Those of you that follow me know my love for the International Fire Code and Mechanical Code, as well as how each state utilizes these codes. I use these codes daily in my process safety and fire safety work as I truly believe they provide us an excellent baseline in our risk reduction efforts. This year […]
In the past several weeks I have received inquiries regarding NFPA 704, 4.2.3.2 so I figured I should put it in writing so that others can understand this single clause which apparently has become a “whipping boy” for a particular hazardous material. The quick answer is YES, but apparently, there is some confusion on why
As I prepare for Ohio’s adoption of the 2015 International Fire Code, I am reminded of the codes Performance Code™ for buildings and facilities. It is my opinion, completely unsubstantiated that this part of the code is for facilities which already have PSM/RMP covered processes and already have their PSM/RMP management systems in place for these hazardous
This accident happened at a site of a distributor of bulk chemicals such as acids, bases, aqueous solutions of detergents, etc. The chemicals are delivered by tanker truck or railcars and put into tanks. The chemicals are then filled in drums or cans which have a volume ranging from 5-gallon cans to 55-gallon drums. At
The state of Ohio is in the processing of upgrading the state’s fire code using the 2015 International Fire Code as its basis. This is a summary of the chapters most often used in facilities that handle hazardous chemicals.
The power of a vacuum… caused only by the condensing of the hazardous material. The loading temperature of the mono-isopropylamine, a flammable liquid, was reported to be between 70°F and 80°F. When the tank collapsed, the ambient air temperature was approximately 10°F… On January 4,1988, an MC 307 tank trailer departed with 39,000 pounds of
PHMSA has launched a new on-line training program that introduces users to the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR), and may be used to meet the requirements for general awareness/familiarization training, or as the basis for developing function-specific training programs. Current U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations require initial and recurrent training of all employees who perform
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued a Final Rule to revise its regulations and increase the maximum civil penalty amount for violations of the Federal hazardous materials safety law. Under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015, which further amended the Federal Civil Penalties, Inflation Adjustment Act of
Is there such a thing as a “dual phase” pressure safety valve (PSV)? Not that I have ever encountered; yet that does not stop some from trying to “educate me” on their dual-phase PSVs. So why does this topic matter? Our PSV’s are our LAST LINE of defense in an overpressure event, and if they
At approximately 9:30 a.m. on October 3, 2002, an employee who worked for a company that provided vehicle maintenance such as car washes, detailing, fueling, and lube and oil servicing, inadvertently drank acid from a plastic spray bottle while he was on a rest break. The employee, feeling very ill after ingesting the contents of
On April 15, 2014, Employee #1, a maintenance technician employed by Solarworld Industries America Inc., and Coworker #1, a tool operator in the plant’s fabrication area, were working at the employer’s solar cell manufacturing facility. Coworker #1 had submitted a work order to repair a leak of liquid hydrofluoric acid (HF). HF is used in
This week we saw a construction vehicle strike a fill valve of an underground propane tank. The valve was not only unprotected, it was actually camouflaged by a large plastic trash can that sat over top of it. The valves for the 1000 gallon tank were struck by a construction vehicle which led to an active and
