The investigation found that they were processing hand sanitizer bottles by shredding them and separating the plastic from the hand sanitizer. During this process, a spark was created from the machine, which initiated a minor explosion and fire. The business has refuted the fire chief’s official account, saying, “There was no explosion at the site.“ “There was a loud noise,...

This can be related to process vessels, hoppers, pits, etc.- just about any “open-topped” space. Now, when it comes to hoppers, these will fall into the PRCS category based solely on their design with “inwardly converging walls or by a floor which slopes downward and tapers to a smaller cross-section.” But even then, a very shallow hopper does not pose the same hazards by its...

OSHA found an animal food producer exposed employees to the risks of explosions, fires and long-term respiratory illnesses from excessive amounts of airborne dust, among two dozen safety and health violations they identified. The findings follow an inspection after the agency received complaints of unsafe working conditions. OSHA inspectors found the company’s poor housekeeping, its failure to...

One of the acceptable “protection techniques” for electrical enclosures within a Hazardous Location is to “pressurize the enclosure.”  Here are the three (3) Types of Pressurized Enclosures and the HAZLOC they are permitted to be used, and their design basis: NFPA 70, 500.7, (D) Purged and Pressurized. This protection technique shall be permitted for equipment in any...

As I have mentioned a few times, there is a substantial difference between a Safe Work Practice design to make OSHA happy and one that functions as a “management system” for the risk the “program” is trying to control.  Far too many “safety programs” are simply regurgitating the OSHA standards they intend to comply with. Sometimes, we come across a cut-and-paste...

The respondent owns and operates a single-site aerosol can manufacturing facility that uses, stores, and handles Isobutane (CAS# 85-28-5), a regulated substance, at the Facility in amounts over the threshold quantity for Isobutane of 10,000 lbs. The facility used, stored, and handled Butane (CAS# 106-97-8), a regulated substance, at the Facility in amounts over the threshold quantity for Butane of...

The following are my tips to ensure PRCS are properly ventilated when necessary.  Far too often, ventilation is nothing more than a “nice effort,” which can lead to disastrous results.  So, in my time in safety at petrochemical and semiconductor facilities, the safety team managed the ventilation equipment (blowers and flexible ductwork). Still, the entry supervisor was responsible...

I was working on another PRCS Entry program this week and thought I would offer some tidbits I include in my programs regarding: Space Isolation Atmospheric Monitoring My programs are lengthy and are intended to include every aspect of managing the risks associated with working around and inside PRCSs. SPACE ISOLATION ALL connections to a confined space that can convey a hazard to the space MUST be...

If you really want to get a feel for the culture around safety, STOP with the surveys and get with today’s technology Three of my five bosses throughout my career all had this same practice, which is far more telling than a “survey.” And with today’s technology, such as cameras and drones, there is a far better way to gauge the “safety mindset” of our workforce. It works like this… Hire a high-tech...

“… an attitude of frustration or an internal state of distress can certainly influence driving behaviors, and vice versa. Indeed, internal (unobserved) personal states of mind continually influence observable behaviors, while changes in observable behaviors continually affect changes in person states or attitudes. Thus, it is possible to “think a person into safe behaviors” (through education,...

In process safety, we spend a lot of time discussing the PRIMARY containment systems; however, our secondary containment systems play a vital role in our PROTECTION and MITIGATION layers of protection. Of course, we want to keep the tiger in its cage, but we also need to be prepared for the day it gets loose, and this is where our secondary containment systems come into play. With all that said, let’s...

It never ceases to amaze me how businesses will cut corners in fundamental safety protections. Recently, I came across fire extinguishers that were not “approved” by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL). This was discovered during a 5-year REVAL PHA after the facility suffered a failure of one of its extinguishers that caused damage to some PSM/RMP piping. The investigation...