Line/Equipment Opening Gone Bad (Hydrocarbon)
A hydrocarbon leak caused the fire at a California refinery on February 1, 2025. The leak occurred while two workers were opening equipment for maintenance.
The role of “Skilled Support Personnel” in an Emergency Response
It has been reported that OSHA issued a citation to a Railroad ( a subsidiary of one of the six Class 1 RR’s) after an employee experienced respiratory distress when they were told to wear a self-contained breathing apparatus during the process of disconnecting train cars at the derailment site. The employee had not been
Safety Thought of the Week… We have to STOP saying, “You can’t fix stupid” (Dr. Todd Conklin)
I hate the phrase, “you can’t fix stupid.” It is offensive and mean; most importantly, that phrase is just wrong. Stop saying it. Stop using this phrase right now. “You can’t fix stupid” is serving you and your organization poorly. It colors your thinking, it makes you stop investigations too early, it sounds like something
Criminal charges could apply to inspection failure before fatal Louisville plant explosion, official says
The Kentucky agency that oversees boiler safety claims the plant operated a vessel that exploded without a proper inspection permit. The Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction found that the cooker that exploded was installed without a required permit that would have triggered a state inspection. https://www.wdrb.com/wdrb-investigates/criminal-charges-could-apply-to-inspection-failure-before-fatal-louisville-plant-explosion-official-says/article_704fb426-e566-11ef-a8a2-87af2efe4771.html
The DO’s and Don’ts of Pressure and Leak Testing Piping (ASME B31)
B31.3 requires that each piping system be leak-tested to ensure tightness prior to initial operation [¶345.1]. B31 imposes certain restrictions on the types of leak tests which may be used, some general requirements for conducting leak tests, some preparation requirements for leak tests, some specific requirements for each type of leak test, and some record
Enforcement Stay of the COVID-19 Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements under 29 CFR 1910.502
February 5, 2025 MEMORANDUM FOR: REGIONAL ADMINISTRATORS STATE PLAN DESIGNEES THROUGH: SCOTT C. KETCHAM, Deputy Assistant Secretary FROM: ERIN P. GILMORE, Acting Director Directorate of Enforcement Programs SUBJECT: Enforcement Stay of the COVID-19 Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements under 29 CFR 1910.502 On June 21, 2021, OSHA adopted a Healthcare Emergency Temporary standard (Healthcare ETS) protecting
Process Safety Leadership Assessment (UK’s HSE Energy Division)
Failures in effective process safety leadership/process safety management can be linked to historical Major Accident Hazard (MAH) events such as Piper Alpha, Buncefield and Texas City amongst others. In 2018, HSE flagged concerns about the offshore industry regarding stagnating safety performance and challenged the industry to respond, leading to the adoption of the Principles of
PSIG may be the most misunderstood fundamental property in process safety
I am always amazed at the lack of a basic understanding of atmospheric pressure and process pressures/vacuums. My Intermediate 3-Day PS course and my Advanced 5-Day PS course have a single slide, and every time, I find I have to spend an hour explaining to the class what PSIG is and how it’s different from
If your organization is influenced by all the political winds shifting in DC and within OSHA…
THEN THE ORGANIZATION IS DOING SAFETY ALL WRONG in the Year 2025! ➡️ OSHA compliance is the “baby steps” of safety. It’s our foundation. If the business is over 10 or older, OSHA compliance efforts should be HISTORY in 2025. ➡️ Complying with OSHA/Government MINIMUM safety standards is NOT making “Safety a Priority” or “Safety
If it (safety) was easy, everyone would be good at it
A mentor of mine had this sign in his office, and every time I complained about a lack of commitment to safety, he would either hand me a Job Application to McDonald’s or point to this sign. If we think about it, it fits so many management teams today. I look back on my former
LNG Hose Failure during Ship-to-Ship Transfer (Video)
This video is an excellent visual of the expansion ratio of Liquified Natural Gas. During a transfer, a ship broke free and stretched the hose until it broke. It was all captured on cellphone video.