On March 5, 2025, at 10:55 a.m., a welder, 57, with over seven (7) years of mining experience, died when he became entangled in a belt conveyor tail roller. The accident occurred because the mine operator did not de-energize and block the No. 12 belt conveyor against hazardous motion. GENERAL INFORMATION The mine is a…...
Recently, we had the never-ending debate about locking out valves being used as energy isolation devices. Somewhere/Sometime ago, a vicious rumor/practice found some legs, and we began seeing the practice during our audits. The unsafe and non-OSHA-compliant practice of disconnecting the power source from a Fail-Safe Closed valve and locking out the valve’s power source…...
A team of auditors identified a potential risk associated with bypassed safety devices and inconsistent interpretation of regulations after multiple incidents of noncompliance were issued, associated with the operator’s failure to comply with 30 CFR 250.869 and 30 CFR 250.870 in 2025. The BSEE Performance-Based Risk Inspection (PBRI) covered five assets (all production platforms) in…...
OSHA announced changes to the following standards:… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
A trick question I learned long ago, when it was used on me, is one I use today when auditing a facility that has SCBAs for “Emergency Use Only” (e.g., an ERT). As we are walking to the ERT cage/trucks, I casually ask if the facility fills its bottles/cylinders or if they have a breathing…...
This technical report presents the scientific basis, toxicologic data, and risk assessment methodology used to derive a health-based immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) value for hydrogen bromide (CAS No. 10035-10-6). The IDLH values are based on the scientific rationale and logic outlined in Current Intelligence Bulletin (CIB) 66: Derivation of Immediately Dangerous to…...
OSHA has renewed its National Emphasis Program on Amputations in Manufacturing Industries, focused on preventing amputations in manufacturing workplaces. Under the renewed program, which aims to identify and mitigate hazards that could lead to amputations and other injuries in the manufacturing sector, OSHA will conduct inspections of manufacturing facilities to ensure compliance with safety practices…...
This footage would be great to use in a management setting to discuss failures in our safety process. My plant managers (all four of them) would immediately make the snarky comment about not having a “bullseye” painted on the bucket. It was simply a matter of time!!! I/m betting this “practice” was “routine” (Reason’s HF…...
A piping fitting failed, resulting in the release of approximately 5 pounds of ammonia (NH3) in the machinery room. The nipple (fitting) between the oil separator and its relief valve cracked and failed to hold ammonia in the piping, resulting in the activation of the exhaust ventilation system. Fittings made of certain materials are incompatible…...
This is becoming more common these days; I never encountered it in my career at any of my facilities, as it’s not just a matter of sound engineering. The response I usually get during audits, PHAs, Engineering Code Design reviews is… “show me in the code that says I can’t use a hose on the…...
Last month, Federal OSHA issued a three (3) part GDC citation for a Polishing and Sanding Area’s combustible dust system. Specifically OSHA took issue with the Design and Operation of the Combustible Dust Collection system:… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
I have written several articles on Fit test Records with QNFT results, exceeding 10,000. I have seen number as high as 500,000. And to be honest I’m not sure why the makers of the QNFT machines even have the ability to record numbers over 10,000, as most of these manufacturers will state anything over 10,000…...
