Incidents by Transportation Phase   Category of DOT Incidents Transportation Phase     Incidents     Hospitalized     Non-Hospitalized     Fatalities     Damages     IN TRANSIT 1,751 0 21 5 $21,785,584 IN TRANSIT STORAGE 245 0 0 0 $509,083 LOADING 1,359 3 13 0 $2,094,525 UNLOADING 3,374 5 35 0 $13,485,293 Grand...

Learn the regulation making process from initial planning to publishing in the Code of Federal Regulations.  This is an awesome tool for those who, like me, sometimes forget all the work that goes into get a new regulation passed.  This is the other side of the “story” regarding the balance of “regulation vs. free enterprise”.  Click Here to see the full size...

  Closer examination reveals the presence of supervisory switches on the backflow preventer’s outside stem and yoke (OS&Y) valves, a water pressure gauge measuring about 150 pounds per square inch (psi) (10.3 bar), a main drain assembly, and a water metering assembly on the backflow preventer. The OS&Y valves are open—as evidenced by the visible stems—and the water pressure gauge appears...

  MANY THANKS to my NEW & RENEWING “Partners in Safety” for their support!  since 2011 since 2012 since 2012 since 2009 2012 Fatality Tracker Electrical             51 (2011 = 81) (2010 = 90) (2009 = 100) Forklift/Manlift Mobile Equipment 38 (2011 = 84) (2010 = 110) (2009 = 88) Mining 49 (2011...

Seems like I get to be the messenger once again this month in how a change at one agency MAY impact yet again our compliance with another agency.  Last week I reminded the SAFTENG family about how a 2010 change in OR-OSHA impacted some facilities RMPs.  This week I have discovered that a change in OSHA’s HAZCOM standard (1910.1200) MAY impact our efforts to comply with EPA rules, specifically Sections...

B31 Code for pressure piping, developed by American Society of Mechanical Engineers – ASME, covers Power Piping, Fuel Gas Piping, Process Piping, Pipeline Transportation Systems for Liquid Hydrocarbons and Other Liquids, Refrigeration Piping and Heat Transfer Components and Building Services Piping.    ASME B31 was earlier known as ANSI B31. B31.1 – 2001 – Power Piping Piping...

In the world of process safety, pressure vessel safety plays a major role!  Yet many facilities do not have engineers available to them and thus some will  struggle with which code(s) apply and what must be done to maintain their pressure vessel(s) in tip top safety shape.  This is my cheat sheet that I have used for years that helped me when others were talking BPVC lingo.  It...

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 charged the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) with the responsibility for the development and evaluation of sampling and analytical methods for workplace compliance determinations.  Under that charge and by a 1974 contract, NIOSH and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration jointly undertook the evaluation of sampling...

OSHA has published criteria for removing employers from the agency’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program (SVEP). SVEP has been in effect since June 18, 2010, and is intended to focus agency resources on employers that demonstrate indifference to their responsibilities under the Occupational Safety and Health Act with willful, repeat or failure-to-abate violations.  On August 16, 2012, OSHA...

TURN UP YOUR VOLUME for this one – the sounds are as telling as the sights! For those who may not be familar with a “vent and burn” scenario, here are the guidelines from the Frederal Railroad Administration. This product-removal method involves the placement of explosive charges to cut a hole (or holes) in a tank car tank, allowing the contents to flow into a pit for burn-off. The...

Changes to 1910.106 These changes are not very subtle and in fact I have to take my hat off to OSHA and the NPRM process for working this out.  As many of us know, the new HAZCOM standard was a significant change; so significant that it impacted several other OSHA standards in both general industry and construction.  But 1910.106 (1926.152) were seriously revised with an entire revamping...

  MANY THANKS to my NEW & RENEWING “Partners in Safety” for their support!  since 2011 since 2012 since 2012 since 2009 2012 Fatality Tracker Electrical             50 (2011 = 81) (2010 = 90) (2009 = 100) Forklift/Manlift Mobile Equipment 38 (2011 = 84) (2010 = 110) (2009 = 88) Mining 49 (2011...