OSHA Compliance

Understanding the three (3) methods of protecting piping supports in flammable liquids service (IFC 5703.6.8 Piping supports)

/ Chemical Process Safety (PSM/RMP), Flammable Liquids, Free, Hazardous Materials, OSHA Compliance /

5703.6.8 Piping supports have three (3) recognized methods to protect piping that may be exposed to a “pool fire”. First lets look at the code language: 5703.6.8 Piping supports. Piping systems shall be substantially supported and protected against physical damage and excessive stresses arising from settlement, vibration, expansion, contraction or exposure to fire. The supports…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Properly applying NFPA 496 Pressurized Enclosures in a HAZLOC

/ Chemical Process Safety (PSM/RMP), Flammable Liquids, Free, Hazardous Materials, OSHA Compliance /

NFPA 496 (Standard for Purged and Pressurized Enclosures for Electrical Equipment) is one of the most powerful engineering tools available for hazardous locations, but it is also one of the most abused standards for HAZLOCs. Like the Combustible Gas Detection System (CGDS) provisions in NFPA 70, NFPA 496 allows a facility to install ordinary, non-classified…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Understanding the LIMITATIONS of NFPA 70, Article 500.7(k) Combustible Gas Detection System (CGDS)

/ Chemical Process Safety (PSM/RMP), Flammable Liquids, Free, Hazardous Materials, OSHA Compliance /

In NFPA 70 (National Electrical Code / NEC), the use of a Combustible Gas Detection System (CGDS) is a highly specialized engineering provision. It essentially acts as a “get out of jail free” card—or more accurately, a reclassification tool—for specific industrial locations. When you install a qualified CGDS, the NEC allows you to lower the…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Two (2) common ways a vessel can exceed its MDMT

/ Chemical Process Safety (PSM/RMP), Free, Hazardous Materials, OSHA Compliance /

Auto-Refrigeration & Flashing and Cold Ambient Exposures We see around a half dozen pressure vessels in a “service” they were not initially designed for. There are literally hundreds of excuses as to why we find these issues, but they are simply excuses. It was not uncommon for us to find a PV in an NH3…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

The history of “weak seam welded roof” as a means of emergency venting atmospheric storage tanks

/ Chemical Process Safety (PSM/RMP), Flammable Liquids, Free, OSHA Compliance /

The concept of the weak seam welded roof—officially referred to in modern engineering standards as a frangible roof joint—has been a foundational safety mechanism for atmospheric storage tanks for over 90 years. NOTE: In 2015, NFPA 30 Section 22.7 was amended to eliminate the use of a weak roof-to-shell seam as an allowed means of…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Massive Spike in Counterfeit Respirator Cartridges & Filters Online

/ Free, OSHA Compliance, Respiratory Protection /

In a recent case study, NIOSH researchers purchased hundreds of respirator components from major online marketplaces to test their performance, focusing on listings bearing “NIOSH” or “P100” markings from non-authorized sellers. The results show a severe influx of fraudulent PPE:… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member?...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

UPDATE on the PRCS (Barge) Double Fatality event in AK

/ Free, OSHA Compliance, Permit Required Confined Spaces /

Based on recent updates from USCG and NFPA, we now know that two days after the incident, a marine chemist arrived on the scene in Alaska and tested the atmosphere of the barge involved in the accident. But the atmosphere therein had been sufficiently ventilated to allow firefighters to enter and recover the body of…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Failing to CLOSE a PRCS Entry Permit properly can have Process Safety implications months after the entry

/ Chemical Process Safety (PSM/RMP), Free, OSHA Compliance, Permit Required Confined Spaces /

As most of you know, PRCS Entry is one of the specific SWPs called out in the PSM and RMP standards. But many programs fail to meet 1910.146(f)(4), and a recent CSB accident report tied the requirement for canceling a permit to a catastrophic explosion event. 1910.119(f)(4) The employer shall develop and implement safe work…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

OSHA Respiratory Protection Enforcement Focus: Written Program Integrity

/ Emergency Response, Free, OSHA Compliance, Respiratory Protection /

OSHA’s regional emphasis programs continue to prioritize the programmatic elements of 1910.134. Citations in 2026 are frequently tied to “paperwork and protocol” failures rather than hardware failures:… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

The 15-Year Service Life Debate for Composite Cylinders (SP 16320)

/ Emergency Response, Free, OSHA Compliance, Respiratory Protection /

The most significant friction point involves PHMSA and SCBA Fully Wrapped Carbon-Fiber Reinforced (CFFC) aluminum-lined cylinders on Special Permit 16320 and the use of Modal Acoustic Emission (MAE) testing to extend the life of composite cylinders. Fully Wrapped Carbon-Fiber Reinforced (CFFC) aluminum-lined cylinders have a 15-year service life. PHMSA has investigated and granted limited special…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

FRC must be the outer layer – NYLON Hi-Vis vest are a problem

/ Chemical Process Safety (PSM/RMP), Emergency Response, Free, Hazardous Materials, OSHA Compliance /

In today’s workplaces, it’s hard to find a large business that does not require Hi-Vis Vest/Workwear. What is not hard to find is a business with HAZLOCs where workers are required to wear FRC but are wearing nylon Hi-Vis vests OVER their FRC. I am all for making workers more visible to powered industrial trucks…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

SNOOP doing what it does best

/ Chemical Process Safety (PSM/RMP), Free, Hazardous Materials, OSHA Compliance /

I took these pics for those who may have never seen a FAILED leak test using a “bubble solution”. We have discussed the “sensitivity testing” using the bubble test method many times, as it’s the most common method. I have been using the brand SNOOP my entire career and highly recommend it. (an unpaid endorsement)…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here
Scroll to Top