We have all seen the social media posts of these high-expansion foam systems discharging, and we watch in amazement at their efficiency in filling an airplane hanger. Some of these videos are from “system testing,” and some are from accidental discharges. But someone always asks the question: Could someone survive inside the foam? Here is a case where they did not. At 1:30 p.m. on August...

On May 17, 2024, Employee #1 was engaged in cleaning a grain bin when he became engulfed in grain, resulting in … HomeRead More »

On June 3, 2024, an employee working as a laborer for a meat rendering plant was unloading blood meal from a trailer (grain hopper type). During the offloading process, the employee worked inside a fully loaded trailer hopper to free up hung up (stuck) blood meal. The employee was standing on the blood meal when … HomeRead More »

On June 13, 2024, two (2) employees, 29 and 33, working as laborers for a dairy support service, were filling a Diller Model #STAL7250 Manure Tanker (Serial# LD9TA33ZXMC804135). The rubber pipe sock came off the Jamesway manure filler pipe. Employee #1 entered the tanker to retrieve the pipe sock and was overcome. Employee #2 entered the tanker to render aid to Employee #1 and was also overcome. …...

As we have discussed many times, UNLOADING/LOADING Hazardous Materials to/from a bulk DOT container is often times one of the highest risks on a plant site. And when the hazardous material is a liquefied compressed gas, the risks escalate quickly! Two of the more common liquefied compressed gases are LPG and NH3, which fall under 49 CFR § 173.315(n)(2), requiring… … HomeRead More &raq...

On June 8, 2022, piping at an LNG Terminal failed, resulting in an explosion and fire.  The explosion and fire occurred entirely within the fenced boundaries of the facilities.  The facility immediately shut down its operations and notified first responders.  With assistance from local fire departments, the fire at the terminal was brought under control and extinguished.  PHMSA, in coordination with...

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) was recently notified of an incident that highlights the potential risk of flash fires in offshore industrial environments, which can often result in severe injuries or fatalities if proper safety precautions are not followed. The incident occurred during a welding operation with a fit-up nozzle (Figure 1). As the welder was completing the first...

For those who deal with these “hazardous materials storage cabinets,” we have seen some new design requirements over the past couple of code cycles. A lot of codes began requiring “self-closing” doors on these cabinets; however, we can go back to the 2012 edition of the IFC and find this requirement. And now the IFC is leading again, with its 2024 edition requiring BOTH “self-closing”...

EPA Region 7 developed several RMP training modules that are available to download. Topics include: Requirements of Clean Air Act section 112(r)(7); Common compliance pitfalls; Preparing for inspections and the Region 7 inspection process; and Case studies.

Respondent operated a facility that utilizes anhydrous ammonia to provide cooling capabilities to processing, shipping, cooler areas, silos, and chillers for its beef and meat products. On March 30, 2022, EPA performed an inspection of the Facility to evaluate compliance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) Section 103, EPCRA Sections...

A few years ago, I warned about the huge push to make flammable refrigerants easier to manage in the name of “global warming.” As a safety professional, this shift is alarming. Never in my career have we considered a burning rate of 10 cm/s as a means to lessen the risk associated with a flammable gas. Heck, they have even broken down the flammable gas classes/categories so that these flammable...

When it comes to safety and health, internal consequences to support the right behavior are terribly important. Remember, external and intrinsic (natural) consequences for safe behaviors are not readily available, and we cannot expect to receive sufficient support (extra consequences) from others to sustain our proactive, safe, and healthy choices. So, we need to talk to ourselves with sincere conviction...