This is a very interesting case, as it involved an error by the manufacturer of a new vessel and not the facility; however, it was the facility that was cited the $35K!  On March 26, 2012, there was an incident at the facility involving the release of hydrogen gas to ambient air from a newly installed process vessel. Specifically, the new vessel had a transportation (neoprene) gasket improperly...

OSHA has cited a chemical facility with 14 safety violations, including chemical hazards found at the company’s facility. OSHA’s September 2012 inspection was initiated as part of the agency’s National Emphasis Program on process safety management for covered chemical facilities. The inspection resulted in $64,665 in proposed penalties. The serious violations, with a $63,000 penalty,...

A storage tank containing anhydrous ammonia started to leak after it was struck by a tractor-trailer about 6:20 a.m. Monday a few miles west of West Liberty-Salem schools.  A semi-truck hauling floral products attempting to turn around at the anhydrous ammonia distribution site struck a large-capacity anhydrous ammonia storage tank, puncturing a supply line and causing a small leak.  The...

  Many THANKS to my NEWEST and RENEWING Corporate Partners in Safety…   since 2008 since 2010 since 2005 since 1/2013 2013 Fatality Tracker Electrical 7 (2012 = 68)  (2011 = 81) (2010 = 90) (2009 = 100) Forklift/Manlift 12 (2012 = 52)  (2011 = 84) (2010 = 110) (2009 = 88) Mining* 20 (2012 = 92*)  (2011 = 248) (2010 = 480) (2009 = 586) *no longer includes China accidents...

This is one of the top emergency response questions we receive each year.  It seems there are some facilities that feel the Incident Command training their personnel receive in their 16-hr Operations Level and 24-hr Technician Level training qualifies those personnel to be an Incident Commander.  The question is… is the training offered in these courses adequate to training a person...

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to require the filing of a premarket approval application (PMA) or a notice of completion of a product development protocol (PDP) for the following class III preamendments devices: Automated external defibrillators systems (AEDs), which includes the AED device and its accessories (i.e., pad electrodes, batteries, and adapters). A review of Medcial...

 

Experienced safety professional will often admit it took them years before realizing that a “general industry” workplace can fall under construction standards (1926) and vice-versa.  I know I was well into my career before I came to understand this and once it was explained to me I could see how my maintenance team could fall under both standards depending on the actual work they were...

This is a very common question when auditing “older plants”, say plants built prior to 1960 (not a specific date with any meaning). For example, during an audit it is discovered that a vessel was built to a RAGAGEP that no one had even heard of or maybe there is NO documentation as to what the vessel was built to. Is this a compliance issue and if it is what must the facility do to meet...

Two water and sewage treatment plant operators, one a 49-year-old and the other a 21-year-old, died when they entered a permit-required-confined space and could not exit safely. Three employees and one supervisor were assigned to replace a bracket on a pump inside an underground pump station.  The pump station measured nine feet in diameter by 15-25 feet in depth. The supervisor entered the pump...

A 46-year-old shipping and receiving clerk died from burns he received in an accident involving the ignition of diesel fuel. The victim’s duties included checking the level of fuel in the fuel tanks on refrigerated trailers that would be used the next day to transport processed product and refill the tanks if needed. On the night of the accident, he drove his fuel truck to where two refrigeration...