This is another Wrong Chemical – Wrong Tank incident in which Anhydrous Ammonia (NH3) was off-loaded to Propane Storage Tanks. Two 30,000-gallon propane tanks, each at 70% capacity, were additionally filled to 85% with NH3. Similar plumbing on BOTH transport and storage tanks made the transfer possible, as both propane tanks shared common piping, […]
At about 14:35 on 9/29/12, an explosion and fire occurred in an intermediate tank that temporarily stored bottom liquid from the glacial acrylic acid rectifying column. The fire then spread to the nearby equipment and buildings such as acrylic acid tanks, toluene tank and fire engines. Fatalities: 1 (firefighter) Severely injured: 5 (2 firefighters and
At 3:40 a.m. on November 29, 1988, the Kansas City, MO Fire Department received an alarm indicating there was a fire at a highway construction project. The dispatcher directed Pumper 41 to respond to the truck fire. He added: “Pumper 41, use caution on your call. There’s information there may be explosives. It’s in a
Last week was the anniversary of the anhydrous ammonia truck accident in Houston back in 1976 and out of that incident came what we call “Shelter-in-Place”. About 11:08 a.m., on 11 May 1976, a Transport Company of Texas MC 331 tractor-semi trailer transporting 7,509 gallons of anhydrous ammonia struck and penetrated a bridge rail on
A fatal incident occurred when an Assistant Driller (AD) placed his head and an arm into a platform drilling rig’s vertical Mud/Gas Separator (MGS) through its inspection hatch, while performing the assigned, but non-routine task of removing built up and hardened material from inside the MGS. A BSEE Panel investigation identified a number of established Safe Work Practices (SWPs)
SERIOUS WARNING! This video is EXTREMELY GRAPHIC and viewer discretion is advised. This video shows a worker being pulled into a “winder” and whipped around many times, killing him. FYI: OSHA just issued (6/12017) citations for a fatality similar to this video. CLICK HERE for the citations
I joke with my HAZMAT students that I am going to dress up as “IDLH” and scare everyone on Halloween and I joke with my PSM students that I am going to dress up as a MOC and scare everyone; it’s just meant to be a joke, but one day someone asked me… “What would
Respondent operates a chemical manufacturing plant that has one RMProgram level 3 covered chemical manufacturing process, which stores or otherwise uses 1,3-Butadiene in an amount exceeding its applicable threshold of 10,000 pounds. On November 9, 2015, the EPA conducted an onsite inspection of the RMProgram related records and equipment for the purpose of assessing the
The state of MA has modified it’s State HAZMAT code, formerly called 527 CMR 33.00: Hazardous Material Process or Processing. The process safety code, now found in the State Fire Cide, Chapter 60, Hazardous Materials, has added a “performance alternative”, as well as providing more specifics and updating definitions. Here is what’s new: NOTE: Still
OSHA has two (2) significant LOIs, both aligning, and their HAZWOPER CPL that do a really good job of explaining how one crosses over from PSM SOP actions to actions that would fall under the definition of an “emergency response”, thus moving compliance from 1910.119 to 1910.120. I have presented both of these LOIs and
I have to admit that this transition from the old HAZCOM to this Globally Harmonized Hazcom Standard has been a bumpy ride over the past 4-5 years. I have had to correct postings a couple of times with some help from my friends at OSHA and NFPA. But there is one thing that I
