With the owner’s approval, an alternative leak test is permitted when neither a hydrostatic nor a pneumatic leak test would be possible or safe. An alternative leak test contains the following required elements: … HomeRead More »

A catastrophic pipe failure during a pneumatic pressure/leak test could result in an explosive release of energy. For example, did you know… … HomeRead More »

On July 2, 2007, Employee #1, a farmer, was pumping liquid cow manure from a covered holding pit. The pump clogged, and he descended the ladder into the pit to free the pump. Employee #1 was asphyxiated due to a lack of oxygen and the presence of methane from the manure. Employee #2, a farm hand, entered the pit to rescue Employee #1 and was also asphyxiated. Three family members of Employee #1 went...

At 4:15 p.m. on December 6, 2021, a contractor, 26, removed transmitters from tanks to winterize the facilities. As the employee removed the bolts and loosened the transmitter from a tank, the contents (50% concentration of Sodium Hydroxide) sprayed out and onto the employee’s eyes, face, head, and chest (upper torso). The employee attempted to use a nearby emergency shower/eyewash, but it was...

The state of VA has fined a food processor $131,535 for a July 31, 2024 anhydrous ammonia leak that hospitalized 33 people. The leak triggered the evacuation of 287 employees working at the facility. Five of the 33 victims were hospitalized with serious conditions, 17 had serious but non-life-threatening conditions, and 11 had minor symptoms. Fire marshals determined that a “failed valve” caused the...

Violations arise from motivational factors and fall into four types:routine (or corner-cutting) violations, thrill-seeking or optimizing violations, necessary violations and exceptional violations. Unsafe acts are of two distinct types: errors and violations. Errors arise from informational problems and fall into three categories: skill-based slips and lapses, rule-based mistakes, and knowledge-based...

You may remember the 2019 event where the worker left home for the facility to check on an alarm in a pump house. He did not return, so the wife put their children in their child seats and went to the facility to check on her husband. She arrived and found him unconscious inside a shack. She entered to check on him, and she too was overcome by Hydrogen Sulfide. The children were too young to get out...

Respondent operated a facility (the “Facility”) to process, store, and distribute prepackaged salads, fresh-cut vegetables, and other food products. At all times relevant to this CAFO, Respondent produced, used or stored more than 10,000 pounds of ammonia (anhydrous) at the Facility and was subject to the requirements of CAA § 112(r)(7). At all times relevant to this CAFO, Respondent was subject to...

For those new to working in Hazardous Locations (HAZLOCs), the very best resource for the “lay person” is from the US Coast Guard “Drill Down” series. They published eight (8) documents that explains: Hazardous Location Electrical Markings – Applicable Standards Hazardous Location Electrical Markings – Locations Hazardous Location Electrical Markings – Material...

The Illinois Department of Labor’s (IDOL) Division of Occupational Safety and Health (IL OSHA), in collaboration with the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM), Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI), Illinois Fire Chiefs Association (IFCA) and Mutual Aid Box Alarm System-Illinois (MABAS-Illinois) have developed a sample incident command, accountability, and mayday standard operating...

A Jan. 7 fire flash that injured four (4) employees was caused by employees burning isopropyl alcohol, a Illinois State Fire Marshal report on the incident said. The media previously reported that the incident was caused by a propane heater, which was not the case. The state fire marshal’s report said that three (3) of the injured employees initially fabricated that story. At 3:52 a.m. on Jan. 7 the...

Respondent owns and operates a facility that wholesales animal feeds, fertilizers, agricultural chemicals, pesticides, seeds, and farm supplies, including agricultural anhydrous ammonia. On or about August 9, 2023, EPA inspected the Respondent’s Facility to determine compliance with Section 112(r) of the CAA and 40 C.F.R. Part 68. Information gathered during the EPA inspection revealed that Respondent...