If we pay close attention to PPE pictures, especially at Emergency Responses, we can see that this critical aspect of proper PPE donning is usually not followed, placing responders at increased risk. So, what is the PPE Shingle Effect, and WHY is it REQUIRED?
You get to pick ONLY three (3) pieces of data about a chemical you have responded to. You know the chemical, so what would the three (3) pieces of data you would want to know be and why? Here are my three and why…
Here is OSHA’s current interpretation of the HAZWOPER standard as it relates to IDLH operations. The LOI specifically addresses the HAZWOPER requirement for workers who are engaged in remedial operations as well as in emergency response operations in atmospheres that are or may be IDLH AND who utilize self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) for the control
WARNING! If you have an ER instructor who claims you can enter the Hot or Warm zone the first time in using LEVEL C PPE, you need to fire them! I have been conducting HAZMAT training for 28 years, and every year, I pick up a few new ER clients who need a refresher course.
Just about every manufacturing facility will have a compressed air system. Some of these may be the size of what some of us have in our garages, but many will be industrial-sized units. BOTH sizes pose catastrophic risks. As shown in this United Steel Workers Incident Alert, these catastrophic failures can cost lives and jobs.
Penalty adjustments aim to improve workplace safety WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has updated its guidance on penalty and debt collection procedures in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Field Operations Manual in an effort to minimize the burden on small businesses and increase prompt hazard abatement. “All employers should be offered the
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
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
