Mislabeled Chemicals Leads to Evacuation of Oklahoma City Business
News,Newsroom,Fire Safety Tips
June 5, 2012
Labeling chemicals properly is critical to work place safety. A recent incident at Oklahoma City’s Macklanburg-Duncan is an illustration of this point. The company manufactures weatherproofing materials, adhesives and coatings,…
Fatal Hot Work Accident Kills Three
News,Newsroom,Fire Safety Tips,Recent Fire Events
May 25, 2012
Three workers are dead after an explosion occurred at an abandoned metal crude oil tank operated by Long Brothers Oil Company in Norphlet, Arkansas. The explosion happened earlier this week while the workers were performing hot…
Continuing Education Helps Fire Protection Engineers with Fire Sprinkler Industry Challenges
May 18, 2012
Continuing education is important in many fields and fire protection engineering is no exception. With rapidly changing technology and code updates, upgrading skills and the ability to adapt to new situations is becoming…
CSB Releases Report on Fatal Welding Explosion
April 27, 2012
On November 9, 2010 a highly preventable welding explosion occurred at the DuPont chemical plant that employs approximately 600 workers and is located in Tonawanda, NY. The explosion killed 57-year old welder Richard Folaron…
Which Facility Uses More Water During a Fire – Sprinklered or Unsprinklered?
April 27, 2012
If you had to guess if a sprinklered facility or an unsprinklered facility consumed more water during a fire incident, which facility would you choose? The Fire Protection Research Foundation conducted a study to answer that…
FM Global Relaxes Requirements for Very High Flashpoint “Ignitable” Liquids
News,Blog,System Design,Hazard & Risk Assessment,Fire Safety Audits
April 20, 2012
The newly published FM Global Data Sheet 7-29 on flammable and combustible liquids (now called “Ignitable liquids”) incorporates the very long awaited special consideration for high flashpoint liquids – those having a…
Industrial Oven Explosion at Bakery Injures One
News,Newsroom,Industrial Oven Fire
April 18, 2012
Last month, we summarized an article that appeared in Process Safety Progress magazine that illustrated the tragedies that can occur if gas fired industrial ovens and dryers are not correctly inspected, maintained and tested.…
New Research on Fire Detection in Warehouse Facilities
April 16, 2012
The Fire Protection Research Foundation recently released its first project phase report addressing the growing concern of fire safety solutions in modern-day warehouses. The first phase of the project was conducted in 2009 and…
Important Research Aims to Improve Personal Protective Equipment for Firefighters
News,Newsroom,Fire Safety Tips
March 29, 2012
In 2001, the U.S. Fire Administration documented the need to improve firefighter’s self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and facepiece design in order to withstand various extreme conditions, such as high heat loads. In the…
What Happens When Industrial Ovens & Dryers are not Inspected, Tested, and Maintained Properly?
News,Newsroom,Industrial Oven Fire
March 14, 2012
Severe accidents may occur if gas-fired ovens are not inspected, tested, and maintained properly. In a recent article in Process Safety Progress, authors Quentin A. Baker, Daniel J. Benac, and Douglas B. Olson, discuss an…
Combustible Dust Regulations Still Not on the Horizon for OSHA
News,Newsroom,Combustible Dust
March 2, 2012
February 20th marked the ninth anniversary of a devastating combustible dust explosion at a CTA Acoustics facility in Corbin, Kentucky, a fiberglass insulation manufacturer for the automotive industry. The explosion killed…
Combustible Dust Caused Two Explosions at Apple Suppliers
News,Newsroom,Combustible Dust
February 22, 2012
In an effort to improve worker safety, labor rights, and environmental impact, Apple recently released its annual Supplier Responsibility Report. The report confirms that two explosions that occurred last year at separate…
The Little General Tragic Propane Explosion Hits its Fifth Anniversary
News,Newsroom,Propane Explosion
February 16, 2012
This year marks the fifth anniversary of a tragic propane explosion that occurred at Little General convenience store in Ghent, West Virginia. The explosion killed a total of four people, including two emergency responders and…
Fire Erupts Inside Construction Contractor’s Storage Trailer
News,Newsroom,Construction Storage Fires
January 31, 2012
Firefighters in Spokane, WA recently responded to a fire in a construction contractor’s storage trailer at the Avista Corporation’s main corporate campus property. The first-arriving firefighters reported finding the…
CSB Releases New Combustible Dust Safety Video
News,Newsroom,Combustible Dust
January 12, 2012
In 2011, three incidents involving combustible iron dust occurred at the Hoeganaes Corporation in Gallatin, Tennessee. Flash fires and an explosion resulted in the death of five workers and injured three others. The US Chemical…