On August 23, 2010, at a refrigeration plant in Alabama, approximately 32,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia was unexpectedly released into the atmosphere from a cracked pipe on the suction header on the plant’s roof and a broken evaporator coil in Freezer #5. The plant was evacuated and an inspection was initiated by OSHA. On February…...
Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP) gratings can offer a number of attractive advantages over traditional steel gratings such as enhanced environmental resistance, reduced through life costs and the promise of significant mass savings. However, this preliminary study has demonstrated that the current fire certification of FRP gratings by a standardised (ASTM E119 cellulosic fire) time-temperature curve…...
Safety is a critical component of welding, and thanks to The Lincoln Electric Company, now welders of all skill levels can access the safety information they need anywhere, anytime. The company’s new Welding Safety Interactive Guide converts Lincoln Electric’s award-winning Welding Safety Interactive DVD into an online format that is easily accessible and viewable on computers, tablets and…...
Most safety professionals are aware of the “Hierarchy of Controls: 1) Elimination/Substitution, 2) Engineering Controls, 3) Administrative Controls, and 4) PPE. Most safety professionals also know this basic principle of industrial safety is often times very difficult to get management buy-in; especially when a safety professional is bold enough to mention eliminating a hazardous chemical for a lesser hazardous…...
A falling barometer often results in higher concentrations of methane at the working face. Methane and other gasses are liberated from gobs and from behind seals into the active areas of the mine as the barometer falls. Seals will begin to “out-gas” at a greater rate. A falling barometer usually indicates an approaching storm front. A…...
Before I begin, nothing I am going to say in this article is required by OSHA or EPA; however, keep in mind that OSHA and EPA process safety requirements are the BOTTOM OF THE BARREL when it comes to true process safety. So with that said, let’s discuss PHA scenario likelihoods. Regardless of methodology used,…...
As most, sadly not all, safety professionals will attest to, there is a hierachy of four (4) controls we use to manage risks: 1) Substitution/Elimination, 2) Engineering Controls, 3) Administrative Controls, and 4) Personal Protective Equipment. In process safety environments, the hazards are often times so great that ALL FOUR layers may be needed. What…...
There have not been many “catastrophic accidents” in the refrigeration industry to study in great detail (PLEASE do NOT translate this into something it is not). But there is one such realitively recent (2008) that occured in Korea and claimed the lives of 40 workers. Although Korea does not have a comparable process safety management…...
PHMSA is issuing this safety advisory to notify the public of the unauthorized marking of high pressure compressed gas cylinders. Investigators from PHMSA’s Office of Hazardous Materials Safety (OHMS) recently conducted a compliance inspection of George Welding & Supply Co., Inc. As a result of that inspection, PHMSA has determined that George Welding & Supply…...
2012 Fatality Tracker Electrical 62 (2011 = 81) (2010 = 90) (2009 = 100) Forklift/Manlift Mobile Equipment 49 (2011 = 84) (2010 = 110) (2009 = 88) Mining 65 (2011 = 248) (2010 = 480) (2009 = 586) Explosions 227 (2011 = 218) (2010 = 246) (2009 = 302) Cranes 45 (2011 = 50)…...
New Mexico OSHA and the refinery entered a settlement agreement for citations issued resulting from an investigation of a March 2010 accident, which killed two employees and seriously injured two others at the refinery. As part of the agreement, the company will pay a $400,000 fine, the highest penalty ever collected by the state OSHA program…....
I am continuing on with my Hotwork crusade this week. This is an oldie but one photo that will not be easily forgotten. A welder lost his life in this accident and a family lost a father, best friend and bread winner! The worker was welding on the “empty trailer” that had last contained alcohol…....
