The federal agency whose mission it is to improve safety in the chemical industry would vanish if the budget proposal unveiled by President Trump this week takes effect.
The EPA has finalized a rule amending its Risk Management Program (RMP) regulations to reduce the likelihood of accidental releases at chemical facilities and improve emergency response activities when those releases occur.
In a startling development, federal investigators have determined that the deadly and destructive 2013 fertilizer plant blast in West, Texas was no accident.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has voted to update the status of sixteen recommendations resulting from twelve accident investigations including key safety improvements resulting from the 2006 CAI/Arnel fire and explosion in Danvers, MA and the 2005 BP Texas City refinery fire and explosion.
New interactive map details students, schools in danger
October 31, 2014
One in three American schoolchildren attends school within the danger zone of a hazardous chemical facility, according to a report by the Center for Effective Government. The advocacy group has produced a new interactive map of the 48 lower states that illustrates the high-risk areas.
Investigation found lack of regulation at all levels of government
April 23, 2014
The lessons learned from the deadly 2013 West, Texas explosion and fire are not being passed along to emergency responders in other communities with facilities that store ammonium nitrate (AN), according to the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB).
As the number of chemical disasters and injuries continues to mount in 2014, evidence shows that the risks that chemical facilities present to the local communities in which they are located are greater than many residents previously understood. The Center for Effective Government has created a set of maps, showing how close many of these facilities are to schools and hospitals.
With the devastating April 2013 explosion in West, Texas still fresh in the minds of Americans, OSHA is hoping that a just-initiated partnership with the Agricultural Retailers Association and The Fertilizer Institute will help prevent future tragedies involving ammonium nitrate – the culprit in the West, Texas catastrophe.
West, Texas fertilizer plant explosion is biggest story on ISHN.com
December 24, 2013
The West Fertilizer plant explosion in Texas garnered a great deal of attention from ISHN.com visitors. Also on their reading list: temp worker safety, confined space tragedies and arc flash hazards. Here are the most-read Facility Safety stories of the year:
Could more inspection power have prevented the tragedy?
October 14, 2013
The fine levied by OSHA against the company whose West, Texas fertilizer storage facility exploded in in April, killing 15 workers, “sends a message,” according to one worker safety coalition – but also highlights how understaffed the agency is.