H.R.2868 is to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to extend, modify, and recodify the authority of the Secretary of Homeland Security to enhance security and protect against acts of terrorism against chemical facilities, and for other purposes. This week a US House subcommittee passed chemical security legislation that critics said would change federal regulations that have not been fully implemented....

When we do our many third-party S&H audits around the country, there are a few findings we could just leave on our spreadsheet as they are so common from business to business. One of these common findings is the lack of annual training for employees on their rights to access, view, copy, etc., their own personal medical records, exposure monitoring for chemicals, noise, radiation, etc., and any...

Install. Inspect. Protect. Smoke alarms save lives. If your smoke alarm was installed more than 10 years ago, it needs to be replaced. Find Out More at the U.S. Fire Administration{apos}s web site. {amp}raquo;

One Year After Catastrophic Accident at the Tesoro Refinery the CSB Continues its Investigation into the April 2010 AccidentBoard Releases a Video Safety Message; Calls on Industry to Invest in Preventive Maintenance Marking the one year anniversary of the tragic accident at the Tesoro Refinery in Anacortes, Washington, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) released a video safety message in which Chairperson...

Have you ever seen a fire extinguisher with a HAZCOM label (e.g., NFPA 704 or HMIS) and thought to yourself…that is overkill? Well, actually, it is not overkill, and it may be a requirement for the facility under the HAZCOM standard when the extinguisher contains a hazardous chemical. OSHA defines compressed gas as a physical hazard, and therefore, most, if not all, of your fire extinguishers,...

Workers were injured while vacuuming explosive dust inside a PRCS to clean out a natural gas processing unit. … HomeRead More »

Many THANKS to my NEW & RENEWING Corporate Partners in Safety! since 2005 since 3/2011 since 2007 since 3/2011 since 2/11 2011 Fatality Tracker Electrical 9 (2010 = 90) (2009 = 100) Forklift/Manlift Mobile Equipment  30 (2010 = 110) (2009=88) Mining 56 (2010 = 480) (2009 = 586) Explosions 57 (2010 = 246) (2009 = 302) Cranes 8 (2010 = 50) (2009 = 82) Falls 31 (2010 = 139) (2009 = 172) (2008...

First, let me say this upfront if your facility has not evaluated your local fire department’s rescue capabilities in the past 2-3 years, I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE it to do so ASAP.  With the drastic swing in the economy and many cities on the brink of bankruptcy, I know of at least 50 FDs that have scrapped their special rescue teams and are relying on County or Regional wide teams to cover special...

When do I have to have a Confined Space rescue team? I get this question almost monthly, and it worries me that so many facilities struggle with such a critical analysis. It is not easy, but it could be a matter of life or death and deserves some explanation. In this post, I will walk us through the rationale of entry-style rescue vs. non-entry-style rescue and when each one would be REQUIRED. I am...

EXCELLENT OVERVIEW from a GREAT SOURCE! … HomeRead More »

Let’s set the record straight… “Line of sight” is HALF THE REQUIREMENT, and this term is NOT in any official language from OSHA, nor does OSHA recognize it! We see this all the time…a LOTO procedure talks about cord and plug equipment not needing to be locked out if the worker is in the “line of sight” of the plug.  Let’s look at the term “exclusive...