Recently we were performing an evaluation of a facility’s Confined Spaces and assessing if any were Permit-Required Confined Spaces and we came across this space.  I immediately knew that the winch was NOT intended for personnel and was installed for pulling the pumps in this lift station. However, my escort, the facility safety person (and I use that term loosely), was just adamant that...

At 6:15 p.m. on August 19, 2022, two employees, 19 and 22, were digging a trench with an Excavator for a storm sewer line that was located in the center of a new multi-residential housing complex that was under construction. The trench was approximately 29 feet long by 16 feet wide and 7 feet 6 inches deep. Both employees entered into a manhole section of an existing sanitation sewer line that was...

At 1:00 p.m. on November 22, 2022, an employee, 48, was cleaning the inside of a tanker trailer from a local chemical company. The employee was required to enter the tank and wash out the tank with soap and water. Before entry, the oxygen level was 19.5% in the tank. The employee entered the tank and began his cleaning process. … HomeRead More »

At 3:00 a.m. on July 27, 2022, an employee was bolting a flow meter on a hydrogen cyanide (HCN) line that was dripping fluid with a coworker. The employee stepped away from the job after having difficulty installing the final bolts. The employee waved his hand in front of his face and backed away from the job while removing his fresh air supply. The employee stumbled about twenty feet and collapsed....

This instruction establishes policies and strategies to be followed when scheduling and conducting programmed regional emphasis inspections of seafood processing operations and related merchant wholesaler operations in two targeted North American Industry Classification System codes (NAICS): 311710, 311711 and 311712 Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging, and 424460 Fish and Seafood Merchant...

Yesterday, my post regarding the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) stirred a lot of private comments among many of you. It was nice to see we can at least agree on our roles as safety pros and leaders. But I was reminded of a group discussion with many of those same safety pros years ago when Computer Based Training (CBT) was all the rage (and still is in many organizations). Many of us have a...

For all of the AI lovers, remember this: AI can NOT walk a mile in anyone’s shoes AI does NOT have empathy AI can NOT coach a worker in need of a safety moment AI does NOT answer the phone 24/7 when it is needed So if a safety pro is afraid of AI replacing them… they may be doing it wrong!

When preparing a Permit-Required Confined Space (PRCS) for entry, either by reclassification or by permit, it is incumbent upon the Entry Supervisor to ensure that ALL forms of hazardous energy has been identified and properly isolated.  In this event, the vessel had a level indicator that used a radiation source of energy that was not identified, leading the entrant(s) to receive a radiation...

Often, we use our SMS software/app to document safety deficiencies/hazards identified in the workplace. Still, we can also use these apps to validate the safety controls intended to be in place around certain hazards/risks.  This week, I am working with a client located in a part of the country where they will be seeing temps 30+ degrees above normal for this time of year.  This is especially...

The following are highlights from the 2022 findings: … HomeRead More »

Safety MUST become a value rather than a priority. The great Steve Jobs explains that product selling (i.e., we are selling safety!) is about defining the organization’s values. He makes an excellent point that safety pros should keep in mind when trying to influence management commitment and culture around the safety effort.When he is talking about selling and promoting an Apple product, just...

When your process safety consultant tells you that “torque” does not matter… after you called him/her to ask about it after you read about torque in the owner’s manual of the component you are getting ready to install… it is time to FIND A REAL PROCESS SAFETY ENGINEER. Torque values are the pinnacle of DEFINING and MEASURING the capability of our PRIMARY CONTAINMENT...