Already, in less than 24 hours from when I posted the OSHRC decision on the BP Refinery, I have received over a dozen e-mails asking me “do I have to have U-1 forms for my pressure vessels?”.  There are not many PSM/RMP facilities that have not been dinged with one of these findings over the past 20 years.  So my response to each one is YES, you MUST have THE DATA on your pressure...

On March 8, 2010, the Secretary issued three citations to a refinery, alleging twenty serious, forty-two willful, and three other-than-serious violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (Act), 29 U.S.C. §§ 651, et seq. The Secretary issued the citations following an inspection conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at a refinery in Ohio. OSHA proposed...

For new processes, you must document both material and energy inputs and outputs of a process. For example, you would document the quantity of a regulated substance added to the process, the quantity consumed during the process, and the quantity that remains in the output. This requirement will not generally apply to storage processes.  CLICK HERE for the FAQ from EPA

A company has agreed to pay a $15,290 civil penalty to settle alleged violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) at its fertilizer facility. As part of its settlement agreement with EPA Region 7, the company will spend an additional $75,370 to complete a supplemental environmental project.  The settlement stems from an inspection that revealed the facility failed to develop and implement a Risk Management...

Work at a winery can expose individuals to life-threatening situations. When cleaning or emptying tanks, and checking the fermentation process, employees are sometimes directed to bodily enter a tank or place their head inside a tank. The air inside a tank or vat may not be sufficient to support life when gases such as carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide have displaced oxygen. If the air is not tested...

Is an employer required to record a work-related injury sustained by an employee which was treated by a reduction procedure performed on her dislocated ring finger. The employee had no broken bones, no medication, no splints, and no restrictions and returned to work immediately after the reduction of her ring finger. You want to know if this is considered first aid… … HomeRead More &r...

  Many THANKS to my NEWEST and RENEWING Corporate Partners in Safety… since 2013 since 2004 Since 2013 since 2013   2013 Fatality Tracker Electrical 21 (2012 = 68) (2011 = 81) (2010 = 90) (2009 = 100) Forklift/Manlift 44 (2012 = 52)  (2011 = 84) (2010 = 110) (2009 = 88) Mining* 38 (2012 = 92*)  (2011 = 248) (2010 = 480) (2009 = 586) *no longer includes China accidents Explosions...

In the past couple of months, I had several conversations with process safety professionals asking about “running equipment to failure” within a chemical process handling a highly hazardous chemical (HHC) or extremely hazardous substance (EHS). These discussions were often lively and I was actually called “a consultant” “that needed to walk a mile in my shoes”; as...

A dangerous incident occurred at a facility storing urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) fertiliser in solution. Following a tanker loading operation a UAN transfer pump was inadvertently left running. The transfer pump continued to run for several hours until an explosion occurred. Fragments were projected over an extended distance and widespread damage resulted. One fragment punctured a nearby gas oil tank...

The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors has released its First Quarter Report of Violation Findings for 2013.  The modified violation tracking system launched in July 2012 and captures a clearer picture of problem areas and trends related to boiler and pressure vessel operation, installation, maintenance, and repair. The data also identifies problems before unsafe conditions...

The National Board has announced 1,530,716 registrations of boilers, pressure vessels, attachments, and nuclear equipment for the fiscal year 2013 (July 1, 2012–June 30, 2013).  The National Board maintains manufacturers’ data reports on all boilers and pressure vessels registered with the National Board. Each data report includes the name of the manufacturer, the item’s National...