Another video has surfaced, showing what static electricity can do in the presence of flammable vapor. The video below actually catches the static discharging as the vessel does not appear to be grounded. This is another transfer gone bad. Open top container. It does appear the operator has the hose down inside the tank, but […]
So what are we seeing in this video, other than the tragic loss of life? I can say without knowing the specifics that he was transferring a FLAMMABLE liquid. That flammable liquid was most likely a NON-CONDUCTIVE flammable liquid. Several serious failures in what we are seeing:1) SPLASH FILLING is a NO-NO in any flammable
An OSHA investigation found numerous safety hazards at a worksite where workers were exposed to sewage gases, resulting in two (2) fatalities. Investigators found that on Aug. 11, 2025, three workers were installing and repairing sewer lines inside a manhole when they were overcome by sewer gas and became unresponsive. One (1) worker regained consciousness and
My hat is off to the ANSI Z244 committee for dipping their toes into Line Break/Equipment Opening (LEO) hazards and how energy isolation plays a key role in completing this very hazardous tasks SAFELY. They are the first group to even touch the LEO topic. And although it is a brief discussion; it is an
RIP 🙏 Two young men, 20 & 21, die from hydrogen sulfide gas exposure during a well cleaning job. Three others were hospitalized. They were working at a recently sold home when a chemical reaction created deadly hydrogen sulfide gas in the confined space beneath the home’s porch. The workers were using muriatic acid to
This is my favorite brand of meter, the one I have literally used my entire professional career as a safety engineer and emergency responder. I am not naming the brand as I do not want to cause them any issues, but just understand this, ALL brands will have this level of accuracy. Most users of
On May 20, 2025, at approximately 8:15 a.m., approximately 8,000 pounds of toxic chlorine were released, seriously injuring one employee. The community was ordered to shelter in place, and the facility estimated that the incident resulted in approximately $23 million in property damage. On the day of the incident, the facility planned to replace a
On October 8, 2024, at 8:15 p.m., a cylinder containing approximately 150 pounds of LIQUID anhydrous ammonia (NH3) exploded, seriously injuring four (4) employees at a plastics manufacturing facility. On the day of the incident, the facility planned to introduce anhydrous ammonia into equipment as part of a chemical treatment in preparation for turnaround maintenance
If you would not issue a PRCS entry permit to enter a space at 19.6% Oxygen, why the hell are we listing this range (19.5% – 23.5%) as acceptable for an unsuspecting entry supervisor? Why would we not just use 20% – 21% for an acceptable O2 concentration for an everyday supervisor who usually gets
SAFTENG Comment:A basement is NOT by definition a “confined space”. That does not mean that a basement cannot have a hazardous atmosphere. Argon is 1.38 times heavier than air and with NO ventilation designed to remove this gas from a basement, it will displace the Oxygen leading to this horrific event. So many failures in
On March 22, 2021, at approximately 12:30 p.m., an explosion and fire occurred at a Refinery. The explosion and fire seriously injured one contract worker Leading up to the incident, the refinery was shut down for turnaround maintenance. The planned maintenance work included removing a section of carbon steel piping in the Fluidized Catalytic Cracking
With a decrease in federal inspectors—from 846 in February 2024 to 736 in June 2025—OSHA is challenged in reaching the nation’s 11.6 million worksites.This challenge could compound due to staff attrition and other reductions. As we have reported since 2022, a lack of available inspectors can lead to fewer inspections, diminished enforcement in high-risk industries
