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I am proud to announce that SAFTENG and The Chlorine Institute have renewed our partnership for another year (through 2026). Members of The Chlorine Institute receive a FREE SAFTENG membership. If you qualify, please contact me
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SAFTENG has:
- Over 19,000 categorized unsafe acts/conditions and accident/injury photos
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- Over 5,000 Technical Articles on Process Safety, Emergency Response & OSH topics
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Many THANKS to my NEW Members and those who CONTINUE to support SAFTENG:
What happens when you try to pull water out of a tank using a 3HP pump and leave the vent closed
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In the world of flammable liquids processing, we have two (2) types of flammable liquids:
Conductive
Non-Conductive
Members can read all my articles on how these flammable liquids get classified as “conductive” vs. “non-conductive. This post is to explain HOW and WHY the traditional “bonding and grounding” used in the transfer of flammable liquids may be inadequate...
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I have posted numerous fatal accidents that occurred during the pressure testing of piping and pressure vessels. Although hydrostatic testing involves less energy release should something fail vs. using pneumatic pressure, the hazard(s) are still HUGE and must be respected. This incident involved a propane bullet built in 1994 and placed into service in 1996, so do not think this was some...
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Before an employee enters the space, the internal atmosphere shall be tested, with a calibrated direct-reading instrument, for oxygen content, for flammable gases and vapors, and for potential toxic air contaminants, in that order.
We test for oxygen before testing for flammability (LEL) for two (2) critical reasons:
One is a technological limitation of the equipment, and
The other is an immediate...
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A 43-year-old assemblyman died on May 26, 1999, from chest injuries he received earlier that day when struck by a high-pressure water jet emitted after the failure of a gasket during a hydrostatic test of a cooling coil for an air-cooled heat exchanger. At the time of the incident, the victim was part of a two-man team conducting hydrostatic testing at a heat exchanger manufacturing company. The laborer...
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The rule—”Add Acid to Water” (AA)—is one of the most important safety practices in a chemistry lab. It all comes down to how much energy is released when they mix and how the liquid behaves as a result.
Let’s explore the science behind this safety rule together. I’ll ask guiding questions along the way.
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Employee #1 entered a semi-trailer truck to wash out the inside, which had contained a fatty acid (linseed oil). A short time later, he was found lying at the bottom under the hatch opening. Employees #2 and #3 jumped in to rescue him and were nearly overcome.
Employee #1 died, and blood tests conducted two hours after exposure revealed carboxyhemoglobin levels of 56 percent for Employee #1, and...
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The frequency for testing or replacing hydrostatic relief valves (HRVs) depends largely on the service environment, the fluid being handled, and the specific regulatory standards like OSHA, NFPA, CGA, or ASME governing your process. Because these valves are designed to protect against thermal expansion in liquid-filled lines—often in “blocked-in” sections—their reliability is critical...
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A process, in terms of Process Safety Management, is defined as:
“Any activity involving a regulated substance including any use, storage, manufacturing, handling or on-site movement of such substances, or any combination of these activities. For the purposes of this definition, any group of vessels that are interconnected, or separate vessels that are located such that a regulated...
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One of the debates we routinely have with fellow process safety professionals is the adoption of NFPA 51B vs. meeting 1910.252(a) requirements for their Hot Work safe work practice. I am a huge fan of NFPA 51B, as it is much more up-to-date than OSHA’s 1910.252, which, by the way, was based on the first edition of NFPA 51B in 1962. As I have stated many times before, PSM (nor RMP) does NOT allow...
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A massive leak of liquefied chlorine gas created a dangerous cloud of poison gas over the city of Henderson, Nevada, in the early morning hours of May 6, 1991. Over 200 persons were examined at a local hospital for respiratory distress caused by inhalation of the chlorine, and approximately 30 were admitted for treatment. Some 700 persons were taken to shelters. It is estimated that from 2,000 to 7,000...
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If we are making a final “tie-in” weld between two segments of pipe that have already been independently pressure tested, that specific weld can be exempt from a final system pressure test if:
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