Tag Archives: PSM

How should I FIX a PSM program?

This might be one of the most common questions we’re asked: How do I resurrect a PSM program that has been neglected? Our answer is that you should deal with these broken programs no differently than if you are starting a … Continue reading

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PSM Citations – A year broken down by Industrial Classification

OSHA has posted a breakdown of PSM citations so you can compare industry groups that have been cited by Federal OSHA during the period October 2010 through September 2011. I plugged this data into Excel and ran some numbers between … 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 few links I wanted to share…

First up, S.K. Energy Consulting: There are some simple to understand articles on Floating Head Pressure and Optimizing Defrost. Check out the articles archives which contain almost 80 newsletters going back several years. Very informational site that I am surprised I … Continue reading

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Pressure Relief Valves – The Five Year Replacement Interval

There has been a lot of discussion recently about the five year inspection interval for Pressure Relief valves. I believe that a lot of this discussion comes from this quote out of the National Emphasis Program for Refineries CPL 03-00-010: … Continue reading

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The coming (and current) operator shortage…

One of the biggest issues facing an Ammonia refrigeration facility today is finding qualified and competent technicians to operate and maintain the system. It’s not uncommon for me to receive 2-3 emails or calls a week asking for help finding … Continue reading

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Two recent NH3 Refrigeration Fines

US Labor Department’s OSHA cites Rochester, NY, milk products manufacturer, proposes more than $200,000 in fines, for repeat and serious hazards. . $153k of the citations are Repeat citations. . Failing to address the hazards of oil draining in the PHA. … Continue reading

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Refresher Training

Many people struggle with Refresher Training. I think this is because the way they train to meet the PSM/RMP requirement is fundamentally flawed: Most places re-train each operator on EVERY SOP they are expected to perform at least every three … 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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PSM Covered Chemical Facilities National Emphasis Program goes NATIONWIDE!

OSHA promulgated the PSM standard in 1992 in response to a number of catastrophic incidents that occurred worldwide (See Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals, 29 CFR 1910.119).  These incidents spurred broad recognition that releases of highly hazardous chemicals … Continue reading

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