vapor cloud. A
All alcohols are NOT created equal! Alcohols may be flammable, but there is one alcohol whose flammability is NOT its primary hazard. Most know about ETHANOL. It is used in fuels, as well as in food and drinks. It is flammable, and its flammability is its PRIMARY HAZARD. But its sister, METHANOL, is VERY DIFFERENT.
A CSB safety video on its investigation into the fatal December 8, 2020, explosion at the Optima Belle chemical facility in Belle, West Virginia.
The chlorine (Cl2) event in TX this week has been reported as a 10,000-pound release that lasted 48 minutes. Three of the four workers injured in the incident have been released, while the fourth is still receiving treatment. Still no word on what caused the release or what part of the primary containment system failed.
At 12:30 p.m. on February 7, 2022, an employee, 45, was disconnecting the discharge line of a 4-inch mobile water pump. The discharge line was blocked with ice, and the running pump was deadheaded, leading to a buildup of heat and pressure in the discharge line after the check valve.
Another tragic ending to a “Line Break” gone bad. This one involved opening a flange on a steam line in an attempt to “bleed off” the steam by loosening flange bolts. IT DID NOT GO AS PLANNED, and two workers perished with 70% burns! At 6:52 p.m. on August 10, 2020, two (2) employees (30)
As we have discussed here for years, “flanged joints” are usually MORE difficult to manage than are welded connections. However, somehow the rumor got started that flanged connections can be done by “Billy Joe Jim Bob.” Nothing could be further from the truth! And guess which connections most often leak? Yep, flanged connections. There are
Betting this was just under 10 pounds. That’s a RQ joke as the RQ for Cl2 is 10 pounds – CLEARLY we have exceeded that in this event. (But you never know!) All jokes aside, this is a big one. People wanting to know why it’s taking so long to get an “all clear” 2-hrs
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,” as that term is defined by Section 329(8) of EPCRA, of ammonia in excess of 100 pounds occurred at the Facility (the release). As a result of the information
What is purpose of the list of extremely hazardous substances in regards to the emergency planning requirements of EPCRA? The extremely hazardous substances list and its threshold planning quantities are intended to help communities focus on the substances and facilities of most immediate concern for emergency planning and response. However, while the list includes many of
Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF), a substance commonly used by firefighters, contains ethanol, 2-(2-butoxyethoxy) which is categorized as a glycol ether. Glycol ethers meet the definition of hazardous substance in CERCLA 101(14) because they are hazardous air pollutants pursuant to 112(b) of the Clean Air Act. In 1990, the Clean Air Amendments added 47 individual
