A hazard evaluation is defined as the identification of individual hazards of a system, determination of the mechanisms by which they could give rise to undesired events, and evaluation of the consequences of these events on health (including public health), environment, and property. These evaluations often use qualitative techniques to pinpoint weaknesses in the design […]
On August 18, 2022, EPA signed the Safer Communities by Chemical Accident Prevention (SCCAP) rule, which proposes revisions to the Risk Management Program (RMP) to further protect vulnerable communities from chemical accidents, especially those living near facilities with high accident rates. The proposed rule would strengthen the existing program and includes new safeguards that have not
Two workers received 1st and 2nd-degree chemical burns after an ammonia leak at a food processing facility. An employee of the facility attempted to isolate the auto-purger and turn it off but was exposed to ammonia. A refrigeration technician then entered the mechanical room wearing a short-sleeve t-shirt and received chemical burns. One individual received
The Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama announced criminal charges today in a case involving willful violations of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards that led to a worker’s death. The charges involve an Aug. 16, 2017, incident at an Alabama plant in which a worker was
Respondent engages in chemical warehousing and storage activities at the Facility. The Warehouse comprises more than 200,000 square feet of space. It is used, in part, for storing hazardous materials, including, without limitation, flammable liquids and other extremely hazardous substances that may be toxic, reactive, flammable, volatile, or corrosive as stored in the Warehouse.
Ruptured pipe due to corrosion under insulation Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI) is prevalent in major hazard plants both on and offshore, including nuclear and chemical plants, oil refineries, and offshore installations.
In our profession, we live and sadly die by rules. Whether they are government regulations or company rules, unfortunately, our profession and our approach to safety were based on compliance with these rules. Luckily, by the time I came around in the early 1990s, we saw a serious shift in the chemical process industry with
A professional life lesson in our safety profession, from Dr. E Scott Geller… Dance with those who want to dance! Probably the best bit of advice I have ever received from a mentor. Some folks are not on board with real safety management principles; most of the time, we know who is with
At 11:00 a.m. on May 23, 2019, an employee removed a regulator from a chlorine gas cylinder to perform yearly maintenance and repacking. When the employee attempted the close the shutoff valve, the valve malfunctioned and stopped turning while still slightly open without the employee’s knowledge. When the employee removed the regulator, chlorine gas escaped.
This is some slick marketing as the condenser is being marketed to AU and NZ, but it is a USA-based company. The manufacturer claims its doorway “alleviates confined space limitations” based on its size. The door is stated to be 68″ tall and 20″ wide (e.g., 1,360 in2). So does this door alleviate confined space
In almost all of the accident investigations I have been asked to participate in, the local management team was very quick to blame “active failures”. This almost always involves some blame being placed on the human; after all, they were directly involved, and had they “not made the mistakes,” the accident would not have occurred.
Accident causation models were originally developed in order to assist people who had to investigate occupational accidents so that such accidents could be investigated effectively. Knowing how accidents are caused is also useful in a proactive sense in order to identify what types of failures or errors generally cause accidents. So action can be taken
