Hazardous Materials

A hazardous exhaust system shall be required wherever operations involving the handling or processing of hazardous materials, in the absence of such exhaust systems and under normal operating conditions, have the potential to create one of the following conditions:… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log...

There are five (5) basic types of ventilation systems: dilution and removal by general exhaust; local exhaust; makeup air (or replacement); HVAC (primarily for comfort); and recirculation systems Most ventilation systems generally involve a combination of these types of systems.  But there are some specific requirements, that need to be met:… Membership Required You must...

With the new 2021 International Fire Code comes some interesting changes.  One such change impacts how we establish how many “control areas” within our buildings and floors.  Personally, I was surprised they made this change, but after close examination, it actually makes sense.  So let’s look at what liberties the 2021 edition gives us in…...

I am unsure how to be any louder or more straightforward to the food industry regarding their “Tunnel Freezers.”  A lot of folks are aware of the Chemical Safety Board’s investigation into the food plant accident that claimed the lives of 5 workers and injured dozens more.  But did you know there was a DOUBLE…...

With last week’s horrible tragedy in GA involving liquid nitrogen, I have received a number of inquires about what actually happens when a liquid cryogenic, such as Nitrogen, makes contact with someone’s skin.  And this video probably does as good of a job as any “official” training video. PLEASE REMEMBER, these chemicals are EXTREMELY DANGEROUS…...

Let’s face it, the “green movement” is here to stay and in some situations, going green may be great for the environment, but sometimes this “going green” can introduce significant hazards in our workplaces.  Hydrogen is becoming the last hydrocarbon fuel source of the “green movement” if you’re not going solar.  Hydrogen is a GREAT…...

In May 2020 I wrote Part I – General Requirements after OSHA issued two willful and three serious violations totaling $122,602 to a sperm bank for bulls (cattle) after an employee was asphyxiated while filling freezers with Liquid Nitrogen.  And back in 2017, we saw another sperm bank, this one for humans, have a Nitrogen…...

At 6:15 a.m. on May 22, 2020, an employee and a coworker were in the process of transferring chemicals from totes on a delivery truck into tanks inside the facility. The deceased employee was responsible for hooking up a hose to the fill line on the building and monitoring the transfer from inside the facility…....

Under a new Illinois state regulation, 8 IAC 215, anyone who works on a farm and handles anhydrous ammonia must complete Certified Grower Training by April 2022 and do a refresher course every three (3) years thereafter. This includes those workers who are either classified as a “Certified competent attendant” or a “Certified grower” as…...