Safety Info Posts – Page 611 – Safety Engineering (SAFTENG)

NIOSH Respirator User Notice – Care and Maintenance of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) Units

July 14, 2012 / Respiratory Protection / Bryan Haywood

Recently, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) received numerous reports of issues concerning SCBA respirators suspected of not meeting the necessary NIOSH performance requirements. We have observed that SCBA problems often can be attributed to a lack of, or improperly performed, preventative maintenance. Correct inspection, maintenance, and service procedures are all vital […]

Dust explosions in the food industry

July 14, 2012 / Combustible Dusts / Bryan Haywood

Nearly all foodstuffs and ingredients including grain, sugar, artificial sweeteners, starch, and flavours will burn with difficulty as a powder layer, but they can explode violently when ignited in the form of a dust cloud. Here Mike Weaver, Principal Specialist at Chilworth Global, looks at the extent and nature of the problem within the industry,

ACGIH high heat work/rest regimen XLS worksheet

July 14, 2012 / General Safety Topics / Bryan Haywood

This computer-based tool estimates of work/rest regimen during work in a hot environment according to 2007 ACGIH® “Documentation of TLVs®”. Parameters are: metabolic rate, WBGT temperature values at the workstation and the rest location, and the clothing worn by the worker. Click Here to download this EXCEL spreadhseet.

ANSI Approves AIHA® Revised Z10 Standard

July 14, 2012 / General Safety Topics / Bryan Haywood

The American Industrial Hygiene Association® (AIHA) is proud to announce the American National Standards Institute’s (ANSI) recent approval of the revised ANSI/AIHA Z10 standard. The ANSI/AIHA Z10-2012 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems standard is comprised of management principles and systems to help organizations design and implement deliberate and documented approaches to continuously improve their occupational health and safety (OHS)

Hooped ladders and the use of personal fall-arrest systems (Health and Safety Executive – Safety Notice)

July 14, 2012 / General Safety Topics / Bryan Haywood

It was established in previous HSE research that safety hoops on fixed access ladders (alternatively rendered as caged ladders) could not provide positive fall-arrest capability. The working at height industry has anticipated this finding, which has led to the ‘upgrading’ of caged ladders by installing fall-arresting systems (FAS) inside the cage. The rationale is that

Genie Lift Safety Notice (7/3/12)

July 13, 2012 / Safety Alerts / Bryan Haywood

Date: July 03, 2012Model(s) Affected: GS-3232Serial Numbers Affected: GS3211A-110000 to GS3211A-110006; GS3212A-110007 to GS3212A-111473Subject: Machine StabilityAllowable Hours: 30 minutes Issue:Genie has determined that the control system utilized on the above referenced machines can malfunction. This malfunction allows the operator to lift and drive the machine with the platform raised above the maximum allowable travel height of 22 ft

Is air monitoring required to establish respiratory protection levels?

July 13, 2012 / Respiratory Protection / Bryan Haywood

Earlier this year, I wrote an article titled “What type of respirator do I need?” in which I explained how respirator users and administrators can use data to determine the proper type of respiratory protection that would be needed. But this article was written under the assumption that the user/administrator had the most essential piece

NFPA issues safety alert on SCBA facepiece lenses – SCBA facepiece lenses may undergo thermal degradation when exposed to intense heat

July 13, 2012 / Safety Alerts / Bryan Haywood

The alert comes after investigations and additional research found SCBA facepiece lenses may undergo thermal degradation when exposed to intense heat.

PRODUCT RECALL / STOP USE NOTICE 3M™ Series Self Retracting Lanyards

July 12, 2012 / Safety Alerts / Bryan Haywood

PRODUCT RECALL / STOP USE NOTICE3M™ Series Self Retracting LanyardsAFFECTED MODELS IDENTIFIED ON PAGE 2Manufacture Date Range on Products November 01, 2011 to June 25, 2012

Pressure Testing vs. Leak Testing for Mechanical Refrigeration Processes

July 12, 2012 / Chemical Process Safety (PSM/RMP) / Bryan Haywood

This article is meant to provide some guidance to mechanical refrigeration operators (e.g. ammonia refrigeration processes) as to when a “pressure test” is required and when a “leak test” is required and what are the specifics that have to be met in order to comply. Not having performed a “pressure test” on field erected piping

$117K in PSM Citations (PSI, PHA, SOP/SWP, MI, Audits)

July 12, 2012 / PSM and RMP Citations/Analysis / Bryan Haywood

OSHA has cited a chemical plant with 12 serious, one repeat and one other-than-serious violations for exposing workers to multiple safety hazards while producing organic chemicals. OSHA’s Houston North Area Office initiated an inspection of the plant in January after receiving an employee complaint, and later expanded the inspection under the agency’s process safety management

Inherently Safer Design (CSB Video)

July 11, 2012 / Chemical Process Safety (PSM/RMP) / Bryan Haywood

The video discusses the four main components of inherently safer design as identified by the NAS study. They are substitute, minimize, moderate and simplify and are described as: 1) Substitute: replacing one material with another that is less hazardous; 2) Minimize: reducing the amount of hazardous material in the process; 3) Moderate: using less hazardous process conditions such