Respondent owns and operates a water treatment plant in MN that has an inventory of chlorine gas at the water treatment plant, which is 360,000 pounds. The threshold quantity of chlorine is 2,500 pounds. Respondent’s RMP registration states that the maximum inventory of anhydrous ammonia at the water treatment plant is 87,583 pounds. The threshold quantity of anhydrous ammonia is 10,000 pounds....

Respondent operated a cold storage warehouse and distribution facility located in RI (the “Facility”). The Facility is located immediately adjacent to a Bay, approximately one-third of a mile from several marinas, just under 1 mile from a few homes, and less than 1.5 miles from an elementary school, a residential neighborhood, and a small airport. At all times relevant to the violations...

Respondent owns and operates a metal parts heat treatment operation in Michigan (the Facility) that maintains a maximum inventory of 60,000 pounds of the regulated toxic substance, anhydrous ammonia, which exceeds the threshold quantity of 10,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia as set forth in Table 1 at 40 C.F.R. § 68.130. Respondent uses anhydrous ammonia in its heat treatment process. The covered process...

Respondent is a private family-owned company that owns and/or operates facilities located in California and Arizona. Respondent specializes in repackaging and distributing chemicals and manufacturing chemicals onsite. The Facilities are located within populated residential, commercial, and industrial areas. The CA Facility receives and repackages anhydrous ammonia and manufactures aqueous ammonia in...

Respondent owns and operates an anhydrous ammonia refrigeration system facility in Altoona, Iowa (Respondent’s Facility). On or about September 21, 2022, representatives of the EPA inspected 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 had over 10,000 pounds of anhydrous...

Most organizations espouse a variety of values, some of which are intrinsically contradictory, so new employees must figure out for themselves what is really rewarded – customer satisfaction, productivity, safety, minimizing costs, or maximizing returns to the investors. Only by observing actual promotions and performance reviews can newcomers figure out what the underlying assumptions are by...

My training PowerPoint for maintaining, testing, and inspecting chemical hoses (including unloading/loading hoses) per my favorite RAGAGEP. SAFTENG members can download below. … HomeRead More »

      This is a HIGH-LEVEL overview of the many types and levels of energy isolation means and methods.  This is not widely recognized in the USA, but those businesses advanced in energy isolation/control plans use this approach. The key to this success is to incorporate these methods into process designs.  Members can download the ppt file below. … HomeRead More...

  Members can download my HIGH-LEVEL overview of what a PTW process should encompass.  All work permits should fit into this mini-management system. Members can download the ppt file below. … HomeRead More »

I have been writing about it since 2022, when OSHA said they wanted to revise its HAZCOM standard (1910.1200) to align with Revision 7 of the GHS standard.  Remember, the current HAZCOM standard is based on Rev. 3 of the GHS.  Now the 2024 International Fire Code (IFC) will recognize the new Categories of Flammable gases. FLAMMABLE GAS. A material that is a gas at 68°F (20°C) or less...

HIGHER FLAMMABILITY   A3 R-50, R-170, R-290 R-600a, R-441a, R-1270 B3 R-1140 LOWER FLAMMABILITY   A2 R-142b, R-152a B2 R-30, R-40, R-611, R-717     A2L HFO-1234yf, HFO-1234ze NO FLAME PROPAGATION   A1 R-11 – R-14, R-22, R-113, R-114, R-115, R-134A, R-410A, R-449B, R-1234zd B1 R-10, R-21, R-123, R-764   LOWER TOXICITY HIGHER TOXICITY   A2L...

Today, we get a glimpse of the key changes to the 2024 International Fire Code (IFC): … HomeRead More »