This was the headline in our local news after a chemical company failed to participate in a community meeting after their product leaked from a railcar sitting in a railyard about 4 miles from the plant. It took several days to get folks back into their homes; as you can imagine, they were unhappy. However, […]
I have spent my career working with flammable liquids, and those who have followed my writings on the topic understand why I have stopped using 1910.106 as my baseline flammable liquid safety standard and instead began using either the IFC or NFPA 30. I have been involved in several serious events where atmospheric storage tanks
The risk assessment process must identify what could cause harm in the workplace, who and how it could harm, and consider what control measures are required to reduce the risk to As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP)and tolerable. Control measures that have been identified must be implemented, clearly communicated to personnel, maintained, and used properly.
The environment, organization, economics, capabilities, technology, and regulatory context all change over time. This backdrop of continuous systemic change ensures that hazards and how they are managed are constantly changing. Progress on safety concerns anticipating how these kinds of changes will create new vulnerabilities and paths to failure even as they provide benefits on other
Now, I’m 100% certain that Mr. Gogh did not have the safety profession in mind when he said the following, but it could not be more true in the context of our profession. Few professions need passion like that of the safety profession. Find me a world-class safety pro, and we will have one who
At 11:00 a.m. on April 10, 2023, Employee #1, 55, was performing maintenance on the refrigerant lines of a Liquid Chiller used for air conditioning at an airport terminal. Employee #1 was removing the Electronic Expansion Valve (EEV) from the hot gas bypass line. The line contained R-22 refrigerant and compressor lubricating oil at a
29 CFR 1910.106(d)(2)(iii) specifies the maximum container size depending upon the category of flammable liquid and the type of material from which the container is made. However, it is not uncommon to see flammable liquids in plastic and glass containers that are larger than allowed by the standard. In many cases the chemical is in
With Ohio being a state that allows recreational marijuana use, the construction of marijuana facilities has begun. The Fire Marshal in the state of Colorado created a task force to deal with the hazards of these facilities in CO. Using the International Fire, Building, and Mechanical Codes, they wrote an excellent document called Marijuana Facility
Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) gas is unstable and decomposes, sometimes violently, into Cl2 and O2 (with a 50% increase in gas volume). When storing chlorine dioxide (ClO2), it is commonly kept in CHILLED WATER because its solubility in water significantly increases at lower temperatures, making it more stable and allowing for higher concentrations to be safely
As many of you know, I stopped using 1910.106, OSHA’s flammable liquid standard, nearly 20 years ago. Instead, I use the Internation Fire Code for all my Hazardous Materials, especially flammable liquids and gases. This code provides some excellent design/requirements for unloading flammable liquids, which can be one of the HIGHEST RISKS on a plant
Since 2012, the IFC has required special signage at each Flammable Liquid Truck/Railcar unloading station. This signage is intended to reduce “tank overflow” events (e.g., Loss of Primary Containment (LOPC) events). Here are the requirements:
