Category Archives: Culture

Learning from Failure

“Failure is only opportunity to begin again. Only this time, more wisely.” –Henry Ford We often push PSM practitioners to perform Incident Investigations for fairly minor events in the hopes that the lessons learned from those minor incidents will stop … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, General Information, Good Engineering Practices, Incidents, OSHA, System Optimization | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Learning from Failure

Authorized Personnel Only

Found a funny sign on the internet and someone wanted it for their very own. Here’s my version of the traditional Machinery Room Door Sign: Update: At the request of a friend, here’s another:    

Posted in Culture, Oddities | Tagged | Comments Off on Authorized Personnel Only

Pencil-Whipping can Kill

What is it? Pencil-whipping is when you complete a form, record, or document without having performed the implied work or without supporting data or evidence. Here are some common examples in NH3 refrigeration: Completing “word orders” without conducting the work … Continue reading

Posted in Compliance, Culture, General Information, Incidents, Inspections, Mechanical Integrity, Operator Training, System Optimization | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Pencil-Whipping can Kill

Militarized Incompetence or Unintentional Sabotage

  In 1944, near the end of WW2, the Office of Strategic Services (the forerunner to the CIA) released a field guide called the “Simple Sabotage Field Manual.” The purpose of the suggestions in the manual was “to present suggestions … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Incidents, Oddities, Training | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Militarized Incompetence or Unintentional Sabotage

APR’s aren’t Magic

When I see people writing “Have a Full-Face APR (Air Purifying Respirator) nearby, within arm’s reach” in their Line/Equipment Opening (aka Line Break) procedures, my blood-pressure shoots through the roof. Yes, I know I am a rather excitable guy by … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Incidents, Operator Training, Training | Tagged , , | Comments Off on APR’s aren’t Magic

We’re all in this together

It was great to meet so many friends and colleagues in Las Vegas last week for RETA’s annual conference. While all business is about personal relationships, most people recognize that the Ammonia Refrigeration industry is a uniquely tight-knit group. I’ve … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Operator Training | Tagged , , | Comments Off on We’re all in this together

What the Ammonia refrigeration industry can learn from West, TX

Last night I attended the CSB Public Meeting in Waco, TX concerning the 2013 West, TX Ammonia Nitrate explosion. The purpose of the meeting was to release their report on the incident. The explosion resulted in 15 fatalities and 260 … Continue reading

Posted in Community Involvement, Compliance, CSB, Culture, Good Engineering Practices, Incidents | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on What the Ammonia refrigeration industry can learn from West, TX

OSHA fines to rise 80%?

OSHA Defense Report says that the  “Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015,” gives OSHA the green light to increase penalty amounts to catch up with cost of living adjustments since the last time OSHA’s civil penalties … Continue reading

Posted in Compliance, Culture, OSHA | Tagged , | Comments Off on OSHA fines to rise 80%?

Change is coming to the Industrial Refrigeration world…

I have seen the future and it is going to mean some very large changes for the Industrial Refrigeration industry. As always, I want to talk about something else, before I get to my point… I want to talk about … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, General Information, Training | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Change is coming to the Industrial Refrigeration world…

Opinion: Why many Safety Programs fail to get results

The question that vexed me Over the past few years as a traveling PSM auditor I was exposed to hundreds of different safety programs. There were small, flat organizations with dozens of workers and large international conglomerates with thousands of … Continue reading

Posted in Compliance, Culture, System Optimization | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Opinion: Why many Safety Programs fail to get results