First, I am not fully bought into the “psychological safety” concept. For me, it is just how we should manage safety, so I am not a “labels” kind of safety pro. However, I get a lot of questions about HOP and Psychological Safety, and the one place we could begin to utilize these approaches is…...
LOTO Periodic Inspections, HOP, and Psychological Safety Read More »
On New Year’s Eve, I hope many safety pros will choose a 2024 resolution to end the regurgitation of OSHA standards as their “written programs.” I have always used the OSHA standard as my baseline, but these programs need to EXPLAIN HOW the facility will meet the requirements – not repeat the requirements. For example……...
2024 safety resolutions… Written Program Specifics Read More »
One thing that many find confusing regarding the control of hazardous energy is the actual hazard they are trying to render to a Zero Energy State (ZES). This is a simple concept, but many get it wrong in their programs and machine-specific procedures. Let’s take compressed air as an example. Many compressed air systems in…...
NOTE: this was NOT a PSM covered process. OSHA determined the employee — on the job just two months — opened an air intake valve to inspect a noise coming from a barium sulfide wash cone with a steam line that was left open the day before. A rush of cold air in the steam…...
Equipment Opening gone bad (barium sulfide wash cone with a steam line) Read More »
WAC 296-880-20005 Fall protection required at four feet or more …… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
Lockout is a life-critical program/process/procedure(s). Our efforts to VERIFY that the program/process/procedures meet our needs is a CRITICAL path in the LOTO process. OSHA recognized this when it promulgated its Control of Hazardous Energy standard (1910.147). Specifically, 1910.147(c)(6) “Periodic Inspections” requires the employer to verify the program/procedures and that the employees can properly apply them…...
Periodic Inspections should be SIMPLE and straightforward Read More »
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OSHA 2023 GI Most Frequently Cited Serious Violations Read More »
High-hazard Group H occupancies are characterized by an unusually high degree of explosion, fire, or health hazard compared to typical commercial and industrial uses. There is one common feature about Group H occupancies—they are designated as Group H based on excessive quantities of hazardous materials within the facility/building. Where the quantities of hazardous material stored…...
What does it mean when our facaility is a “High-hazard Group H occupancy” Read More »
From “facility siting” in a PHA to establishing emergency “assemble areas,” the methodology we use matters. Many of us use a RAGAGEP from The European Industrial Gases Association (EIGA) titled Methodology for Determination of Safety and Separation Distances. The “safety distance” is to provide a minimum separation that will mitigate the effect of any foreseeable…...
Safety and Seperation Distances Read More »
Today the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released its final report on a flammable vapor explosion and fire at the Yenkin-Majestic facility in Columbus, OH, on April 8, 2021. One employee died during the incident, and eight other workers were injured. The CSB’s final report makes several important safety recommendations to Yenkin-Majestics,…...
Recently, OSHA cited a global manufacturer for HAZLOC violations using its 1910.307 – Hazardous (classified) locations standard. We do not see this standard often cited, as in most PSM/RMP citations related to Hazardous Locations (HAZLOC), OSHA and EPA will reference the RAGAGEP NFPA 70. It is one of our common findings in our PSM/RMP audits…...
OSHA issues HAZLOC citations Read More »
A global manufacturer of industrial gas could have prevented a May 2023 explosion that severely injured several employees by following required operating procedures in the manufacturing process where diborane — a toxic, colorless, and pyrophoric gas — is produced, distilled, mixed, and transferred. OSHA determined the explosion occurred as a 25-year-old product technician used a…...
OSHA PSM citations @ chemical manufacturer (Diborane & $201K) Read More »
