Safety Info Posts

CSB’s latest video on the 2016 Kansas WRONG CHEMICAL to WRONG TANK incident (H2SO4 and NaClO)

The CSB has released its case study titled “Key Lessons for Preventing Inadvertent Mixing During Chemical Unloading Operations,” which examines a mixture of incompatible materials at a Processing Plant that produces distilled spirits and specialty wheat proteins and starches in Atchison, Kansas on October 21, 2016. The mixture resulted in a chemical release containing chlorine…...

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Insurance company uses the “intentional non-compliance policy exclusion” clause to refuse claim

A wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) operated a trucking unit that transported wastewater. The business that owned the facility and trucking unit applied for insurance coverage. In their insurance application and related correspondence, the business represented that they did not accept, process, transport, or discharge hazardous waste. The insurance company issued a $2 million “Primary Environmental…...

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Incident Alerts – 86 Incidents (51 Industrial, 27 Construction, 1 Workplace Violence, 7 Miscellaneous) January 2018

Industrial CRANE FATALITY Spirit worker who died was crushed by an airplane part (worker injured in an accident Nov. 3 has died – he suffered a crushing injury when the load shifted and fell during the lifting of an aircraft part while using an overhead crane) LOADING DOCK FATALITY Police: UPS worker killed in loading…...

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Culture vs. Compliance

After 25 years of being in the industrial safety profession, I have heard the debate about “culture” to the point it has become ridiculous. I was very fortunate to work for two of the finest plant managers early in my career and both of these men were strong leaders and the safety of those in…...

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Safety does not come naturally!

Most managers honestly do not want to see anyone get injured, but most of them have never seen what a fully functioning “safety management system” actually looks like and what it actually takes to have some level of assurance that injury prevention efforts are real. Both “Claude” and “Dale” opened my eyes up to a…...

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ASHRAE “2L” Refrigerants get their own Fire Code Requirement in the 2018 IFC

In 2007 the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) revised their standard #34 to include a new Flammability Classification called “2L” Refrigerants.  This new class is based on burning velocities and their lower pressure rise when they are ignited.  The IFC 2018 Edition has caught up and now includes some specific requirements and exemptions for…...

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The line between OSHA and MSHA enforcement just got thinner

This was an interesting decision, as I have always been amazed at the legalities involved with which agency enforces which rules at a specific workplace.  Some workplaces will have to comply with BOTH OSHA and MSHA standards, making safety management even more complicated.  This case involved a “mining company” but the complaint and subsequent citations…...

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Flanges, their bolts, their gaskets, and their TORQUE

WOW, just wow, CF Industries has produced a world-class video from an incident they had back in 2015.  You’re in a class on your own when you publically take an incident and turn it into a learning for others to benefit from.  The incident involved a failure of a high-pressure flange on a hydrogen process.  What they…...

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Pallet storage got a lot of attention in the 2018 IFC

The storage of wooden and plastic pallets has been a recognized hazard for many for years, but not everyone recognizes the hazard or respects what a pile of pallets can do when they catch on fire.  Those that have seen a pallet fire know first hand how quickly things can get out of hand; this is…...

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NFPA 13 and IFC 2018 now allow storage within 18″ of a sprinkler head

In our line of work, we come across some real doozies when it comes to fire protection arrangements. One of the more common issues we come across is the obstruction of sprinkler heads. Since 1980 OSHA has required that we maintain our storage at least 18″ below any sprinkler head. 1910.159(c)(10) Sprinkler spacing. The employer…...

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