A couple of KEY items, reading between the lines: Discharge from the PRV was HORIZONTAL through a horizontal tee, not UPWARDS, and UNOBSTRUCTED. The release was OUTSIDE, yet the facility evacuated, and some workers evacuated into the NH3 cloud that had formed (see image below) Only 170 pounds of NH3 was released. Forty people working at the Cuisine Solutions facility were evaluated at various local...

The Courier-Journal has released more photos. Below is my analysis of these photos, using their and Google Maps road images. The first image below is the PRE-EXPLOSION image. In it, we can see the two (2) standing cooling towers/condensers. The one in the blue box is the one that was destroyed and came to rest in front of the larger tower. The red box is the suspected location; I think the vessel was...

A few years ago, I put forth the idea that workers pass through the 3 Cs in their decision-making process as they learn to take more and more risks.  Those three (3) Cs were: Concerned (as they begin their job) Comfortable (as they get positive consequences from their at-risk behavior) Confident (they think they can do the job breaking the rules and nothing bad is going to happen) That article...

For each one of my Advanced SMS courses, I always start the course by having the students list the 16 Elements of the SAFTENG Safety Process/SMS in order of importance.  I tell them there is no right or wrong answer.  Over the past couple of years, I began to keep the answers to the questions as there is a distinct difference between how we, as safety pros, see the elements and how operations,...

This week, we saw a fatal explosion in Louisville, KY. This same facility, albeit under a previous ownership, had a catastrophic failure of a PV in 2003. The photos coming out of the post-analysis of this week’s event look to be a similar type of explosion. CLICK HERE to see the pics. Here is my analysis, using the pics to piece the event. I am NOT involved in this investigation, but I have participated...

Inspections As of the 3rd quarter of the fiscal year (Q3), EPA completed 133 CAA Section 112(r) (Risk Management Program) inspections. Enforcement Cases As of the 3rd quarter of the fiscal year (Q3), EPA took action at 73 facilities to decrease the likelihood of chemical accidents.  Sasol Chemicals: In April 2024, EPA finalized a settlement with Sasol Chemicals (Sasol) over alleged violations...

This is one of the most requested presentations I use when working with C-Suite Executives and Senior Safety Leadership. Safety Leadership and CultureDownload

This is a presentation I use when doing some of my SMS and Incident Management training courses. Incident Management (SMS)Download

I teach about a dozen flammable liquid courses annually, and it is one of my favorite courses to teach, as I love the technical side of hazardous materials. And my course always starts with a discussion around the 1st step in making a flammable liquid a hazardous material… FLASH POINT. And over the 30+ years, I have been teaching people about flammable liquids when I ask the class to explain...

On January 18, 2024, at 9:15 a.m., Employee #1, 37, was working inside a 7,000-gallon tanker trailer. Employee #1 was tasked with inspecting the damage to the interior of the tanker. Employee #1 was in the early stages of the tank inspection when he lost consciousness. A coworker noticed Employee #1 lost consciousness, and s/he called the foreman to call 9-1-1. The coworker climbed into the tank to...

On April 3, 2024, at 9:00 a.m., an employee, 44, working as a plant operator for a building materials manufacturer was reinstalling mixer blades onto the shaft inside a Vince Hagan HM-10 Horizontal Concrete Mixer. The employee had been on a crew between January 2024 and April 2024 engaged in the shaft and blade replacement and repair project involving the portable concrete mixer. The mixer sits approximately...

A 60-year-old welder fell 32 feet while constructing the leading edge of a storage tank roof. His employer was an aboveground storage tank manufacturer. He had over 40 years of job experience. He was with three other workers constructing the leading edge with sheets of metal sheathing. The roof was 76-feet wide by 34.5-feet high, with a 1 in 12 pitch. He was acting as a “spotter” for a crane operator...