OSHA has proposed penalties of $1,326,367 to a metal heat treatment company after the company exposed employees to atmospheric, thermal, electrical, and mechanical hazards as they performed maintenance inside heat-treating furnaces. In addition to the penalties, OSHA placed the company in the Severe Violator Enforcement Program.  OSHA cited the company for 25 willful, serious, and other-than-serious...

At approximately 2:30 p.m. on April 1, 2010, Employee #1, Employee #2 (leadman) and Employee #3 were preparing product involving the use of fermented molasses as one of the ingredients. The workers were having problems moving the molasses from tank #2 to tank #1. According to the employer, he told Employee #2 via telephone, to add water to the molasses to bring it to a level where the container contents...

At 4:30 p.m. on March 15, 2018, an employee was performing a pressure test on a pump. Sulfuric acid of 93% concentration splashed on the employee. The employee sustained second-degree chemical burns to the left thigh and third-degree burns to right thigh. … HomeRead More »

WorkSafeBC launched a three (3) phase ammonia inspection initiative after three (3) workers died in an ammonia leak at an ice skating rink in October 2017.  Working with Technical Safety BC, WorkSafeBC inspected 228 ice rinks, curling rinks, and recreational rinks during phase one of the initiative.  Of those, 181 used ammonia-based refrigeration systems and 1,108 orders were issued. Phase...

OSHA has cited a manufacturer of railroad ties, with 16 safety violations, including one willful, following the crushing death of a worker who was caught in a machine.  The willful violation is failing to install guards to prevent access to the rotating and moving parts of a pre-plate boring machine used to drill holes into railroad ties.  Twelve serious violations involve: conduct...

SAFTENG members can get an update to EPA’s Ammonia Refrigeration General Duty Clause (GDC) Pilot Project from Janet Bowen, EPA Region 1, presentation.  This program is slated to end on September, but ammonia refrigeration was chosen as one of the priority sectors for this GDC enforcement pilot.  Mrs. Bown provides us with nice updates on this pilot program...

April 15-18 (18 is ½ day, ends at 12:30 pm) Columbus (Pickerington), OH The focus of this course is hazard recognition rather than design or engineering. Participants are not required to have a background in electricity. Trainer- Michael Kovacic, ES Squared Inc The class is open to anyone, but here’s the kicker… the class is FREE to any employee of any company that pays into Ohio...

One of these cylinders is not like the others, One of these cylinders doesn’t belong, Can you tell which cylinder is not like the others By the time I finish my song?…

Respondent operates a “stationary source” and has registered an RMPlan with the EPA for its stationary source and has developed an RMProgram accidental release prevention program for the stationary source. Respondent operates an ammonia refrigeration process that has 13,000 pounds of ammonia in onsite storage. Respondent has one RMProgram level 3 covered process. On March 13, 2018, the...

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This month’s CCPS Process Safety BEACON is about energy isolation practices in chemical process units and although I personally think they missed the mark on this one, it is a PERFECT EXAMPLE as to why many businesses involved with processing Highly Hazardous Chemicals/Extremely Hazardous Substances do NOT allow for “single valve isolation”, especially when there is NO MEANS...

Last week we saw a HAZMAT incident where over 50 workers were transported to medical facilities after ferric sulfate and sodium hypochlorite (bleach) were mixed together.  From recent press updates, what happened on Wednesday (2/27/19) sure does sound like a truck carrying one of these chemicals was unloaded into a tank of the other chemical.  The details of how this happened have...