Taproot

CSB Releases New 3-Disc Safety Video DVD Set;

Contains 31 CSB Productions Depicting Variety of Accidents

Washington, D.C., June 5, 2013 – The U.S. Chemical Safety Board today announced production and release of a new three-disc, single-box set containing all safety videos produced to date for completed CSB accident investigations. The DVD set is available free of charge and may be ordered by filling out the DVD request form at www.CSB.gov.

CSB Chairperson Rafael Moure-Eraso said, “The CSB Safety Videos are known around the world for their forceful depiction of the events that lead to deadly releases, explosions and fires, and their clear explanations of the root causes of the accidents – all derived from the high-quality detailed investigations carried out by CSB staff. We believe the new three-disc set, including our latest videos, will facilitate distribution and bring safety awareness to an even higher level.”

Now included on the set’s Disc 3 are two videos released since distribution of the last two-volume DVD compilation:

• “Deadly Contract,” showing how five federal subcontractors died from an explosion during a fireworks disposal operation in Hawaii.

• “Inherently Safer: The Future of Risk Reduction,” examining the concept of inherent safety and its application across industry
CSB Safety Videos typically feature detailed animation sequences to depict the chemical processes and sequence of events that led to explosions, fires and releases causing injuries, deaths, damage and destruction of production facilities. They have received accolades from safety professionals around the world, telling the CSB they use the videos in training, seminars, board presentations and other venues as object lessons in the consequences of inadequate process safety management.

The videos have received numerous awards, the latest in November 2012 from TIVA, an organized of Washington, DC –based video professionals: “Experimenting with Danger,” on an academic laboratory explosion in Lubbock, Texas and “Hot Work: Hidden Hazards” received bronze Peer awards, while “Iron in the Fire” received a silver Peer award.

CSB videos may be streamed and downloaded at www.csb.gov from the CSB media room. They are also available on www.YouTube.com/uscsb.

Included in this release is a list with descriptions of the CSB videos contained on each DVD disc. To find accident investigations and related CSB safety videos by category of accident (such as dust, reactive chemicals, hotwork, confined space, etc.), click here on the CSB Completed Investigations page and use the drop down list under “Accident Type” and search. You may then visit individual accident investigation pages and view investigation reports and associated videos.

The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. The agency’s board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems.

The Board does not issue citations or fines but does make safety recommendations to plants, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA. Visit our website, www.csb.gov.

For more information, contact Communications Manager Hillary Cohen, cell 202-446-8094 or Sandy Gilmour, Public Affairs, cell 202-251-5496.

CSB SAFETY VIDEOS DVD LIST – RELEASED JUNE 2013

ALSO AVAILABLE AT WWW.CSB.GOV AND WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/USCSB

DISC ONE

1. Death in the Oilfield – An oil tank explosion kills three workers performing hot work.

2. Fire from Ice – Fire cripples a refinery after propane leaks from a frozen dead leg.

3. Static Sparks Explosion in Kansas – Static electricity ignites a storage tank, forcing a community to evacuate.

4. Emergency in Apex – A North Carolina town is evacuated when fire engulfs a hazardous waste depot.

5. Anatomy of a Disaster – A massive explosion kills 15 and injures 180 at the BP Texas City refinery.

6. Reactive Hazards – Four major accidents illustrate the dangers from uncontrolled chemical reactions.

7. Public Worker Safety – Two public employees burn to death performing unregulated hot work.

8. Explosion at Formosa Plastics (Illinois) – A preventable human error leads to a vinyl chloride explosion, killing five.

9. Hazards of Nitrogen Asphyxiation – Two contract workers suffocate while servicing a refinery process vessel.

10. Fire at Formosa Plastics (Texas) – Without safeguards, a small collision leads to a massive process fire.

11. Dangers of Propylene Cylinders – Gas cylinders, rocketing from a fire, endanger a St. Louis neighborhood.

12. Ethylene Oxide Explosion at Sterigenics – At a sterilization plant, bypassing a safety interlock has catastrophic results.

13. Dangers of Flammable Gas Accumulation – When acetylene explodes inside a shed, three workers lose their lives.

14. Preventing Harm from NaHS – Sodium hydrosulfide may create deadly hazards at pulp mills, mines, and tanneries.

DISC TWO

1. Fire in the Valley – A runaway reaction at a pesticide plant causes a catastrophic explosion and fire.

2. Deadly Practices – Fires and explosions result from intentional releases of natural gas into work areas.

3. Dangers of Hot Work – Key lessons to prevent flammable vapor explosions caused by welding and cutting.

4. No Escape: Dangers of Confined Spaces – A chemical fire erupts deep in a hydroelectric plant tunnel, trapping five workers.

5. No Place to Hang Out – After two friends die, Mississippi teens investigate the dangers of oil and gas sites.

6. Inferno: Explosion at Imperial Sugar – Accumulations of sugar dust fuel massive explosions, killing 14 workers.

7. Runaway: Explosion at T2 Laboratories – A heat-producing chemical reaction runs out of control, killing four workers.

8. Combustible Dust: An Insidious Hazard – Dust from industrial processes can become the fuel for devastating explosions.

9. Emergency Preparedness – Lessons from ten years of CSB investigations on preparing for chemical disasters.

10. Half an Hour to Tragedy – Remaining too close to a propane leak proves fatal to responders and others.

11. Blast Wave in Danvers – Solvent vapor explodes at a Boston-area ink plant, devastating a neighborhood.

DISC 3

1. Deadly Contract – An explosion and fire in Waipahu, Hawaii kills five workers during an operation to dispose of contraband fireworks performed under a federal contract.

2. Inherently Safer: The Future of Risk Reduction – An examination of the concept of inherent safety and its application across industry.

3. Hotwork: Hidden Hazards – Welding on top of a storage tank containing flammable vapor leads to tragic consequences.

4. Iron in the Fire – Three separate iron dust fires occur in 2011 at the Hoeganaes plant in Gallatin, Tennessee.

5. Experimenting with Danger – Serious accidents in academic laboratories happen while conducting chemical research.

6. Fatal Exposure: Tragedy at DuPont – Three accidents occur over a 33-hour period at the DuPont plant in Belle, WV.

Bonus Feature: About the CSB – Describes how CSB investigations help to prevent major chemical accidents.

CLICK HERE for more info and to apply. 

The 2014 Global TapRooT® Summit will be held at the Horseshoe Bay Marriott resort, Horseshoe Bay Texas. Horseshoe Bay is approximately one hour from Austin.

Located in Texas Hill Country, the 7,000-acre, AAA Four Diamond Horseshoe Bay Resort sits along the shore of constant-level Lake LBJ.

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The resort has 16 tennis courts, 4 pools, bike rentals, hiking trails, spa and fitness center, but if that is not enough, there are many other local attractions including Highland Lakes Air Museum, Longhorn Cavern State Park, Fredericksburg Shopping on Main Street, and Marble Falls.

Click image to view more photos.

Chemical Safety Board Deploying to Accident at  Williams Olefins Plant in Geismar, Louisiana

Washington, DC, June 14, 2013 – An investigative team from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is deploying to the scene of a fire and explosion that occurred on Thursday June 13, 2013, at the William Olefins Inc, Plant located in Geismar, Louisiana.

The investigative team will be led by CSB Western Regional Office Director Don Holmstrom and is expected to arrive in Louisiana over the weekend.

For more information, contact Hillary Cohen hillary.cohen@csb.gov 202.446.8094 (cell) or Sandy Gilmour sandy.gilmour@csb.gov 202.251.5496 (cell).

Safety Health & Fire Protection Administrator – New York Power Authority – Astoria, NY

Compliance Officer – Recruiter (DOE site) – Augusta, GA

Senior Production Engineer – Chemical Plant – New Orleans, LA

HES Drilling Consultant – Oxy – Houston, TX

Process Improvement Analyst – Saudi Aramco – Saudi Arabia

Mechanical Engineer II (Reliability) – Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold – Green Valley, AZ

Process Safety Manager – KIK Custom Products – Houston, TX

Metallurgical Engineer – Marathon Petroleum – Robinson, IL

Field Service Manager Cementing – Halliburton – Odessa, TX

Senior Health & Safety Specialist – Monsanto – St Louis, IL

Process Engineer – Business Services/IT – Philadelphia, PA

Compliance Officer (Occurrence Reporting) – Contact Job for DOE Site – Idaho

Quality Performace Analyst – IAP Worldwide – Cape Canaveral, FL

Electrical Reliability Engineer – New Page – Rumford, ME

Aerospace Systems Industrial Hygienist – UTC – Charlotte, NC

Safety & Training Supervisor – Parker Drilling – Gulf of Mexico, USA

Machinery Reliability Engineer – Chevron – Richmond, CA

Health and Safety Specialist – Koch – Orange, TX

PSM Specialist – Chevron – El Segundo, CA

OE Auditor – Chevron – El Segundo, CA

Safety Specialist – Danos – Larose, LA

Field Service Manager Wireline & Perforating – Halliburton – Alvarado, TX

Health and Safety Specialist – INVISTA S. r.l. – Koch companies – Orange, TX

PSM Specialist – Chevron Products Company – El Segundo, CA

OE Auditor – Chevron Products Company – El Segundo, CA

Mechanical Engineer – Mining – Green Vally, AZ

Safety Specialist – Danos – Louisiana

Safety & Training Supervisor – Parker Drilling Company – Mexico, MO

Machinery Reliability Engineer – Chevron Products Company – Richmond, CA

Corporate Safety Coordinator – Northern Tier Energy – St Paul Park, MN

Senior Safety & Health Specialist – Monsanto – St Louis, MO

Here are links to the two reports:

Near miss at Southwark Bridge Junction, near Elephant & Castle station, London on 21 January 2013

Signal NW36 passed at danger at Norton-on-Tees West on 16 January 2013

CLICK HERE for more info and to apply.

Health and Safety Specialist  – INVISTA S.à r.l. – Orange, TX

Compliance Officer – United Global Technologies – Piketon, OH

Senior Health and Safety Specialist – Monsanto – St Louis, MO

Corporate Safety Coordinator – Northern Tier Energy – St Paul Park, MN

Senior Safety & Health Specialist – Monsanto – St. Louis, MO

Corporate Safety Coordinator – Northern Tier Energy – St Paul Park, MN

People just don’t understand the danger at emergency scenes. They see smoke and head for the excitement. The following video shows three perspectives of the same explosion after a train derailment. Turn your audio off if you don’t want to hear the cussing (these videos are unedited).

Let you kids and friends know … Unless they are trained emergency responders they should NOT head for the scene of large fires to get a video. They could be filming their own death.

The Associated Press reported that:

“A British Airways jet that made an emergency landing at Heathrow Airport last week lost panels from both its engines after they were left unlatched during maintenance, accident investigators said Friday.”

“The covers detached as the plane climbed, damaging the airframe and some aircraft systems and rupturing a fuel pipe on the plane’s right engine, which developed an external fire. The pilots managed to land the plane on one engine.”

Seems like a pretty close call. Can your maintenance organization cause process safety accidents? What are you doing to improve maintenance reliability?

Should have attended our 5-Day TapRooT® Advanced Root Cause Analysis Team Leader Training. See the job opening at:

http://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=00d19a6d521eaf60&q=taproot+-foundation,+-Recruiting+-Services&tk=17s1s3ur4069g3cr&from=ja&alid=fc5fc686414db322&utm_source=jobseeker_emails&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=job_alerts

See:

http://www.thecareerengineer.com/job/1069924/berkshire/technical-support-engineer—graphics

See:

http://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=225ddae213ffa089&q=taproot+-foundation,+-Recruiting+-Services&tk=17rqkoa7n069g43a&from=ja&alid=fc5fc686414db322&utm_source=jobseeker_emails&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=job_alerts

For the AP article, see:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/29/marines-say-human-error-to-blame-for-mortar-accident-that-killed-7/

The Marines are actually blaming training and not following procedures.

However, the incident report was not released so we never will know what really happened.