Did you know that sulfuric acid (H2SO4) based batteries produce Hydrogen (H2) when charging? This is why OSHA requires ventilation (1910.178(g)(2) and “NO SMOKING” signs (1910.178(g)(10) in charging areas. And FYI… H2 is 16X’s lighter than air, so the exhaust needs to be in the roof- not even high up on the wall near the…...
Thirty 100-pound batteries charging caused HAZMAT response at Hospital Read More »
Earlier today, I shared my thoughts on a critical safety step that is often not part of LOTO periodic inspections involving qualified electrical workers. That article spurred a conference call with a client this afternoon. That discussion led to the next layer of the proverbial onion being peeled back… Who should be responsible for managing…...
Volt meter management matters in ESRWPs! Read More »
Scenario: You’re out and about, and you come up on two workers working on a piece of equipment. You stop and engage the two workers on their energy isolation for their work. One of the workers operates the machine and has it locked out as part of his end-of-shift cleaning tasks. The other worker is…...
Absolutely they can. In fact, this is the case in most businesses where we get called to assist with an accident investigation. These are not SAFTENG clients, but rather a 1-off project to lead the investigation with a referral from a safety agency or a friend of a friend of a friend kind of arrangement. …...
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has notified the SBA Office of Advocacy (Advocacy) that OSHA intends to convene a Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) panel (commonly known as an “SBREFA” panel) on a possible “Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings” rule in the next several weeks. OSHA’s possible…...
OSHA Plans to Convene Small Business Panel on Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Read More »
For something so many in our profession claim to not exist, it is amazing how five (5) dictionaries officially define it. There are even degrees one can get on the topic, and much research has been done on a topic that is supposedly not at play in an organization’s safety efforts. I think most of…...
Culture of Safety… does it exist? Read More »
There is an evil myth regarding LOTO training and Periodic Inspections. I recently had a lengthy discussion with a Labor Lawyer regarding the FACT that annual LOTO training does NOT satisfy the Annual Periodic Inspection requirements. An employer is NOT required to perform annual training on LOTO, but they are REQUIRED to conduct a periodic…...
Annual LOTO training does NOT satisfy the Annual Periodic Inspection requirements Read More »
Maybe you’ve heard about the Fukushima water release plan. Or maybe you heard something about the drinking water debacle in Flint, MI. Or maybe you’re an emergency responder and are being bombarded about the Alcohol Film-Forming Foams (AFFF) you were exposed that had the “forever chemicals”. Or maybe you have a home with a basement…...
TRUST and CREDIBILITY in Safety (Fukushima water release) Read More »
At 3:35 p.m. on December 27, 2022, an employee was knocking gypsum dust off the interior walls of the end saw baghouse hopper. The baghouse was a large steel structure, 40 feet in height, with inward converging walls that led to two screw-augers that moved gypsum dust to the center of the hopper. The dust…...
PRCS Fatality in Gypsum Baghouse (Engulfment) Read More »
At 4:30 a.m. on January 11, 2023, an employee attended a Permit Confined Space Entry Rescue Training. The employee entered the manway and began to descend into a vessel. Approximately halfway into the entry, he realized he could not fit in and began to extract himself. He was distressed and lost consciousness. His coworkers attempted…...
HAZARDS of Hands-On PRCS Rescue Training Read More »
At 11:00 a.m. on May 23, 2019, an employee removed a regulator from a chlorine gas cylinder to perform yearly maintenance and repacking. When the employee attempted the close the shutoff valve, the valve malfunctioned and stopped turning while still slightly open without the employee’s knowledge. When the employee removed the regulator, chlorine gas escaped…....
Attention to detail needed with Respiratory Protection and Cl2 exposure Read More »
Two workers were injured on an offshore platform while installing a skillet, the steel circular joining plate inside a section of piping. The incident occurred while the workers were on scaffolding and unbolting a 10-inch flange (Figure 1). After determining the skillet was the wrong size, the supervisor instructed a third worker to join the…...
Line Break gone bad (pyrophoric materials) Read More »
