Recordkeeping for Process Safety: Permit Retention

“A memorandum is not to inform the reader but to protect the writer.”  — Dean Acheson A reader asked me “How long do I need to keep confined space entry permits for a covered process?” He knew my thoughts on retaining hot work permits and wondered if the same approach applied to other permits in [...]

Quantifying Consequences: RQs

“Quantity and persistence will get you the outcomes you need.”  — James Altucher One of the challenges of process hazard analysis is risk assessment. To determine whether additional risk reduction is required, the team must quantify the risk and compare it to risk tolerance criteria. For the risk tolerance criteria to be useful to the [...]

By |2025-07-03T14:53:11-05:00July 3rd, 2025|Chemicals, PHA, Process Safety|0 Comments

Hazard Communication: Does Whiskey Need an SDS?

“Whisky making is an act of cooperation between the blessings of nature and the wisdom of man.”  — Masataka Taketsura While on a tour of a craft distillery, the distiller (and owner) and I got to talking about the safety aspects of distilling whiskey. The question of whether whiskey needed an SDS came up. It [...]

By |2025-05-15T12:46:01-05:00May 15th, 2025|Chemicals, Procedures, Process Safety|Comments Off on Hazard Communication: Does Whiskey Need an SDS?

A+: What Is A Perfect PHA?

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.”  — Vince Lombardi I don’t believe that I have ever facilitated a perfect PHA. The question is, how would I recognize it if it was perfect? And would others agree? What exactly is a perfect PHA? A PHA Identifies Hazards The primary [...]

By |2025-05-08T16:39:47-05:00May 8th, 2025|PHA, Process Safety, Process Safety Management, Recommendations|Comments Off on A+: What Is A Perfect PHA?

Beyond the Limits: Extreme Oxygen

“Oxygen is the vital ingredient for the survival of every cell in our bodies. Too little—or too much—can spell disaster.”  — Venki Ramakrishnan A reader recently complained about OSHA’s insistence on defining the safe limits of oxygen in terms of volume percent: 19.5% by volume to 23.5% by volume. “The fact that OSHA does not [...]

By |2025-05-01T09:33:23-05:00May 1st, 2025|Procedures, Workplace Safety|Comments Off on Beyond the Limits: Extreme Oxygen

“OSHA Says”: Thermal Exposure

“If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen.”  — Harry S. Truman For decades, I’ve told people that OSHA requires thermal protection on surfaces over 140°F (60 C) up to a height of 7 feet. People just accepted that because a) I was the expert and b) it made sense. Recently, though, [...]

By |2025-05-23T13:13:02-05:00April 10th, 2025|PHA, Process Safety, Risk Assessment, Workplace Safety|Comments Off on “OSHA Says”: Thermal Exposure

Process Safety: On the Bourbon Trail

“Devils drinking devils and the flames are getting higher. All of Bardstown’s crying tonight, Heaven Hill’s on fire.”  — Shannon Lawson, The Galoots Chris Schmidt and I recently returned from a week-long trip to Kentucky to enjoy the countryside and to sample bourbons from some of the 46 distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. As [...]

“It’s Probably Water”: Is That Good Enough?

“You can’t trust water. Even a straight stick turns crooked in it.”  — W. C. Fields ChrisSchmidt and I recently visited several distilleries on Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail. After tasting one particularly strong whiskey, she reached for a tall glass of clear liquid to chase it down. “Yeah, that’s probably water,” said our tasting guide, hinting [...]

By |2025-03-27T08:31:27-05:00March 27th, 2025|Chemicals, Process Safety, Process Safety Management, Workplace Safety|Comments Off on “It’s Probably Water”: Is That Good Enough?

Falls: When PPE Is All You Have

“You may reasonably expect a man to walk a tightrope safely for ten minutes; it would be unreasonable to do so without accident for two hundred years.”  — Bertrand Russell Many of us face a dilemma when it comes to fall hazards. Particularly when it comes to maintenance. The hazards are unavoidable, the consequences of [...]

By |2025-02-20T10:08:14-06:00February 20th, 2025|Risk Assessment, Workplace Safety|Comments Off on Falls: When PPE Is All You Have

Bad Ideas: Abolishing OSHA

“The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 is repealed. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is abolished.”  — the complete text of Section 2 of H.R. 86, introduced by Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) I’m not really sure what Andy Biggs hoped to accomplish by introducing his “Nullify Occupational Safety and Health Administration Act” (NOSHA [...]

By |2025-02-14T08:37:59-06:00February 13th, 2025|Current Events, Workplace Safety|Comments Off on Bad Ideas: Abolishing OSHA
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