In less than one (1) week, Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) has claimed eleven (11) souls: Six (6) at a Dairy in CO Three (3) in a sewer in TX Two (2) in a Sewage Treatment Plant This chemical has a long history of killing workers: (Note: SAFTENG membership required to access article)
Almost everyone involved in emergency response is aware of the “buddy system” (e.g., 2 in-2 out rule); however, many merely treat this as a “check box” approach as compared to having real rescue capabilities for the entry team. I always ask my students if they believe they could lift and carry a grown adult in
RIP 🙏 Another H2S PRCS event claimed three (3) souls This was also a SINGLE ENTRANT with two (2) “would-be rescuers”
This event is a perfect example of why all piping openings are hazardous. At approximately 7:00 p.m. on November 15, 2006, Employee #1 was a process operator at the Chlorine Liquefaction Unit, Block A-19. He was preparing to bleed off chlorine on a process line to clear the line for maintenance work. The valve handle
NOTE: these are from the fatal 2014 NH3 Truck Unloading accident, where the “bleed tank” (which was a plastic IBC) catastrophically failed because a liquid NH3 valve was left open. I have no idea why this 5(a)(1) was not issued as a RAGAGEP citation using ANSI K61/CGA 2.1, which is where the facility siting requirements
OSHA has cited a commercial laundry company for alleged workplace safety hazards after an employee injury. OSHA opened an investigation following a referral from the local Police Department. OSHA inspectors determined that on Jan. 18, 2025, a worker suffered serious injuries while performing maintenance on an industrial dryer. The agency issued three willful and nine
A 38-year-old man got a serious burn after breaking inside a transformer post, and after the electrocution, he was out of hand. “He had a bag with various instruments, including electro-insulating, and was electrocuted when he grabbed a piece of the voltage distribution facility (6kV), thus creating a short circuit. The man’s health is serious
This proposed change would only impact filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) and loose-fitting powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs). OSHA is proposing an update to the Respiratory Protection Standard to amend the medical evaluation requirements specified in paragraph (e) where an employee is required to wear either a filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) or loose-fitting powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR)
At 8:04 a.m. on May 11, 2023, an employee, 58, working for an oil and gas support services company, was found dead. On 5/10/23, the night before, the employee had instructed his coworkers from other contractors to go home, and he would finish the job up. This was the last time anyone had spoken to
At 10:35 a.m. on December 2, 2024, Employee #1, 18, was performing maintenance on a sensor inside a robotic enclosure. As he entered the area, the robot was stopped by the entrance sensors. While he was cleaning the sensor, a coworker reset the machine from the control panel, unaware that Employee #1 was still inside
At 11:00 a.m. on June 7, 2024, an employee, 50, working as a machinery maintenance technician for a frozen food manufacturer, was troubleshooting a ring remover since food trays were getting stuck. The employee bypassed the magnetic safety interlock gates and crawled underneath the conveyor. A coworker, the machine operator, was not aware that the
At 11:43 a.m. on February 24, 2025, Employee #1, 61, was spray painting aircraft parts while wearing a supplied air respirator. Nitrogen backflowed into the breathing air system, displacing oxygen and asphyxiating the employee. Employee #1 was fatally injured.
