Respondent is a private family-owned company that owns and/or operates facilities located in California and Arizona. Respondent specializes in repackaging and distributing chemicals and manufacturing chemicals onsite. The Facilities are located within populated residential, commercial, and industrial areas. The CA Facility receives and repackages anhydrous ammonia and manufactures aqueous ammonia in...

Respondent owns and operates an anhydrous ammonia refrigeration system facility in Altoona, Iowa (Respondent’s Facility). On or about September 21, 2022, representatives of the EPA inspected Respondent’s Facility to determine compliance with Section 112(r) of the CAA and 40 C.F.R. Part 68. Information gathered during the EPA inspection revealed that Respondent had over 10,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia...

Most organizations espouse a variety of values, some of which are intrinsically contradictory, so new employees must figure out for themselves what is really rewarded – customer satisfaction, productivity, safety, minimizing costs, or maximizing returns to the investors. Only by observing actual promotions and performance reviews can newcomers figure out what the underlying assumptions are by...

My training PowerPoint for maintaining, testing, and inspecting chemical hoses (including unloading/loading hoses) per my favorite RAGAGEP. SAFTENG members can download below. … HomeRead More »

      This is a HIGH-LEVEL overview of the many types and levels of energy isolation means and methods.  This is not widely recognized in the USA, but those businesses advanced in energy isolation/control plans use this approach. The key to this success is to incorporate these methods into process designs.  Members can download the ppt file below. … HomeRead More &r...

  Members can download my HIGH-LEVEL overview of what a PTW process should encompass.  All work permits should fit into this mini-management system. Members can download the ppt file below. … HomeRead More »

I have been writing about it since 2022, when OSHA said they wanted to revise its HAZCOM standard (1910.1200) to align with Revision 7 of the GHS standard.  Remember, the current HAZCOM standard is based on Rev. 3 of the GHS.  Now the 2024 International Fire Code (IFC) will recognize the new Categories of Flammable gases. FLAMMABLE GAS. A material that is a gas at 68°F (20°C) or less at 14.7...

HIGHER FLAMMABILITY   A3 R-50, R-170, R-290 R-600a, R-441a, R-1270 B3 R-1140 LOWER FLAMMABILITY   A2 R-142b, R-152a B2 R-30, R-40, R-611, R-717     A2L HFO-1234yf, HFO-1234ze NO FLAME PROPAGATION   A1 R-11 – R-14, R-22, R-113, R-114, R-115, R-134A, R-410A, R-449B, R-1234zd B1 R-10, R-21, R-123, R-764   LOWER TOXICITY HIGHER TOXICITY   A2L flammable refrigerants...

Today, we get a glimpse of the key changes to the 2024 International Fire Code (IFC): … HomeRead More »

A state Fire Marshal published their Top 20 Violations.  Many of these are learning opportunities:   Building Exterior Address – Address numbers should be plainly visible from the street side of the property. Fire Lanes – Fire lanes are designated by the Fire Code Official. Signage for fire lanes must contain the verbiage in the City’s Ordinance: “No Stopping, Standing, Parking, Fire Lane.”...

A useful baseline for any business that is in the charging and storage of batteries.   Storage Batteries Ohio Administrative Code (4123:1) Effective: September 1, 2023 (A) Battery charging areas will be designated for that purpose. (B) Employees will be instructed that: (1) When charging batteries, acid will be poured into water; water will not be poured into acid; (2) When charging batteries,...