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Author Archives: Brian Chapin
Speaking their language…
I recently came across this fatality report from NIOSH about a workplace fatality which included this quote: The foreign-born worker in this incident and a friend were hired together by a temporary agency to work as cleaners at the feed … Continue reading
The Failure of Lean/Six Sigma
I’ve been asked in a few emails to comment on how to apply Lean/Six Sigma to ammonia refrigeration and PSM programs. Short answer: Don’t. The long answer follows but feel free to skip this once your eyes glaze over! I … Continue reading
Posted in General Information, Standardization
Tagged General, Standardization
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Dumping Ammonia Down the Drain? That’s a bad idea and it will cost you!
“On Jan. 24, 2008, an ARC technician was performing a service job that required the removal of all ammonia from the refrigeration system’s 1,683-gallon holding tank, Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Morse said. After transferring most but not all of the … Continue reading
Posted in Community Involvement, Compliance, Incidents, Operator Training
Tagged EPA, Fines, Incidents, Operator Training
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Update your RMP at least Every 5 Years
EPA requires you to update your RMP at least every five years. It doesn’t take long to do at all if you haven’t changed much in the last five years. You’ll almost always find a little thing to change, even … Continue reading
Kent Ammonia Leak an Attempted Theft?
Usually the meth-makers pick on agricultural ammonia sources but they occasionally go to a cold storage as well: “The attempted theft of ammonia appears to be the cause of a leak Tuesday morning at the Washington Cold Storage facility in … Continue reading
Posted in Community Involvement, Good Engineering Practices, Incidents
Tagged RAGAGEP
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Everything is working just fine – Now is the time to improve!
Ever get down because the operator that is always “fixing” a “broken” refrigeration system is viewed as a hero while the operator who reliably and efficiently operates a system is forgotten about? Read on and see what I think you … Continue reading
Posted in General Information, Standardization, System Optimization
Tagged Efficiency, Standardization
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Garden City Ammonia Program PodCast
I recently had a long conversation with Craig Ward of Garden City Ammonia Program. He turned it into an episode for their GCAP Cool Cast. You can listen to the entire conversation here. As always – feedback is welcome.
Posted in Community Involvement, Compliance, General Information, Good Engineering Practices, Operator Training, Standardization
Tagged Biography, Efficiency, EPA, General, Incidents, Mechanical Integrity, OSHA, PSM, RAGAGEP, RMP, Standardization
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SOP Development Tip – Leave the Multitasking to the Computers
As any parent can attest, it’s possible (though hardly optimal) to do two things at once – as long as none of the tasks you are performing require much thought. You’ve probably noticed that when you multi-task it’s very easy … Continue reading
Posted in Operator Training, SOP Development, Standardization
Tagged SOP
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Updated Links
I’ve added a bunch of links concerning ammonia refrigeration and process safety management to the right hand side of the page. A few contractors, a lot of manufacturers and vendors as well as some other useful sites. If you know … Continue reading
RAGAGEP: Just what is it?
RAGAGEP stands for Recognized and Generally Accepted Good Engineering Practice. OSHA: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.119 (D)(3)(ii): “The employer shall document that equipment complies with recognized and generally accepted good engineering practices.” EPA: EPA 40 CFR 68.73 (d)(2): “Inspection and testing … Continue reading
Posted in Compliance, General Information, Good Engineering Practices
Tagged EPA, OSHA, PSM, RAGAGEP, RMP
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