Author Archives: Brian Chapin

About Brian Chapin

PSM / RMP Compliance Consultant

Hansen Relief Valve Recall

Posted on June 27, 2013 by Brian Chapin

If you use Hansen relief valves, this bulletin might be of use to you: . Hansen recently discovered that certain pressure relief valves sold to our customers for industrial use from February 16, 2011 to April 4, 2013 are more … Continue reading →

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West Texas Damage Photos

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Brian Chapin

I took a lot of pictures today while touring the damage in West, Texas. The album is open for viewing but I warn you that I am not a photographer and sometimes take a half dozen pictures of the same thing hoping … Continue reading →

Posted in Community Involvement, Incidents | Tagged | 2 Comments

So, you need a PSM coordinator…

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Brian Chapin

The Situation: Several times a month I get a call from a recruiter or a facility that desperately needs to fill a PSM coordinator position. They quickly learn something that many people in our industry are unaware of – quality … Continue reading →

Posted in Compliance, General Information, Training | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Texas Ammonia Explosion Coverage

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Brian Chapin

Just a quick note – I hope to update this later. The explosion in Texas has caused some reporters to imply that the company’s RMP filing for Anhydrous Ammonia was inaccurate because the “Worst Case Scenario” didn’t include an explosion … Continue reading →

Posted in Community Involvement, Compliance, EPA | Tagged , | 1 Comment

EPA & Tyson agree to settle in a BIG way

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Brian Chapin

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice announced a Clean Air Act (CAA) settlement with Tyson Foods, Inc. and several of its affiliate corporations to address threats of accidental chemical releases after anhydrous ammonia was … Continue reading →

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Are Oil Separators a Confined Space?

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Brian Chapin

Quite a few people have been reporting that OSHA inspectors and consultants are making an issue of people not classifying their compressor oil separators as a confined space. This is vexing because unless your oil separators are “large enough and … Continue reading →

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The real cost of an OSHA/EPA fine isn’t the check you write

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Brian Chapin

Sure, it’s painful to write a check to pay fines, but if you think that fine is the cost of OSHA/EPA non-compliance, you’re in for a rude awakening. The real cost of a fine from OSHA or the EPA isn’t … Continue reading →

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Maximum Intended Inventory (1910.119(d)(2)(i)(C))

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Brian Chapin

Lately we’ve been seeing quite a few misunderstandings of the inventory calculations required by a PSM program so I thought I would try and explain it as simply as I can. Both the EPA’s RMP and OSHA’s PSM require you … Continue reading →

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How should I FIX a PSM program?

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Brian Chapin

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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What should you do if you get a notice of an EPA Risk Management Program inspection?

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Brian Chapin

Depending on your area you may get anywhere from five days up to six weeks notice for a scheduled  inspection from the EPA. You aren’t going to create a compliant, living PSM/RMP program in that time frame but there are … Continue reading →

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