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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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Hydrostatic test of a cooling coil for an air-cooled heat exchanger fatality (OK-FACE)
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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Why can I add "Acid to Water" but NOT "Water to Acid"
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. … HomeRead More »
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PRCS Fatality (Tanker Truck); 1 entrant and 2 would be rescuers
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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How often do hydrostatic relief valves (HRV) have to be changed or tested?
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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What is a process?
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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Fire Watch for your roofing contractor may have a 2-hr requirement
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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Massive Leak of Liquefied Chlorine Gas (Henderson, NV 1991)
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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Pressure/leak testing "closure welds" (345.2.3)
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: … HomeRead More »
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The advantage of utilizing a Contractor Work Permit
Those of us living within the realm of Process Safety Management know all too well the difficulty of controlling contractor work activities to a level that we are confident they are not increasing our process risks beyond our acceptable levels. Many contractors are offended by the fact that many PSM programs have multiple layers of protection regarding their presence and work practices in, on, or even...
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Sample Protocol for a Response Plan (General Outline)
Industrial Incident Guidelines for Incident Command Arrival on Scene, Initiation of Response, see: Agent Identification Quick identification by signs/symptoms: CHEMM-IST Substance identification: WISER Acute Patient Care Guidelines Estimation of Protective Distance/Threat Zone On-site Activities Triage Guidelines Hospital Activities Personal Protective Equipment General Guidelines for Responding...
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What does "relief system design basis" mean?
Relief systems include, but are not limited to, relief valves, relief headers, relief drums, and rupture disks. Design basis means documenting how the loads and sizes of the relief system and inlet and outlet sizes were determined. This includes: … HomeRead More »
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Key Elements of Health and Safety Observation and Feedback Processes
Behavior-Based observation and feedback processes promote desired behaviors by introducing POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT for behaving safely. The positive reinforcement is provided through POSITIVE FEEDBACK. These programs are based on the ABC behavior model, as I explain below.  The effectiveness of behavioral safety observation and feedback programs is dependent upon effective implementation. Assess...
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