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If your organization uses an external workforce to complete work on your job site, you know firsthand how many little intricacies you must account for in creating a safe work environment. As a safety professional, you are well aware of the time and resources it takes to create an effective safety and compliance program that […]
On October 16, 2018, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and its State Plan partners began implementing OSHA’s national Site-Specific Targeting Inspection Plan (SST Plan) for general industry (nonconstruction) workplaces that have 20 or more employees.
Q. Does changing the frequency of inspections from weekly to monthly for oil storage facilities that receive infrequent fuel deliveries (one per year or less) constitute a technical change that requires a professional engineer (PE)?
Substitution Is First Choice The EPA and OSHA recently issued a joint “alert” to encourage the use of inherently safer technologies (IST) at chemical facilities. The Chemical Safety Alert: Safer Technology and Alternativesis intended to lay the groundwork for a future guidance document by introducing safer technology concepts and general approaches. According to the Alert, […]
Cathodic Protection Cathodic protection uses direct electrical current to mitigate corrosion. There are two types of systems for cathodic protection: Sacrificial anodes, which can be attached to a coated steel UST for corrosion protection. Sacrificial anodes are pieces of metal more electrically active than the steel UST. Because these anodes are more active, the corrosive current […]
What ASTSWMO UST Task Force Found The ASTSWMO UST Task Force solicited information for fiscal year 2012 from all 50 states, five territories, and the District of Columbia in an effort to determine the violations most often encountered during UST compliance inspections. Responses were received from 35 states and territories, covering nearly 59,000 UST inspections […]
According to the EPA, while information on sources and causes of releases show that releases from tanks are less common than they once were, releases from piping and spills and overfills associated with deliveries have emerged as more common problems. The Agency attributes the lack of proper operation and maintenance of UST systems as a […]
In this case, a foundry coke manufacturer in northern New York State will pay $2.75 million for alleged CAA, CWA, and EPCRA violations—and that is just the fine. ‘Citizen Scientists’ Complained A critical point in this case is that federal and state inspections came in response to local citizen complaints. The community even did their […]
BMPs for Storing Anhydrous Ammonia Good Housekeeping Maintain good housekeeping practices. Ensure good housekeeping procedures are followed in the compressor/recycle rooms and in the immediate vicinity of the evaporators. Accumulated supplies, equipment, and debris delay detection of equipment damage or ammonia leaks. Maintain complete and accurate piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs) of the ammonia refrigeration […]
Why You Have to Worry About Every AST Just a note before getting into preventing ruptures. Even if some of your ASTs do not contain a hazardous or regulated substance, their failure could damage nearby tanks that do contain hazardous substances and cause releases. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can cite a number […]