1910.146 is pretty clear as to when “entry” has taken place, and 1926.1202 even expands the definition to make it clear that even UNINTENTIONAL breaking of the plane is an “entry.  But why did OSHA say “any part of the body” and not “the head” since the majority of accidents are atmospheric related?  I have written about this and point anyone interested...

On December 19, 2007, a runaway chemical reaction during the production of a gasoline additive destroyed T2 Laboratories in Jacksonville, Florida, killing four people and injuring 32 others. The blast, equivalent to about 1400 pounds of TNT, damaged buildings and injured office workers hundreds of feet away.

 

 

Today we saw a SIGNIFICANT change in OSHA’s attempt to revise their definition of “retail” as it applies to the Process Safety Management Standard.  This all went down through channels we would have never imagined… The 2016 Omnibus (spending) bill policy provisions.  Yes, that is correct, OSHA got slapped by politicians in a spending bill and oh how I hate...

From time to time I like to look at RMP data for trends and interesting accidents that we can learn from. As in the past, Anhydrous Ammonia seems to always find its way into my research. Some will say it is because it is by far the most widely used RMP chemical and others will lay claim to other reasons, which I will leave up to you to draw your own conclusions. But the fact is the 5-year accident...

Many hot work operations are performed by outside contractors, these include cutting, welding, joint soldering, paint removal, reroofing, etc. The tendency is to relax rigid procedures for contractors assuming they know their jobs. However, this practice has produced a discouraging loss history. Hot work by itself is a hazardous process. When outside contractors are involved, the risk of fire increases...

Last week the CSB announce a public meeting regarding the refinery accident in CA back in February.  In their announcement the CSB informed us that following the staff presentation, the Board will hear an update on the new process safety management reforms in California from a panel of experts.  I have written about these PROPOSED changes to Cal/OSHA’s PSM standard for Refineries...

The Respondent is poultry processing business. On April 14-15, 2015, EPA conducted a compliance inspection of the Respondent’s facility to determine compliance with the Risk Management Plan (RMP) regulations promulgated at 40 C.F.R. Part 68 under Section 112(r) of the CAA. The EPA found that the Respondent had violated regulations implementing Section 112(r) of the CAA by failing to comply...

I am sorry, but with six crashes and dozens of hack attempts from within the website, I can not leave the doors open any longer.  So I decided to go back to the 1990 days when SAFTENG was free to working professionals who wanted access to safety material.  Anyone with a VALID business e-mail address (that can be verified) can SIGN UP for a FREE membership.   PLEASE NOTE Internet Service...

OSHA’s Permit Required Confined Space standard has been around since the mid 1990’s and the requirement(s) to perform “program reviews” has been part of the standard from its very beginning.  In a recent OSHRC case, both the Administrative Law Judge and the full commission took issue with a company’s efforts in how they did (or did not do) their “program reviews”...

This is my last article in my series regarding excess flow valves. I haveattempted to explain how these devices can aid in controlling a significant leak, as well as how these valves get abused in their design and maintenance. As I have stated before, these valves should NOT be considered a “safeguard” in our PHA’s until we have their design, operation, and maintenance...