In an early post this morning, I discussed the need for “rain caps” and “weep holes” on our Pressure Safety Relief systems. And a dear friend and great ChemE reminded me that “weep Holes” are not just for draining rainwater. For example, this week I was working with an NH3 client, and I must state…...
Yes, we still need to consider drainage at the low point of our discharge piping, even with a “rain cap”. While a rain cap is designed to deflect direct vertical precipitation from entering the discharge lines/piping, it is not a hermetic seal. Over time, moisture can still enter the discharge piping through condensation, wind-driven rain,…...
During a maintenance shutdown at a wood pellet plant, three workers employed by a mill machinery service company were working at the mill to clean the burner. The workers were standing at the opening of a burner door when an explosion occurred in the dryer system. The three workers were knocked backward by the force…...
A worker was standing on top of a tanker truck to transfer gasoline from a tanker trailer to the tanker truck. The tanker truck’s engine was running, and the pumping system was engaged. The worker opened access hole covers to a compartment in the truck that held diesel and to another that was empty. Some…...
In a steam plant at a plywood mill, two (2) workers were attempting to replace a leaky nipple and gasket at the end of a condensate header. As they were loosening or removing nuts from the outer flange at the end of the header, one worker was sprayed with steam and condensate (hot water). The…...
At a poultry-processing plant, a worker (engineer) was responding to an ammonia leak from an air purger (equipment that removes air and other non-condensable gases from the refrigeration system to improve efficiency). He described the signs of the problem to a refrigeration mechanic over the telephone. While waiting for the mechanic to arrive, the worker…...
A worker on a contracted maintenance crew at an oil refinery partially unbolted a flange on a live crude oil heat exchanger. An undetermined volume of oil was released. Another worker, a refinery employee who participated in the incident response, was exposed to the resulting crude oil vapors, which are believed to have contained hydrogen…...
An auto repair worker was walking toward his mobile service vehicle, which contained an oxyacetylene welding system, to start work for the day. When he was approximately 32 ft. away, he clicked a button on the key fob to unlock the vehicle remotely. The vehicle immediately exploded and burst into flames. No one was injured…...
I have worked with three (3) organizations in the past 5 years on their efforts to make H2 an everyday fuel for household appliances, vehicles, and industrial fuels. Each project was a huge learning experience for everyone! But I am a lover of “codes” to establish the baseline design, construction, operation, and maintenance. I looked…...
An odor incident at the Gallipolis Water Treatment Plant was triggered by the accidental mixing of two treatment chemicals during a delivery. The incident was isolated entirely to the plant, and officials confirmed there was no threat to the public water supply or drinking water. Incident Breakdown… Membership Required You must be a member to...
So I was curious as to how a 900,000-gallon white liquor tank could catastrophically fail. I am certain we will learn how this specific failure occurred, but I am not convinced the learnings will be shared broadly if the CSB does not get involved. With this much damage to people and property, there will be…...
In the context of a Safety Management System (SMS), auditing is the systematic, independent, and documented process for obtaining objective evidence and evaluating it against established criteria to determine the extent to which requirements are fulfilled. I recently had a lengthy discussion with the executive team regarding my PSM/RMP audits over the years. These men…...
