Tag Archives: PSM

Trevor Kletz on “macho culture” in the PSM regulated world

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Brian Chapin

If you are unfamiliar with Trevor Kletz, to the PSM world he’s the equivalent of what Elvis was to Rock ‘n’ Roll… “Many workers don’t see the need to follow all the rules or the permit-to-work procedures… Our job, they … Continue reading →

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Bostik Fines – Following up on Audit Recommendations MATTERS!

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Brian Chapin

BOSTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Bostik Inc. for 50 alleged violations of workplace safety standards following a March 13 explosion at the company’s Middleton plant in which four workers were injured. … Continue reading →

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The Regulatory Challenge

Posted on August 24, 2011 by Brian Chapin

I came across two recent articles that touch upon the ever-increasing size of the challenge businesses face when it comes to regulation. It’s interesting to see the size of the regulatory apparatus compared to private enterprise: “If the federal government’s … Continue reading →

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PSM NEP Podcast

Posted on August 11, 2011 by Brian Chapin

I spent about two hours in the recording studio today with Jeremy Williams of GCAP. You can listen to the first part of our conversation on the NEP at GCAPCoolCast.com I’ve spent the last three weeks at GCAP re-working the … Continue reading →

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PSM National Emphasis Program

Posted on August 6, 2011 by Brian Chapin

If you aren’t familiar with the NEP (National Emphasis Program) currently going on in specific regions it would be well worth your time to get up to speed. Even if you have a top-notch program you’ve got a LOT of … Continue reading →

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Tanner agrees to install $345,000 in ammonia leak detection systems

Posted on July 20, 2011 by Brian Chapin

“While Tanner did take some actions to address the risks of an accidental release of ammonia at its facility in Rhode Island, Tanner failed to address the risk associated with the fact that its facility is not staffed except when … Continue reading →

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Do I need to train this contractor?

Posted on April 18, 2011 by Brian Chapin

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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Garden City Ammonia Program PodCast

Posted on January 12, 2011 by Brian Chapin

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.

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RAGAGEP: Just what is it?

Posted on December 26, 2010 by Brian Chapin

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 →

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Unattended Operation? Better get Ammonia Detection!

Posted on November 21, 2010 by Brian Chapin

Certainly your ammonia technician will pick up any minor leaks during a regularly scheduled walk-through of the facility. But what if that leak starts at 6pm Friday evening and everyone is gone for the weekend? You had better have some … Continue reading →

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