I have limited experience with this method of isolating piping, but it is fairly often used to isolate large-diameter piping. OSHA’s investigation found that a drainpipe cleaning and maintenance company could have prevented an explosion at a Port Saint Lucie worksite in June 2024 that claimed a 24-year-old worker’s life by implementing proper safety measures […]
The termination of the rulemaking is effective January 15, 2025. Basis for Terminating the Rulemaking
I have these debates on a regular basis: ” We can not put an isolation valve before or after a Pressure Relief Device (PRD).” And that would be an incorrect statement. Yes, placing an “intervening valve” in a PRD path (before or after the PRD) can be risky; however, in some situations, these valves are
PPE is our LAST LINE of defense, and this means we better have the BEST PPE available and be trained in its care, use, donning/doffing, and limitations. Just because it’s last in the Hierarchy of Controls does not mean we can overlook its significance.
A soap and detergent manufacturer faces $161,310 in federal penalties after an OSHA investigation of a chemical gas release that sent a dozen workers to the hospital in July 2024. OSHA initiated an inspection on July 11 after being notified by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and the facility’s operator about an incident involving a
Human factors, as we know it today, got its inspiration from these basic ideas about human error. It then showed something different: an alternative way of looking at human error. As a result, there are basically two ways of looking at human error today. We can see human error as a cause of failure, or
If I had a nickel for every time I have heard this phrase over the past 20 years of consulting… “industry standard/practice,” I would have retired after 5 years. What is an “industry standard”? It is far from being a Recognized and Generally Accepted Good Engineering Practice (RAGAGEP), that’s for sure. However, companies with an
The contractor, 35, entered the railcar to conduct an air quality test while two other men waited outside. The two men noticed he was unresponsive and began to assist him. Firefighters determined the person in question was lying unresponsive inside the railroad tanker car, according to the department. Authorities said the man was a contractor
MORT was first developed in the USA to analyze the root causes and causal factors for incidents in the nuclear power and aviation industries, but it has now been applied in many industries. However, it seems to be a “lost art” these days! MORT is a pre-populated tree based on a model of an organization’s
Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 225 requires railroad carriers to report all employee injuries that fall under the regulations to ensure FRA is provided with accurate information concerning the hazards and risks that exist on the Nation’s railroads. Part 225 also requires all railroads to abide by their Internal Control Plans, including
Since we are in a snow apocalypse here in the Midwest, I thought I would lose my mind hearing all the “weather professionals” declaring that with wind chills below zero, the roads will freeze as the salt won’t work below 15F. And I thought these were “science-based” professionals. TIP: Wind chill is how the temperature
