Many organizations use blinding/blanking as their main means for isolating a Permit-Required Confined Space. But a number of years ago, an unqualified operator mistook a “Paddle Spacer” for a “Paddle Blind,” thus leaving the flammable gas pipe to the PRCS improperly isolated. There is a very distinct way to tell these two in-line devices apart […]
One of my favorite topics to discuss during hazard analyses, incident investigations involving LOPC, and audits are the use of torque wrenches. These wrenches play a critical role in process safety, yet they may be among the top 5 abused and misused tools in the mechanic’s toolbox. And sadly, many still wish to argue that
Not a trick question; however, I bet it made you stop and think for a second. There are many stories/scenarios involving LOPC events where a pressure gauge was not maintained or not read properly. This year we got involved in an LOPC event and testing done on the critical pressure gauge showed it was way
It is important to have a systematic and exhaustive decision-making process in place. While it applies especially to strategic levels, it can be adapted to all levels, because trade-offs must be made everywhere within organizations. Recognise the existence of and the need for compromise: accept that at every level the company can die in a
Historically, the job of a manager has consisted of planning, doing, checking, and acting – the famous PDCA cycle taught in management schools. But tomove towards an integrated safety culture, the role of managers now extends beyond this cycle: they influence and inspire safer behaviors from theirteams. The involvement of managers is essential since they
HSE Inspectors routinely come across workers with various degrees of stubble growth using respiratory protective masks despite guidance to the contrary. This research studied the effect of 0-7 days stubble growth on the protection given by FFP3 filtering facepieces and half masks. Fifteen male volunteers took part, each testing four masks. For most, three different
We hear a lot about the significant role trust and credibility play in a safety effort within an organization looking for a step-change in safety performance and culture. I agree with this; however, I take a different view of how this all plays out. If an organization is struggling with trust and credibility in safety,
Building trust and credibility in safety does not require some special effort. It just requires a constant message that is backed up with constantly reinforced behaviors from management/leadership. Some may call this “Walking the Talk”; but we have to ensure the TALK is correct before we walk it! There are two (2) big pieces to
I have said this many times… one of the most hazardous tasks that can take place on industrial property is the loading/unloading of hazardous materials. So many things can go wrong and with the quantities being handled, hazards can get out of control quickly. So DOT has seen fit to require a “qualified attendant” during
I took this photo as part of an investigation to assist a potential new client in their defense against an OSHA citation. This setup is exactly what OSHA took issue with. A DOT container “dropped” and was being used as a “storage tank” since its motive power had been removed. This practice caused the PSM
Here Heinrich speaks to the critical role employees play in THEIR safety process. This is where he speaks to keeping interest in safety high and how businesses should go about doing this. He points to employee participation as the critical piece of this effort. “Of course, keeping guards in place is but one of the
The folks “up north” are miles ahead of OSHA and EPA process safety standards in one simple but HUGE difference… Process Safety Leadership for Senior Management. This standard, not fully embraced by all provinces within Canada, is something that OSHA and EPA should consider adopting in their efforts to revise their compliance standards. This 2022
