Safety Thought of the Week… interaction between the technical and social aspects of the system
A point has been reached in the development of technology where the greatest dangers stem not so much from the breakdown of a major component or from isolated operator errors, as from the insidious accumulation of delayed-action human failures occurring primarily within the organizational and managerial sectors. These residual problems do not belong exclusively to
Inert Gases pose serious hazards when not managed properly
On October 17, 2007, a wiring employee came to a press brake to get more pieces from Employee #1, a press operator. Employee #1 turned and put down a piece, collapsed to the floor, and experienced convulsions. The wiring employee panicked and asked the laser operator for help. The laser operator cleared the area. As
When the “Safety Day” does not go as hoped! (N2 in a “flammable safety can”)
At 8:30 a.m. on May 24, 2018, Employee #1, 45, set up a booth representing the control laboratory for a safety day event at the plant, which involved approximately 1,000 employees, visitors, and vendors. Employee #1 wanted a fog effect at the booth to attract visitors. Employee #1 made plans to have coworker #1 get
Working in the area of a PRD discharge
I talk a lot about “safe locations” when we discuss Pressure Relief Device (PRD) discharge. The phrase “safe location” is used in just about every PRD RAGAGEP; however, none of them DEFINE or QUANTIFY the phrase, leaving it open to some poor designs. Here is a case where two workers were doing work 30′ under
Understanding Pounds Per Square Inch (psi) and Zero Energy State
We have discussed this many times: far too many employees fail to recognize the proper application of “pounds per square inch” (PSI). In my LOTO training, I spend 15 minutes explaining that even 1.0 PSI can be lethal. This case was brought about by poor planning and a LOTO failure, but it shows that even
OSHA cites employer for doing pneumatic pressure testing rather than hydrostatic pressure testing (5A1 – Fatality)
On July 14, 2009, Employees #1 and #2 were performing a pneumatic test to verify leak tightness of a new pipeline meter station. The test medium was nitrogen gas, and the system being tested included piping and two (2) pressure vessels. Numerous leaks were found in the system during the test. The system reached the
Just when you think you have seen and heard it all…
At 3:00 a.m. on February 19, 2020, Employee #1, 30, was using a torch to “dry” his shirt after spilling isopropanol on it. The employee’s shirt caught on fire, and the employee picked up the shirt in an attempt to extinguish the flames. The employee started to spin the shirt in his left hand and,
Filling ungrounded process vessel with Isopropyl Alcohol (Flash Fire)
On July 23, 2020, an employee, 30, was looking into a vessel being filled with chemicals, including Isopropyl alcohol, to ensure the level of the mixture was above the blades before turning on the mixers. The access port was mounted with one bolt so the employee could rotate the cover to look in. The employee
WRONG CHEMICAL – WRONG TANK (Hypochlorite to Sulfuric Acid= Cl2)
On July 12, 2024, an employee, 74, at a campground resort was attempting to add sodium hypochlorite to a bulk supply container to recharge the swimming pool. The employee added sodium hypochlorite to a container of sulfuric acid and was overcome by the vapors generated by the mixture. The employee was killed due to the
PRCS Fatality in manhole (O2 Defeciency)
On July 13, 2024, Employee #1, 41, entered a manhole to tape piping in preparation for pouring concrete inverts. Shortly after entry, a coworker stationed topside observed that Employee #1 appeared pale and profusely sweating. When asked, Employee #1 indicated difficulty breathing. As Employee #1 attempted to climb the steps to exit the manhole, he
EPA RMP citations @ colloidal and polymer blend manufacturing facility (Epichlorohydrin and Dimethylamine & $401K)
The Facility is a colloidal and polymer blend manufacturing facility. The Facility has used Epichlorohydrin and Dimethylamine to manufacture chemicals on site since at least 1999. The Facility maintains a maximum inventory of 235,000 pounds of the regulated toxic substance Epichlorohydrin, as determined under 40 C.F.R. ยง 68.115, which exceeds the threshold quantity of 20,000