This event is a perfect example of why all piping openings are hazardous. At approximately 7:00 p.m. on November 15, 2006, Employee #1 was a process operator at the Chlorine Liquefaction Unit, Block A-19. He was preparing to bleed off chlorine on a process line to clear the line for maintenance work. The valve handle […]
NOTE: these are from the fatal 2014 NH3 Truck Unloading accident, where the “bleed tank” (which was a plastic IBC) catastrophically failed because a liquid NH3 valve was left open. I have no idea why this 5(a)(1) was not issued as a RAGAGEP citation using ANSI K61/CGA 2.1, which is where the facility siting requirements
OSHA has cited a commercial laundry company for alleged workplace safety hazards after an employee injury. OSHA opened an investigation following a referral from the local Police Department. OSHA inspectors determined that on Jan. 18, 2025, a worker suffered serious injuries while performing maintenance on an industrial dryer. The agency issued three willful and nine
Respondent is the owner and/or operator of a resin manufacturing plant. Respondent has registered an RMPlan with the EPA for its Facility and has developed an RMProgram accidental release prevention program for the Facility. At all times relevant to the violations, Respondent had on-site for use 1,886,000 pounds of formaldehyde (solution) and 52,000 pounds of
Respondent owns and operates an ethanol manufacturing facility. A mixture of hydrocarbon liquids butane, isopentane, and pentane is a “regulated substance” pursuant to 40 C.F.R. § 68.3. Pursuant to 40 C.F.R. § 68.115(b)(2)(i), the entire weight of the mixture shall be treated as the regulated substance when the concentration of each of the regulated substances
A 38-year-old man got a serious burn after breaking inside a transformer post, and after the electrocution, he was out of hand. “He had a bag with various instruments, including electro-insulating, and was electrocuted when he grabbed a piece of the voltage distribution facility (6kV), thus creating a short circuit. The man’s health is serious
Most of us who were adults in the 2000s can recall some silly claims made by “Infomercials.” You know… “The Juicer,” the “no-stick pan,” the “Snuggie,” the knives that slice a beer can and tomatoes, the “Shamwow” towel, and the list goes on and on. Oh man, could they make the product seem as if
This proposed change would only impact filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) and loose-fitting powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs). OSHA is proposing an update to the Respiratory Protection Standard to amend the medical evaluation requirements specified in paragraph (e) where an employee is required to wear either a filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) or loose-fitting powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR)
At 8:04 a.m. on May 11, 2023, an employee, 58, working for an oil and gas support services company, was found dead. On 5/10/23, the night before, the employee had instructed his coworkers from other contractors to go home, and he would finish the job up. This was the last time anyone had spoken to
At 10:35 a.m. on December 2, 2024, Employee #1, 18, was performing maintenance on a sensor inside a robotic enclosure. As he entered the area, the robot was stopped by the entrance sensors. While he was cleaning the sensor, a coworker reset the machine from the control panel, unaware that Employee #1 was still inside
At 11:00 a.m. on June 7, 2024, an employee, 50, working as a machinery maintenance technician for a frozen food manufacturer, was troubleshooting a ring remover since food trays were getting stuck. The employee bypassed the magnetic safety interlock gates and crawled underneath the conveyor. A coworker, the machine operator, was not aware that the
At 11:43 a.m. on February 24, 2025, Employee #1, 61, was spray painting aircraft parts while wearing a supplied air respirator. Nitrogen backflowed into the breathing air system, displacing oxygen and asphyxiating the employee. Employee #1 was fatally injured.
