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March/April 2023 issue

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Regulation/enforcement
Safe systems of work
Sector: Energy
News

California OSH standards board regulates to curb refinery accidents

Open-access content Wednesday 7th June 2017
From the archive:  Just so you know, this article is more than 3 years old.

The "landmark" regulation comes almost five years after a chemical release and fire at US oil giant Chevron's refinery in the Californian city of Richmond, which reportedly caused 15,000 people to seek medical attention.

The new regulation provides a framework to help the state's refinery workers "anticipate, prevent and respond to hazards".

It requires employers to:

  • Carry out damage mechanism reviews for processes that can cause equipment and materials to degrade, including corrosion and mechanical wear, which are common technical causes of serious process failures.
  • Conduct a hierarchy of hazard controls analysis
  • Use root cause analysis when investigating any incident that results in, or could have resulted in, a major incident.
  • Perform and document a process hazard analysis of the effectiveness of safeguards that apply to particular processes and identify, evaluate and control hazards associated with each process.
  • Implement human factors programmes and examine issues such as staffing levels, training and competency, fatigue and other effects of shift work, and the human-machine interface.
  • Develop, implement and maintain written procedures that will ensure plant safety remains consistent during personnel changes.
  • Understand employees' safety attitudes, beliefs, perceptions and values and evaluate responses to hazard reports via process safety culture assessment programmes.

Several Californian refineries have already adopted some of the practices outlined in the new regulation and safety performance has improved at those refineries, the DIR said. However, major incidents still occur in the refining industry, it noted.

DIR director Christine Baker described the regulation as "the most protective legislation in the nation for the safety and health of refinery workers and surrounding communities".

The California Office of Administrative Law now has 30 working days to review and approve the regulation.

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Wednesday 14th June 2017
The incident, which took place in September 2014, occurred only a year after a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspection identified poor work at height standards at the same site, and work was stopped until improvements were made. The HSE had found numerous openings in the first floor, through which anyone working in the building could have fallen several metres. Training for site workers was also found to be inadequate.
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 NI Court of Appeal boosts builder’s jail sentence as deterrent

Thursday 25th May 2017
The court replaced Norman McKenzie’s suspended sentence with a custodial one which, it said, would act as a warning to the construction industry that offenders of gross negligence who put workers’ lives at risk would be sent to prison. Portadown farm owner Ivan Reilly had contracted McKenzie to assist with the construction of a three-bay farm shed at his premises.
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 Legal ruling could threaten companies’ right to keep ‘privileged’ documents from enforcers

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The Health and Safety at Work Act provides an exemption under s 20(8) for companies producing privileged documentation, which prevents regulators from accessing internal documents such as interview records when they are prepared for the purpose of instructing legal representatives.
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 Spring budget and occupational health

Friday 17th March 2023
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 Life-changing one tonne load fall results in £95,000 fine

Monday 13th March 2023
We spoke to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Andrew Johnson about a case where a one-tonne pallet of glass fell on a United Pallet Network (UK) Limited’s employee, causing life-changing injuries.
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 Energy giant fined £400k after uncontrolled oil leak

Friday 13th September 2019
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 ‘Culturally appropriate’ safety wear range launched

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 Health and safety regulations at risk under draft law

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 EU retained bill: governments must close gaps, not open them

Thursday 16th February 2023
Former head of policy at IOSH, Richard Jones CFIOSH, reflects on deregulatory initiatives of this decade, argues that socioeconomic challenges should instead lead to raised OSH standards, as good regulation can benefit all.
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 Penalties mount for vehicle parts maker on OSHA’s ‘severe violator enforcement programme’

Wednesday 10th August 2022
The US Department of Labor has presented an Ohio-based vehicle parts manufacturer on its ‘severe violator enforcement programme’ with a fine of $480,240 (approx. £373,000) after inspectors found it had continually exposed workers to multiple machine hazards
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 Dyson lands £1.2m fine after worker escapes more serious injuries

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 £3m fine for Carlsberg after ‘entirely preventable’ fatality

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