States that control the “pumping of gas”
This week the state of Oregon removed the prohibition of citizens fueling their own vehicles at gas pumps; leaving the state of New Jersey as the sole state that prohibits their citizens from pumping their own gas. Here is an excellent article explaining how these prohibitions began in New Jersey. But the reaction of the
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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