DISCLAIMER: I am not an attorney and would not even play one on TV, but I have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express! I was shocked to hear that a Harris County jury has returned a $61.5 million verdict against 3M for families devastated by the 2020 Watson Grinding explosion in West Houston. The explosion […]
If no one can be near the piping during the pressure test, how does one soap each joint in the piping? Of course, I make it clear that there are actually TWO (2) different phases of the “leak test” (the phrase the code uses): Pressure Test and then the Leak Test
The introduction of Clause 7.14: Deferral of Inspection Repair Recommendation Due Dates in API 570 (2024) formalized the process for delaying required piping and PRD inspections and maintenance. Prior to this standardization, extending an inspection or repair date was often a loosely managed site-specific practice. This lack of rigor sometimes allowed equipment to run past
API 570 (2024) introduced new, formalized clauses specifically addressing the As-Received Condition, Testing, and Actions for relief valves. When a Pressure Relief Device (PRD) is pulled for its scheduled interval, the shop must now strictly document its “as-received” condition and perform an initial POP test before any cleaning, disassembly, or maintenance occurs.
A Process Hazard(s) Analysis (PHA) is a great tool to look at an entire process, and a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) is a great tool to use to analyze the hazards within specific tasks within the covered process. They are different tools for different scopes of work, but they can work in unison to make
While the terms are often used interchangeably, there is a distinct semantic and practical difference between them, particularly when dealing with formal codes like ASME and API. The distinction essentially comes down to execution versus interpretation.
As we have discussed here many times, check valves tend to be one of the most relied-on designs but also one of the most forgotten devices in process safety. We see check valves that have been in service for 30+ years and have never once been inspected or tested, yet they are listed every 5
Today, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released its final report on the fatal August 11, 2025, explosion at the Coke Works facility in Clairton, Pennsylvania. The incident occurred when toxic flammable coke oven gas was released and exploded — fatally injuring two people, injuring 11 others, five of them seriously, and
Tip: In the “good old days,” this was crystal clear, such that a 3rd grader could audit these requirements! Today, one needs a calculator and a long tape measure to make this determination!!! Let’s break this down by OSHA first, then NFPA, then IFC…
Regional OSHA activity and compliance publications over the past month highlight renewed inspection scrutiny surrounding flammable liquid transfer, storage, and bonding/grounding:
NIOSH has released its Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation report regarding the Maine Lumber Mill COM DUST explosion. Lots of learnings in this report. Fire origin and explosion cause The State Fire Marshal’s Office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) cause-and-origin preliminary investigation classified the fire as accidental. It indicated that the area
I almost never write about construction safety matters as I do not practice in that safety arena. But lighting crosses all industrial sectors, and this effort by OSHA to recind the Construction Lighting standard(s): 1926.26 and 1926.56 is very puzzling to me. 29 CFR 1926.26 requires construction areas, aisles, stairs, ramps, runways, corridors, offices, shops,
