In the USA, OSHA REQUIRES employers to “Fit Test” each worker who will wear a tight-fitting respirator.  This includes all types of tight-fitting respirators, from half-face air purifying respirators to full-face supplied air respirators.  The workers are also REQUIRED to be fit tested with EACH MAKE, MODEL STYLE and SIZE face piece they are medically qualified and trained...

It is pretty common for PSM/RMP facilities to have a windsock or two on-site.  However, the condition of these devices ranges from brand new to a piece of wire sticking up in the wind.  In this posting, I want to offer some tips on how we should manage our windsocks as a “piece of critical equipment”. … HomeRead More »

Most ammonia refrigeration personnel know their refrigerant is flammable, but most would also tell us that they do not have any “Hazardous Locations” (e.g. Class 1, Div 1 or 2 locations) associated with their refrigeration process.  Most of these workers will explain their engine room/compressor room ventilation system is designed, installed, and maintained to ensure that NH3 never...

Is the act of loading/unloading a PSM/RMP chemical exempt from OSHA/EPA enforcement?  Absolutely not!  Somewhere this little fib began and it has spread like wildfire.  If you have a release of your HHC/EHS during unloading or loading, rest assured OSHA and/or EPA can investigate and inspection, and here’s why… … HomeRead More »

  MANY THANKS to my NEW & RENEWING “Partners in Safety”for their support!   since 2006 since 2007    since 2012        since 2006 since 2010 2012 Fatality Tracker Electrical 8 (2011 = 81) (2010 = 90) (2009 = 100) Forklift/Manlift Mobile Equipment 7 (2011 = 84) (2010 = 110) (2009 = 88) Mining 18 (2011 = 248) (2010...

This is not meant to be a trick question, but many think it is.  A close examination of the specific wording in the PHA element of the RMP rule will quickly identify DIFFERENT wording than what is in OSHA’s PSM std (just another example of how these standards are NOT identical!). … HomeRead More »

A little different photo of the week!!!   The date code indicates when the hat was molded. Date codes are molded into the hat shell and they specify the following: Day Month, and Year the hat or cap was molded The large arrow inside the “Month / Year” circle points to the month, and the two digits inside that inner circle indicate the year. The arrow inside of the “Day” circle points to...

A great resource to help develop a Safety Management System (SMS) is DOE’s Integrated Safety Management System.  They offer dozens of documents explaining each element and how it is intended to function within the SMS.  DOE has been using this SMS since 1996 with world-class results.  I love the structure and have used aspects of their model for decades.  The one drawback...

 

MANY THANKS to my NEW & RENEWING “Partners in Safety”for their support! since 2006 since 2007    since 2012        since 2006 since 2010 2012 Fatality Tracker Electrical 7 (2011 = 81) (2010 = 90) (2009 = 100) Forklift/Manlift Mobile Equipment 7 (2011 = 84) (2010 = 110) (2009 = 88) Mining 17 (2011 = 248) (2010 = 480) (2009...

Here we stand down and dejected   The short cut he took was not detected   The life he lived has now been rejected   If only our safety rules he would have respected   Author: Russ Baxter

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