A chemical gas leak at a Water Plant resulted in three people being transported to the hospital. The leak was a result of a chemical reaction of the chemical “alum” being mistakenly added to two tanks of bleach, creating chlorine gas. At around 2 p.m., the Portage County Hazardous Materials Team responded to an incident […]
Under certain conditions, the IFC allows “Fail-Safe Engineered Systems” in lieu of “emergency backup power” for safety-critical systems such as ventilation, treatment, or temperature control systems. The code states: 5004.7.2 Fail-safe engineered systems. Standby power for mechanical ventilation, treatment systems and temperature control systems shall not be required where an approved fail-safe engineered system is
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National Security Agency (NSA), the Department of Energy (DOE), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Department of Transportation (DOT), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)—hereafter referred to as “the authoring organizations”—are aware of malicious cyber
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has issued a stop-sale order for the Ignik TapRack 4 Refillable Propane System. This device failed to meet several safety standards enforced by the department’s Standards Division. Manufacturers and distributors will have six months to remove these products from retail locations. Online sales shall include a note
In an early post this morning, I discussed the need for “rain caps” and “weep holes” on our Pressure Safety Relief systems. And a dear friend and great ChemE reminded me that “weep Holes” are not just for draining rainwater. For example, this week I was working with an NH3 client, and I must state
Yes, we still need to consider drainage at the low point of our discharge piping, even with a “rain cap”. While a rain cap is designed to deflect direct vertical precipitation from entering the discharge lines/piping, it is not a hermetic seal. Over time, moisture can still enter the discharge piping through condensation, wind-driven rain,
During a maintenance shutdown at a wood pellet plant, three workers employed by a mill machinery service company were working at the mill to clean the burner. The workers were standing at the opening of a burner door when an explosion occurred in the dryer system. The three workers were knocked backward by the force
A worker was standing on top of a tanker truck to transfer gasoline from a tanker trailer to the tanker truck. The tanker truck’s engine was running, and the pumping system was engaged. The worker opened access hole covers to a compartment in the truck that held diesel and to another that was empty. Some
In a steam plant at a plywood mill, two (2) workers were attempting to replace a leaky nipple and gasket at the end of a condensate header. As they were loosening or removing nuts from the outer flange at the end of the header, one worker was sprayed with steam and condensate (hot water). The
At a poultry-processing plant, a worker (engineer) was responding to an ammonia leak from an air purger (equipment that removes air and other non-condensable gases from the refrigeration system to improve efficiency). He described the signs of the problem to a refrigeration mechanic over the telephone. While waiting for the mechanic to arrive, the worker
A worker on a contracted maintenance crew at an oil refinery partially unbolted a flange on a live crude oil heat exchanger. An undetermined volume of oil was released. Another worker, a refinery employee who participated in the incident response, was exposed to the resulting crude oil vapors, which are believed to have contained hydrogen
An auto repair worker was walking toward his mobile service vehicle, which contained an oxyacetylene welding system, to start work for the day. When he was approximately 32 ft. away, he clicked a button on the key fob to unlock the vehicle remotely. The vehicle immediately exploded and burst into flames. No one was injured
