BP explosion, PSM standard & warehouse injuries
What’s going on in EHS this week? Find out with Safety at the Frontline!
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Explosion in BP oil refinery
Last week, two people were killed in a massive fire and apparent explosion at a BP oil refinery in Toledo, Ohio. The fire was extinguished shortly after, and the refinery was safely shut down and remains offline.
A contracting company is on-site assessing the damage and the U.S. Chemical Safety Board is also investigating the incident. The fire’s official cause is unknown, but leaking fumes from a crude unit may have caused the ignition in another unit at the facility.
The more than 100-year-old refinery has been offline since the middle of last week following the explosion and could be shut for several months.
Changes to the PSM standard
OSHA is holding a virtual informal stakeholder meeting to seek public comments on potential changes to the PSM standard. The meeting will be held on Oct. 12, 2022, instead of the originally scheduled date of Sept. 28.
The agency is considering several potential changes to the scope and provisions of the current PSM standard and will provide a brief overview of its work on the PSM rulemaking project before hearing public comments.
The meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EDT so make sure to register for the meeting and submit any written comments by November 14th.
Warehouse injuries
The Department of Labor created an alliance in Pennsylvania to help prevent injuries in warehouses. The injury rate of warehouse workers is 4.8 per 100 workers, s, while the average injury rate for other private industries is 2.7 per 100 workers. That’s why OSHA is trying to help employers do a better job.
In August of this year, the agency launched a five-year regional initiative in three Mid-Atlantic states and DC to protect workers and reduce injuries and illnesses in the warehousing, storage, and distribution yards industries.
The alliance seeks to provide employers in the warehouse and material logistics industries and the public at-large with information, guidance, and access to training resources to help reduce and prevent workers’ exposure to safety and health hazards.
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