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October 28, 2021

Employee Location Monitoring in a Post-Pandemic World

Employee Location Monitoring in a Post-Pandemic World: The COVID-19 pandemic has unearthed a number of challenges for power plant managers. However, technology exists to keep workers safe. Through the use of Location Anchors and WirelessHART infrastructure

October 24, 2021

Improving Asset Inspections with Drones and AI

Improving Asset Inspections with Drones and AI: The U.S. bulk electric system has more than 360,000 miles of transmission lines, which means power companies have a lot to inspect. Drones and AI can help.

October 20, 2021

Flame-Resistant Clothing: Everything You Need to Know

Flame-Resistant Clothing: Everything You Need to Know: Flame-resistant (FR) garments are an important safety item for workers in the power industry. However, protection varies based on the arc rating of the clothing. Wearers must understand how the FR clothing

October 16, 2021

Protecting Battery Energy Storage Systems from Fire and Explosion Hazards

Protecting Battery Energy Storage Systems from Fire and Explosion Hazards: There are serious risks associated with lithium-ion battery energy storage systems. Thermal runaway can release toxic and explosive gases, and the problem can spread from one malfunctioning cell to neighboring cells, resulting in catastrophe.

October 12, 2021

Preventing and Mitigating Oil Fires in Power Plants

Preventing and Mitigating Oil Fires in Power Plants: It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. However, photos of the conflagrations that have resulted from ignition of minor lube oil leaks on a typical steam turbine room floor will leave you speechless. Full-scale physical simulations of oil fires by the insurance company FM Global leave no doubt that power plant fire prevention and mitigation is a judicious blend of art and science.

October 8, 2021

Does your safety observation system create victims, villains?

Does your safety observation system create victims, villains?: Chances are you have a behavior-based safety (BBS) process in place for all of your projects. And the reason you have that BBS process to begin with is to reduce accidents.

October 4, 2021

FATALITY DUE TO EXPLOSION IN NITRIC ACID TANK

 A small steel process tank was filled with multiple metal baskets of tantalum capacitors cooked overnight in hot nitric acid. The hot nitric acid was used to remove some of the epoxy resin encapsulant from a tantalum anode. The nitric acid was drained each morning after the capacitors were cooked. The baskets of cooked capacitors were removed and rinsed in water. Mostly tantalum anodes remained. Employee #1 was killed and five other employees were seriously injured as a residue, containing picric acid, exploded, when Employee #1 placed a basket back into the drained tank, presumably to remove more encapsulant. Picric acid (trinitrophenol), and possibly other unstable nitrated compounds, formed in a nitration reaction between nitric acid and the bisphenol moiety of the epoxy resin. These nitrated compounds precipitated out of the nitric acid solution. Over time, as the spent nitric acid was drained from the tank after each batch, the precipitated nitrated compounds would accumulate on the inside surface of the tank. The spent nitric acid was typically used for multiple batches further concentrating unstable nitrated compounds on the tank's surface. Placement of the basket was likely the source of ignition. The explosion was estimated to be of a magnitude similar to an explosion involving more than 5 pounds of trinitrotoluene. The five seriously injured employees were treated for burns and bruises at a local hospital. 

 Source:OSHA.gov