The strategic approach to improving human performance within safety embraces two (2) primary challenges: Anticipate, Prevent, Catch, and Recover from ACTIVE errors Identify and Eliminate LATENT organizational weaknesses that provoke human error and degrade controls against error and the consequences of error Preventable errors will not be eliminated if opportunities to err are not methodically identified....

EPA can improve its program management and oversight to better assure that facilities covered by the Clean Air Act’s Risk Management Program submit or re-submit an RMP. EPA had not established national procedures for identifying covered facilities that had not submitted RMPs. For the 5 States reviewed, we identified 48 facilities in 3 States that reported large amounts of covered chemicals stored...

This article is for ANYONE with anhydrous ammonia, regardless if you have 100 pounds or 100,000 pounds of ammonia and your primary means of containment is Carbon Steel. I have written numerous times about the Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) failure mode and shared numerous accidents and alerts regarding this failure mode. In this article, I want to point out a little PSM/RMP requirement that often...

MAJOR CHEMICAL DISASTERS IN INDIA   Origin of accident Year Date Location Products involved Number of Deaths Injured Evacuated Explosion (warehouse) 1992 29.04 New Delhi Chemicals 43 20   Fire at a chemical store 1994 13.11 New Delhi Toxiccloud (chemicals)   500   Leakage 1984 03.12 Bhopal* Methyl isocyanate 2800 50,000 200,000 Leakage 1989 05.05 Britannia Chowk Chlorine –...

OSHA’s standards for general industry and the construction industry on hazardous waste operations and emergency response (29 CFR 1910.120 or 29 CFR 1926.65) cover all employees involved in: Clean-up operations of hazardous substances at uncontrolled hazardous waste sites required by Federal, state, local or other governments; Corrective actions involving clean-up procedures at sites covered by the...

Despite their differences in tradition, emphasis, and application domains, there is no reason why these various models and their associated practices should not coexist harmoniously within the same organization so long as the strengths and weaknesses of each approach are recognized. … HomeRead More »

History has shown that flammable vapor ignitions in a number of cases have been proven to reside in mobile equipment working in or around a facility. “Industrial Loader and Forklift Fires,” an NFPA report published in January 2009, states that between 2003 and 2006, an average of 1,340 fires were ignited by heat or ignition sources found on powered industrial loaders and forklifts. … HomeRead...

  Based on eight (8) recent enforcement investigations, conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Office of Hazardous Materials Enforcement (OHME), this letter is intended to notify the industry of serious safety problems and non-compliance issues regarding the maintenance, filling, transport and use of nurse tanks in anhydrous...

Human factors are concerned with optimizing human performance in all tasks and in major hazard workplaces; the primary intention is to achieve safe performance. These high-risk workplaces should have conducted risk assessments and established a range of controls to prevent major accidents. Still, they should also focus on human performance issues to eliminate or reduce human failures. An organization’s...

Twelve days before the Holidays,  My Safety Team said to me,     No cuts or lacerations  Wear your PPE,     No slips, trips or falls  Watch where you put your feet,    No strains, aches or pains  Use your safe lifting techniques,     Watch your head and keep it safe  Always be aware of overhead space,     Wear glasses, wear gloves ...

Organizational weaknesses are vulnerabilities, flaws, and defects in controls (engineered, administrative, cultural, and oversight controls). Searching for and eliminating latent organizational weaknesses eliminates factors contributing to significant events. … HomeRead More »

This article discusses how a facility would need to get one of its coded pressure vessels repaired, altered, or re-rated. The article will cover pertinent code and jurisdiction requirements and the differences among the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code, the National Board Inspection Code (NBC), and American Petroleum Institute (API) requirements, as well as discuss the following:...