Category Archives: Contractors

Outsourcing your Contractor Selection Process – Can it be done?

Over the past few years we’ve seen an increase in the number of companies that use a 3rd party service to qualify their contractors. Often, these services screen the prospective contractor for their safety record / programs, insurance history / … Continue reading

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Appeals Court upholds Contractor PSM Citations

A maintenance contractor that provides skilled labor to perform skilled labor, electrical and mechanical work was cited by OSHA for violations of the PSM standard after their employee was injured by a chemical release. OSHA threw the book at them … Continue reading

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What’s the deal with Valve torque?

A common question I get is whether or not flanged and bonneted valves need to be torqued when they are installed. Unfortunately, many of these questions are due to OSHA citations – Ideally you want to answer this question BEFORE the … Continue reading

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Avoiding training requirements by hiring Contractors? Think again…

I am fortunate to have the opportunity to see a great many different ways to tackle PSM compliance as I audit PSM programs around the country. One thing that surprises me very often is how many people think that they … Continue reading

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A debate on Management of Change

Recently a group of safety yahoos got together to discuss a situation: You have a freezer with racking. The racking needs to be removed for XXXX reason. You hire a contractor to do the job. You evaluate and train the … Continue reading

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Do I need to train this contractor?

PSM require us to train all contractors “who could affect or be affected by” the ammonia refrigeration process. Here’s a good reminder why we train contractors working in a PSM facility to be aware of ammonia: “Fire officials say a … Continue reading

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