Protection Measures Needed at Production Sites

Contributed by Eric C. Tofte, Director of Training, Evergreen Safety Council

Most of the time we talk about worker safety and so forth, but what about public safety and protection from litigation if someone goes on your property and gets hurt or killed? You do have some protection, but you better do what you can to keep unauthorized people off your property, especially if you have major hazards as the US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has just reported.

CSB Report Finds that Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Facilities Present Hazards to Members of the Public, Especially Children; CSB Issues Recommendations to EPA, State Regulators, NFPA, and API Aimed at Increasing Oil Site Safety and Security.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) released a new study of explosions at oil and gas production sites across the U.S., identifying 26 incidents since 1983 that killed 44 members of the public and injured 25 others under the age of 25, and is calling for new public protection measures at the sites.

The report examined in detail three explosions that occurred at oil and gas production facilities in Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas, that killed and injured members of the public between October 2009 and April 2010.

The CSB report found that children and young adults frequently socialize at oil sites in rural areas, unaware of the explosion hazards from storage tanks that contain flammable hydrocarbons like crude oil and natural gas condensate.

Safety & Health Solutions - December Issue

Contributed by Star Conrad, Director of Operations, Evergreen Safety Council 
Evergreen Safety Council produces a monthly newsletter covering a variety of safety topics. Each month we will provide a link here to the online PDF.

Inside this issue:

• Lead: Outdoor Hazards
• Violence in the Workplace
• Let's Get Personal About Protection
• Chemical Safety
• Steel Toed Boots vs. Forklift

You can also sign up to receive an electronic copy via email or hard copy via the mail. This link will also take you to a full archive with over four years of past issues.

So pour yourself a cup of coffee, sit back and read all about what's going on in the world of safety & health.

A little light reading from the CSB and NIOSH

Contributed by Eric Tofte, Director of Training, Evergreen Safety Council

On April 13, 2011 the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has deployed a four-person team to the site of an explosion in a fireworks storage facility near Honolulu, Hawaii. According to media reports, the incident occurred in a bunker used to store confiscated fireworks at Donaldson Enterprises, Inc. on Friday April 8.

We know that every industry has its safety concerns; however the construction industry has many unique concerns. The National Institute of Occupation Safety and Health (NIOSH) has a dedicated page for construction safety. This page has excellent information on construction specific issues.

Tesoro Accident Safety Video

Contributed by Eric Tofte, Director of Training, Evergreen Safety Council

Marking the one year anniversary of the tragic accident at the Tesoro Refinery in Anacortes, Washington, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) released a video safety message in which Chairperson Rafael Moure-Eraso urges refinery companies to “make the investments necessary to ensure safe operations,” concluding, “Companies that continue to invest in safety and recognize its importance will reap benefits far into the future.”

Award Winning Videos

Contributed by our Safety Intern Mary Czaja

Washington, DC, November 22, 2010 – The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) received awards for two safety videos at the annual Television, Internet, and Video Association of DC (TIVA DC) dinner on Saturday, November 13.

An animation depicting a massive sugar refinery explosion, which took 14 lives, won a gold award for best animation in its category. The animation appeared in a CSB safety video entitled Inferno: Dust Explosion at Imperial Sugar. Another CSB safety video, Combustible Dust: An Insidious Hazard was presented with the silver award for best educational/training video.