Thursday, April 1, 2010

U.K. Autoclave Explosion Results in £10,000 Fine

http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2010/coi-nw-054moseleyrubber.htm

This 2008 incident in the U.K. sounds eerily familiar of the autoclave explosion occurring in Illinois in December 2009.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Australian Safety Alert: Boiler Explosions

http://www.safetowork.com.au/news/nopsa-safety-alert-on-boiler-furnace-explosions

Brings back memories of the catastrophic Valero boiler explosion on Dec. 4, 2009, from a startup failure

Australian National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority (NOPSA) Safety Case Approach utilizes an objective based (or goal setting) regime for workplace safety.

"The workforce must be involved.Workforce involvement is necessary so they know what happens in practice and why. This makes it more likely that they do the rig...ht thing because they know why, rather than relying on a 'rules-based' culture. "

In contrast here in the USA, the workforce in not involved in developing a safe workplace. Thus our OSHA rules based prescriptive culture with incentives (citations/fines) that the OSHA Director recently emphasized at a congressional hearing. Wouldn't it be nice if someday we could collaborate with our global trading partners so as to learn of alternative solutions in occupational health and safety? Of course the politics of ever changing administrations does not allow that.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Thermal-Oil Boiler Explosion, 3 Fatalities-Germany

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world/three-workers-die-in-brilon-germany-plant-blast_100315565.html

"An explosion at a biomass plant sited at one of Europe's largest chipboard-manufacturing factories resulted in the deaths of three workers February 5."

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Valero Sues Company, Catastrophic Boiler Blast

http://www.setexasrecord.com/news/225570-valero-sues-manufacturer-over-faulty-boiler

"On Dec. 4, 2009, spurred from a startup failure that eventually led to a blast killing one worker and injuring two. An "unexpected and undesigned" mixture of air and fuel gas inside the firebox reportedly ignited the blaze."

Boiler Blast in Ontario, Canada -late ignition

http://www.markdalestandard.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2506366

"It looks as though we had a late ignition in the boiler," Dennis Dick, manager of plant service operations at the board, said in a statement. "It's similar to when your gas barbecue doesn't light the first try and then all of a sudden you get a large flame when it catches."