Safety Info Posts

Is “dispersal of inventory” an accepted method to maintain inventories BELOW PSM/RMP Thresholds?

The simple and short answer is YES. In fact, OSHA covers “dispersal of inventory” in their 1994 Compliance Directive: 29 CFR 1910.119, Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals — Compliance Guidelines and Enforcement Procedures. In this directive OSHA asks and answers the following questions regarding “dispersal of inventory”: Can an employer who keeps threshold…...

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Worker seriously injured when pipe assembly failed pressure test (NSW)

While performing a pressure test on a length of plastic pipe, a pipe blanking cap struck a worker after the crimped connection between the ferrule and pipe failed. The injured worker suffered severe leg and hand injuries and was taken to hospital by ambulance.  The incident occurred on the night of 26 November 2015 at…...

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NFPA 350, Table A.10.9.1 may be the MOST IMPORTANT Confined Space document published in 2015

NFPA 350: Best Practices Guide for Safe Confined Space Entry and Work, 2016 Edition, Table A.10.9.1 – Confined Space Rescue Team, Staffing Decision Table, may be the most important Confined Space document published in 2015.  And that is saying a lot, seeing how OSHA also published their Construction Confined Space standard this summer.   But in…...

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NFPA 350: Best Practices Guide for Safe Confined Space Entry and Work (Effective 12/4/15)

NFPA has published their much anticipated guide on Confined Spaces, NFPA 350: Best Practices Guide for Safe Confined Space Entry and Work, 2016 Edition. It became effective on December 4, 2015. This first edition of NFPA 350, Guide for Safe Confined Space Entry and Work, establishes best practices and “how to” for confined space entry…...

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Cryogenic tank for liquefied carbon dioxide ruptured (Lack of Car Seal Program)

Repair work for liquefied carbon dioxide at a low-temperature storage tank (CE) in a steel mill was carried out. At the time, the main block valve below the safety valves was closed, while liquid CO2 remained in the tank. In addition, the heat source from the tank heater was still active. Therefore, in the tank,…...

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Why OSHA states “entry” has taken place as soon as ANY PART of your body breaks the plane

1910.146 is pretty clear as to when “entry” has taken place, and 1926.1202 even expands the definition to make it clear that even UNINTENTIONAL breaking of the plane is an “entry.  But why did OSHA say “any part of the body” and not “the head” since the majority of accidents are atmospheric related?  I have…...

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Runaway: Explosion at T2 Laboratories

On December 19, 2007, a runaway chemical reaction during the production of a gasoline additive destroyed T2 Laboratories in Jacksonville, Florida, killing four people and injuring 32 others. The blast, equivalent to about 1400 pounds of TNT, damaged buildings and injured office workers hundreds of feet away…. Membership Required You must be a member to...

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OSHA’s PSM Retail Exemption, Anhydrous Ammonia, and 2016 Omnibus Bill

Today we saw a SIGNIFICANT change in OSHA’s attempt to revise their definition of “retail” as it applies to the Process Safety Management Standard.  This all went down through channels we would have never imagined… The 2016 Omnibus (spending) bill policy provisions.  Yes, that is correct, OSHA got slapped by politicians in a spending bill and oh…...

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Anhydrous Ammonia leads RMP 5-year Accident Histories with Injuries

From time to time I like to look at RMP data for trends and interesting accidents that we can learn from. As in the past, Anhydrous Ammonia seems to always find its way into my research. Some will say it is because it is by far the most widely used RMP chemical and others will…...

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FM Global UPDATES their Hot Work Fire Statistics involving contractors (2013)

Many hot work operations are performed by outside contractors, these include cutting, welding, joint soldering, paint removal, reroofing, etc. The tendency is to relax rigid procedures for contractors assuming they know their jobs. However, this practice has produced a discouraging loss history. Hot work by itself is a hazardous process. When outside contractors are involved,…...

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