The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has released the panel investigation report into the November 20, 2014, explosion and fatality on a platform. The explosion occurred on West Delta Block 105 Platform E, resulting in the tragic death of Jerrel Hancock. Mr. Hancock, a Turnkey Cleaning Services supervisor, died after an explosion inside […]
A 54-year-old male employee was fatality injured while cleaning the de-stacker area of the mogul machine in the gummies department when he was crushed between a tray of product, and the frame of the de-stacker mechanism of the mogul machine. The mogul machine would become obstructed during the day with falling and shifting gummy trays,
A 38-year-old male was fatality injured when his arm, and upper body was pulled into an operating auger as he leaned over the catwalk railing to clean, and sanitize a poultry processing chiller tank. The victim, along with other employees, were cleaning, and sanitizing the reverse flow, cold water chillers in a poultry processing plant.
So does every single energy isolation REQUIRE a written procedure/plan that identifies the types of energy, their magnitude, the means used to isolate them, and the means used to verify zero energy state (ZES)? YES… there is ONLY ONE (1) special exemption that excuses us from having a task-specific isolation procedure/ plan, and that exemption
This week OSHA issued a willful violation for Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) deficiencies involving a spray dryer absorber (SDA) at a power generation plant. What is shocking is the fact that a 46-year-old worker lost four (4) fingers on his right hand in the December 2015 accident. During the course of its investigation into the December 2015 accident, OSHA
This was a significant decision by the OSHRC as it answered the debate… do isolation plans associated with complex energy isolations need to include the means to verify Zero Energy State (ZES) for each isolated source? There answer… YES, and it MUST be DOCUMENTED in the isolation plan/worksheet. The refinery’s arguments that the means to
WARNING! This variance applies ONLY to Nucor Steel Connecticut Incorporated at its Wallingford, CT facility and the SPECIFIC TASK listed. It can NOT be adopted by anyone else or any other workplace (NOT even another Nucor facility) in any fashion whatsoever. This information is being shared for INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY as OSHA allows the use
This incident is a PERFECT example of what can happen when STORED ENERGY is overlooked. For energy sources like hydraulics and pneumatic (e.g., gases), merely closing a valve and locking it closed or locking out a pump is NOT full energy control. Procedures MUST include the means to dissipate the stored energy to the Zero
OSHA’s Standard on the Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) (29 CFR 1910.147) contains the following paperwork requirements:
Once again, OR-OSHA has put out a high quality publication! This one is on Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) and is a MUST have for every facility. Yes I know, it only counts in Oregon, but this publication explains LOTO like none other and can be used by any workplace struggling with LOTO regardless of what state you
We have all heard stories about “pressure” killing workers. One of my favorite trick questions to ask a group attending my LOTO training is, “Just how much pressure does it take to kill a human?” The incident below occurred at a power generation station and involved 40 psi, but PLEASE remember that much less energy
Some interesting, yet very DATED data, regarding LOTO accidents. This was from OSHA’s preamble when they tried to justify the need for the Control of Hazardous Energy Standard. TABLE III – ACTIVITY OF TIME OF ACCIDENT and TABLE IV – CIRCUMSTANCES OF INJURIES are VERY TELLING and still reflect the LOTO accidents we see today.
