The quick and easy answer is YES and before the changing of Presidential administrations the wheels were in motion, even after several court set-backs. But some would like to accuse me of being a “consultant” and spreading fear to drum up business. I used to laugh off these comments and accusations, but today I received…...
Just in case you missed the news today… OSHA will NOT finalize its proposal to remove the word “UNEXPECTED” from the control of hazardous energy (LOTO) standard but will further consider this issue in light of the overall standard. Here is their rationale for this decision at this time… OSHA proposed making changes to subpart J of part 1910—General…...
Today I was working with a client who informed that there is a “shortage” of Helium (He) and prices are starting to rise significantly and this could have a financial impact on their business in the future. Some may not be aware but He is a gas that is used in high purity processes as…...
At 10:15 a.m. on February 12, 2015, an employee was working from the elevated basket of a manlift, installing sheetrock in an area of the job site where water piping was undergoing pneumatic testing, at 130 psi. At the same time, another contractor was performing a compressed air leak test. An 80-pound section of the…...
OSH ACT of 1970 SECTION (5)(a)(1): The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to struck-by hazards: The employer did not establish, communicate, and implement safe work…...
Chemical Road Rail Water Total % of Total Domestic Shipping Totals\by Route (U.S. Tons) Ammonia (NH3) 5,793,000 3,470,592 1,718,974 10,982,566 52.8% 75% Chlorine (Cl2) 724,000 3,750,372 137,202 4,611,574 22.2% Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4) 257,000 207,560 2,057,721 2,522,281 12.1% 95% Acrylonitrile (C3H3N) 29,000 277,200 671,474 977,674 4.7% Ethylene Oxide (C2H4Q) 106,000 671,260 1,132 778,392 3.7% Hydrogen…...
This document is a gem to have if you’re in a role that requires the use of multi-gas detectors such as those used for entry into permit-required confined spaces and check an area before Hot Work begins. It has been around since 2016 and I have used the information in it for years in my…...
In this picture from the Jack Rabbit, we can see the Liquid NH3 that has pooled under the container. This occurred under 95F temperature with a high wind speed, which blew the cloud away from the pool making the pool visible. The picture below was taken 10-seconds after the container was empty. Also, notice the…...
The data from the Jack Rabbit tests done over the past decade is immense and exceptional learning tools. I always make sure my students, whether it be a HAZMAT responder class or a Process Safety course, fully understand how Vapor/Gas Density impacts us in a LOPC event. Using Chlorine and Ammonia, the contrast is stark…...
This video is from 2013, but I thought they did such an excellent job explaining 1234yf and how we went from 134a to this new refrigerant I should share it for context. I have been very hard on the suppliers of this new Low GWP refrigerant over the years and this video sums up the…...
Question: Would you/Do you permit 2-way radios, and their attachments, that do NOT carry a rating for HAZLOCs (Class I, Div 1/2) to be used inside a Level A suit? Recently I was asked to help a client in the great state of NM with their emergency response capabilities. Our first step was to assess their…...
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 indicated that it was in a CLOSED position. Employee #1 opened the cap to…...
