We see this all the time, although many folks think it is rare – why I am not sure, as this scenario is 100% why OSHA promulgated the Energy Control Standard in 1989, to PREVENT someone from energizing a machine/equipment while someone is performing servicing/mainteance on it. On Jan. 29, 2026, a worker was tasked…...
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…...
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…...
I have been having fun using AI to help me create training images. I love doing LOTO training, and I am always challenged on just how little energy it takes to be “hazardous” and how even 0.1 psig can be lethal. (as shown below)… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View...
Establishing a Double Block and Bleed (DB&B) positive isolation is a critical safety protocol when preparing piping and equipment for opening, especially when dealing with Extremely Hazardous Substances (EHS). This process ensures that hazardous materials (HAZMAT) are effectively evacuated and isolated to protect workers from accidental releases. Members can download my .ppt file at bottom…...
Background: A company has three (3) different types of locks that you define as follows:… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
NOTE: OSHA would allow the “minor servicing exception” in this scenario, although the UK HSE does not. A tissue manufacturing company has been fined after an employee, 24, was seriously injured while clearing a machine blockage at its factory. During the manufacturing process, a tissue blockage occurred in the rollers of the machine, and the…...
I was recently involved with an organization that had an issue with overpressuring a 330-gallon plastic tote during their evacuation of their HHC/EHS for process work. So we had a nice discussion about the DIFFERENCE between “draining” and “venting”. The chemical in question is normally a “gas” but is stored as a liquid under pressure…....
These sleeves/pouches are a really handy tool for managing work permits. SDSs, etc., while making them highly visible. In my facilities, we used contractor work permits to control entry, scope of work, and exit for our covered processes. But most contractors had to obtain additional safe work permits for their specific work. And most of…...
Another crazy question that I was asked a few weeks back by a friend and up-and-coming safety pro. Again, the side bar group discussions ALL said NO, the authorized employee doing the LOTO must be the one to verify ZES of the LOTO, not the “affected employee” who has nothing to do with the LO…...
I wrote about “focusing on our fundamentals” this week, which generated a lot of discussions offline amongst my friends and clients. The number 1 question asked was “What should we score in 2026?” My response was “at least 95%”. That means that in 100 LO inspections, we should have a failure rate across ALL items…...
Reporting Period: October 2024 – September 2025 This report summarizes the enforcement activity for the chemical manufacturing sector over the past fiscal year. With 883 total citations across 264 inspections, the industry faced over $3.78 million in penalties. Executive Summary: The “Top 5” Risk Areas The majority of financial and safety risks is concentrated in…...
