The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) completed a study of combustible dust hazards in late 2006, which identified 281 combustible dust incidents between 1980 and 2005 that killed 119 workers and injured another 718.  Based on these findings, the CSB recommended OSHA pursue a rulemaking on this issue. OSHA has previously addressed aspects of this risk. For example, on July 31, 2005, OSHA published...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites small businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations to participate as Small Entity Representatives (SERs) for a Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) Panel. This panel will focus on the Agency’s development of a rule that proposes to modify the current Risk Management Plan (RMP) regulation to reduce the likelihood of accidental...

Several million American workers wear respirators on a regular basis, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that nonagricultural firms have a respiratory protection program. This article uses the OSHA inspection data base to examine all inspections in manufacturing in 47 states from 1999 through 2006; the examination starts with 1999 because an expanded OSHA respiratory...

It has taken me 25 years to diagnose it, but I have finally establish the “Delusional Safety Syndrome” (DSS).  It is the only mental illness known at this time that is actually contagious.  It is spread by close contact with an infected person.  It can lie dormant for years and the infected person can spread the disease before they even recognize they are ill.  Some...

This is a follow up to my July 2013 article “Making the case my PSM/RMP covered process complies with RAGAGEPs (Piping)”.  With OSHA’s recent memo on “RAGAGEP in Process Safety Management Enforcement” I have received renewed request to explain how a facility can demonstrate their vessels/tanks comply with RAGAGEP(s).  Here it goes: … HomeRead More &ra...

Safety alert fatality due to hydrotest burst overpressured pipe from Alan Bassett  

Are you providing a copy of 1910.134 Appednix D to each employee who wears a filtering facepieces (dust masks) on a “voluntary basis”? Are you controlling these filtering facepieces (dust masks) so that ONLY employees who have been provided with a copy of Appendix D have access to these filtering facepieces (dust masks)?  For the past 15 or so years I, and I know of many other safety...

As part of their Industrial Safety Ordinance Contra Costa County, CA developed a VERY NICE safety culture survey.  It is a requirement for CalARP facilities, but just a GREAT RESOURCE for the rest of us.  Check it out Attachment E: Safety Culture Assessment (PDF).  You may have some work to do to get it in a manageable format, but the content is WORLD-CLASS and it is FREE! Industrial...

When it comes to EPA’s Risk Management Plan rule, the state of California made significant modifications to the RMP rule.  Basically, California replaced the Risk Management and Prevention Program with the California Accidental Release Prevention (CalARP) Program on January 1, 1997. The CalARP Program is very similar to the EPA’s Risk Management Program with the following differences:...

  CLICK HERE for the pdf

Here is the presentation that Jim Lay, P.E., from OSHA’s Office of Chemical Process Safety & Enforcement Initiatives did last week @ ASSE’s Annual Conference.  He did this presentation the same day OSHA rolled out their new enforcement policies on chemical mixtures and RAGAGEP enforcement.  The presentation covers RAGAGEP Background, Early recognition of RAGAGEP, RAGAGEP in...

  Many THANKS to my NEW and RENEWING “Partners in Safety“ – See more at: http://www.safteng.net/#sthash.3AXLlGgX.dpuf Over 12,500 exclusive unsafe acts/conditions and accident/injuries photos and over 1,100 ppt’s & doc’s from more than 2,797 contributors! 2015 Fatality Tracker Electrical 21 (2014 =55) (2013 = 32) (2012 = 68) Forklift/Aerial 19 (2014 = 60) (2013=62)...