On July 11, 1996 a member of the Roxbury Township, Morris County, Fire Department, Firefighter Paul Label, age 29, was in the process of recharging an aluminum 2216 psi SCBA cylinder from the department’s cascade system at about 2038 hours, when it failed catastrophically resulting in serious injuries to Mr. Label. On October 8, 1996 a similar failure of an aluminum 2216 psi SCBA cylinder resulted...

WOW… just WOW!  I feel like I am in the twilight zone after reading this decision.  I am not a big fan of government shutdowns, but right now, I wish the OSHRC would get shut down.  It is rare, but it does happen when I take serious issues with decisions of the OSHRC, and this one has to be one of the worst ever.  Imagine this scenario… An Electrified Monorail System...

I just completed my first 2019 Respiratory Protection Program Administrator Course, and again it was a blast!  This has become one of my favorite courses to teach for many reasons, but primarily, it is the learning curve of so many students.  Most cannot answer 25% of the questions on the pre-test, and in just 1.5 days, they can all score in the high 90s, and many score 100%.  For...

The selection of a respirator can be confusing, but if we keep just four (4) things in mind we can at least determine if we can use an Air-Purifying Respirator (APR).  These four things are: … HomeRead More »

Step 1: If your only respirator use is for escape, skip to Step 8 to select the appropriate respirator.   Step 2: If the respiratory hazard is a biological aerosol, such as TB (tuberculosis), anthrax, psittacosis (parrot fever), or hanta virus, select a respirator appropriate for non-emergency activities recognized to present a health risk to workers AND skip to Step 8. (a) If respirator use will...

OSHA has cited a beef processing plant after an employee suffered severe burns caused by exposure to anhydrous ammonia, the plants refrigerant. The beef processing plant faces penalties of $182,926 for 16 serious safety violations. OSHA cited the company for process safety management (PSM) program deficiencies, failing to guard roof openings, and electrical safety and lockout/tagout violations. Here...

In my work and travels, I have the chance to come across such interesting situations and this one stands to cause quite the stir in some food plants. The use of a “special solution” that is made up of Acetic Acid (64-19-7), Hydrogen Peroxide (7722-84-1), and Peracetic Acid (79-21-1) to “treat” poultry for food containment seems to be an “industry practice” these...

The United States and ADEQ allege that a pulp/paper manufacturing and chemical manufacturing facilities owned by the same business violated or continues to violate the following statutory and regulatory requirements The Chemical Accident Prevention Provisions for Air Programs promulgated at 40 C.F.R. Part 68, Subpart D, pursuant to Section 112(r) of the CAA, 42 U.S.C. § 7412(r). The Chemical Facility...

U.S. EPA New England has developed this document (pdf) to assist ice rink owners and operators with  ammonia refrigeration systems in communicating effectively with their employees, contractors, vendors, and customers about ammonia refrigeration safety. Helping facilities to minimize the risk of potential chemical releases, such as an accidental release of ammonia at a refrigeration...

How much do you utilize your Management of Change (MOC) tool?  Usually, when the acronym MOC is even whispered, many people begin to roll their eyes, sigh, and in some cases become physically angry. This is one of the mysteries I hope to solve before my retirement – why would anyone dislike a tool that is provided to merely aid in managing “changes”. Why the hostility toward...

It seems the article last week was an eye-opener for a lot of folks!  The response has been overwhelming from many of you and several suggested that I take the “limitations” a step further.  Seems a lot of you broke out your owners’ manuals and enjoyed some holiday reading; learning that these devices have even more limitations.  This posting is merely a listing of...