RIP On January 21, 2025, an explosion at the Port of Barcelona resulted in one death and several injuries. The explosion occurred in a methyl acetate tank during maintenance work…. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
FATAL Hot Work on Methyl Acetate Tank Read More »
Two explosions, two hours apart, sent two (2) workers of a storage tank sales and servicing company to the hospital, one with severe burns. The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries is fining the Des Moines, Wash. business $166,423 for ignoring rules that keep workers safe. A resort on the Kitsap Peninsula hired the…...
If at first you do not fail, try-try again! Read More »
One of the more common issues we come across in regards to Hot Work is the encroachment of combustible/flammable hazards within the REQUIRED 35′ Fire Safety Zone. 1910.252(a)(2)(vii) Relocation of combustibles. Where practicable, all combustibles shall be relocated at least 35 feet (10.7 m) from the work site. Where relocation is impracticable, combustibles shall be…...
Hot Work’s 35′ Fire Safe Area Read More »
There are some things I do so that you don’t have to! One of those is scrubbing OSHA citations that are relevant to our workplaces. It is where I get much of my information for my “Line Break Gone Bad” posts, PRCS cases, LOTO, and PSM cases. 99% of the time, I can understand the…...
Did OSHA just cite a business for having a bollard? Read More »
A look back at OSHA’s 15 largest citations from 2015-2024. These figures are based on the INITIAL citations and NOT on the settled amounts. I have added the safety matter that drove the bulk of the citations. Just a tip… LOTO is by far #1 by a long shot (>50% of the cases). I’m not…...
A breakdown of OSHA’s 2024 Cases over $1M Read More »
Maybe I’m just old school, but I have seen a strong focus on the safety fundamentals make tremendous progress in both performance and culture. Once we have milked the fundamentals for all they have to offer, then (maybe) our management system and culture will have matured to a point where we could manage a nice…...
Maybe I’m just old school Read More »
A Delaware corporation with a manufacturing facility in Ohio pleaded guilty in federal court in the Southern District of Ohio to a charge of willfully violating an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rule. The criminal charge is related to an incident where an employee was killed when a pneumatic door closed on his head…....
A broken valve handle leads to a class B misdemeanor criminal charge Read More »
This United States Coast Guard alert supports my expectation that we must demarcate our HAZLOCs. I usually get pushback as the code does not explicitly require the boundaries of our HAZLOCs to be marked in any way. But in reality, if we want workers to respect the hazards of working inside a HAZLOC, then we…...
IMPORTANCE OF HAZARDOUS ZONE MARKINGS AND SAFETY PROTOCOL AWARENESS (USCG) Read More »
NIOSH research tells us: Source: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/pdfs/Fit-test-10.508_FNL-508.pdf… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
Respirator Fit-Testing Facts (NIOSH) Read More »
Initial findings in an employee’s death show breathing air was compromised while working in a paint booth after the breathing air system unintentionally allowed nitrogen to get into the system. The worker, 61, was found not breathing just after noon on Feb. 24 in a paint booth. This incident occurred in the same area where…...
Nitrogen in the breathing air system Read More »
The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) acted within its authority when it adopted rules strengthening safety and health requirements for agricultural labor housing (ALH), the Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ) has confirmed in written legal advice. The legal advice clears away any potential doubt about the division’s authority to enforce its amended…...
Section 1910.255(e) requires that a periodic inspection of resistance welding equipment be made by qualified maintenance personnel and that a certification record be generated and maintained. The certification shall include:… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
Periodic inspection of resistance welding equipment Read More »
