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E-NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE - May 2011
Industry News
First Fully Web-based Incident Investigation and Root Cause Analysis Software Solution from ABS Consulting and EXP-Hazox Inc.
ABS Consulting and EXP-Hazox have created the first fully web-based solution that incorporates incident investigation and root cause analysis (RCA) into a single product.
The software is based on the industry-leading ABS Consulting RCA methodology. ABS Consulting has far surpassed other RCA software vendors by integrating the ABS Consulting's SOURCE™ RCA methodology into a flexible and innovative platform for incident and investigation reporting provided by EXP-Hazox Inc.
ABS Consulting and EXP-Hazox have developed a solution that provides cost-effective tools in the areas of safety and incident management. When an incident occurs, organizations need to easily identify and record the immediate causes as well as the deeper root causes of the event. Using state-of-the-art techniques and technologies, EXP-Hazox and ABS Consulting have developed a solution to help you determine the causes, prevent recurrence and promptly restore the confidence of workers, management, regulators and the public after an incident.
In 2009 alone, the U.S. Department of Labor reported a total of 3,277,700 nonfatal occupational injury and illness cases in the private sector. Of these, 94.9 percent were injury cases originating from incidents within the organization (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, October 2010). The cost to an organization of one disabling injury is between $39,000 and $390,000 on average (Source: National Safety Council, 2008).
The ABS Consulting SOURCE™ root cause methodology has been integrated into the highly flexible and scalable web-based EXP-Hazox software platform. Any organization will be able to easily configure the incident investigation and RCA solution to meet a specific organizational need or use the product out-of-the-box and take advantage of best practices gleaned from organizations around the globe.
One key feature of the incident investigation and RCA tool is the use of workflow and notifications to guide the user through the process of executing the investigation and analyzing the root causes. EXP-Hazox has integrated its very popular Corrective Actions/Preventive Actions (CAPA) tool, which allows users to link actions directly to root causes and then track the progress of the actions to completion.
The incident investigation and RCA tool provides an extensive set of reports and dashboards to easily manage your safety and incident management programs. The incident investigation and RCA tool extends value through full integration with many other EXP-Hazox VisionSuite solutions, including: Safety Observations, Site Safety Statistics, PHA tracker, Audit, Environment, Risk and Quality Management.
The EXP-Hazox and ABS Consulting incident investigation and RCA solution became available May 2, 2011, for direct licensing or on a Software as a Service (SaaS) subscription basis. EXP-Hazox will provide demonstrations and trial versions upon request.
For more information related to the incident investigation and RCA solution offered by EXP-Hazox, please contact EXP-Hazox at (732) 626-3700 or visit www.exphazox.com. For additional information or training related to the ABS Consulting Root Cause methodology, please contact ABS Consulting at (865) 966-5232 or visit www.absconsulting.com/root-cause-analysis.cfm.
ABS Consulting Structural Engineer Travels to New Zealand to Study Impact of Quake
Dr. Nathan Gould, Chief of Technology for the ABS Consulting Extreme Loads and Structural Risk Division, joined a multi-disciplinary research team documenting the effects of the February 22, 2011, earthquake that struck the City of Christchurch, New Zealand.
Led by the U.S.-based Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), Gould and the team focused on how engineered structures withstood the 6.3 magnitude earthquake. They also studied non-structural building components and geotechnical issues, such as liquefaction which was widespread over the impacted area.
The U.S. scientific and engineering community sought to study the Christchurch quake because even though it was technically an aftershock of the earthquake that occurred in the same region back in September 2010, the February event had a substantially greater impact to the built environment in Christchurch, Gould said. Although smaller in magnitude than the September event, the February event produced large horizontal and vertical accelerations in Christchurch, causing significantly more loss of life and damage to the infrastructure and economy.
"Several of us spent the first few days on site assisting the City of Christchurch with their building evaluations. In particular, we volunteered to help in inspecting and "tagging" damaged structures as the city did not have enough structural engineers available," said Gould.
The EERI's Learning from Earthquakes Program has sent reconnaissance teams to investigate hundreds of damaging earthquakes over the past 40 years, said Gould.
The final report of the study will be released in May.
New OSHA Injury Prevention Sheet Advises Shipyard Industry Employers, Workers of Hazards Involved in Rigging
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently published a new Safety and Health Injury Prevention Sheet (SHIPS) on rigging that explains what employers must do to protect shipyard workers from rigging hazards.
Workers performing rigging functions use ropes and cables to secure a ship's parts and sections for lifting by cranes, hoists, and other material-handling equipment. Loads that are improperly rigged can expose workers to hazards, including falls, electric shock, amputation, and being crushed by objects.
The SHIPS contains sections on how shipyard workers are exposed to hazards such as falls, shocks, and traumatic injuries. The SHIPS also describes cases of workers injured or killed while performing rigging operations. Pictures accompany the descriptions of the cases to illustrate unsafe work practices. The publication also contains analyses of the unsafe conditions and practices that contributed to the worker's injury or fatality, as well as measures employers should implement to prevent similar incidents from occurring.
"Far too many workers in shipyard employment have suffered severe injuries or have died from preventable hazards," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. "Employers who follow the guidance provided in this injury prevention sheet will create a safer, more healthful work environment for their workers."
This SHIPS offers training information written in plain language and includes mini-posters, making it reader friendly for workers and employers. OSHA has a number of other maritime-related information materials available on the OSHA Maritime Industry Web page. It provides employers and maritime workers with information and assistance to help them ensure a safe workplace by complying with OSHA standards. Included on the page are links to maritime standards and compliance assistance, information on the OSHA Maritime Outreach Training Program for employers and workers, and safety and health topics pages on specific maritime issues.
For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.
CSB Releases a Video Safety Message; Chairperson Rafael Moure-Eraso Calls on Industry to Invest in Preventive Maintenance
Marking the one-year anniversary of the tragic accident at the Tesoro Refinery in Anacortes, Washington, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) released a video safety message in which Chairperson Rafael Moure-Eraso urges refinery companies to "make the investments necessary to ensure safe operations," concluding, "Companies that continue to invest in safety and recognize its importance will reap benefits far into the future."
The video highlights the CSB's ongoing investigation into the April 2, 2010, accident that killed seven workers. At the time of the incident a heat exchanger was being brought online when the nearly forty-year-old piece of equipment catastrophically failed, spewing highly flammable hydrogen and naphtha, which ignited and exploded.
In the safety message CSB Chairman Moure-Eraso notes, "The Tesoro accident is only one of several fatal incidents that occurred in the oil and gas production and refining sector in 2010 alone. Serious incidents at refineries continue to occur with alarming frequency."
The CSB's safety message notes leading insurance industry statistics indicating that the U.S. refining sector has more than three times the rate of property losses of refineries overseas. Dr. Moure-Eraso urges companies to take action to prevent accidents, including the following:
- Implement a robust mechanical integrity program with an emphasis on thorough inspections of critical equipment
- Monitor process safety performance using appropriate leading and lagging indicators to measure process safety before major accidents occur
- Maintain an open and trusting safety culture where near misses and loss of containment incidents are reported and investigated
The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating serious chemical accidents. The agency's board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure, as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems.
The Board does not issue citations or fines but does make safety recommendations to plants, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA. CSB's final report can be viewed at www.csb.gov.
VISIT US!
AWEA Windpower
May 22-25, 2011
Anaheim, CA
Booth #4501
NPRA Reliability & Maintenance Conference
May 24-27, 2011
Denver, CO
Booth #648
FEATURED ABS CONSULTING TRAINING COURSES
Beyond Environmental Bootcamp
July 26-28, 2011 - ABS Institute - Houston, TX
This interactive workshop provides an understanding of the complex nature of the major environmental regulations, such as the Clean Air Act (CAA), Clean Water Act (CWA), RCRA, EPCRA, and CERCLA and teaches the skills needed to evaluate regulatory applicability and the tools to implement programs that achieve and maintain compliance with applicable regulations.
Root Cause Analysis and Incident Investigation
June 20-22, 2011 - Holiday Inn Oceanfront - Hilton Head Island, SC
- followed by -
Human Error Prevention
June 23-24, 2011 - Holiday Inn Oceanfront - Hilton Head Island, SC
Learn state-of-the-art techniques that have been proven throughout industry for doing incident investigation and root cause analysis. Realistic examples and workshops are used to help you practice your new skills. You also receive a Toolkit with checklists, forms, and guides to help you perform investigations.
Take the Root Cause Analysis course with its companion course, Human Error Prevention, and save money. In the second course, you will learn the real causes of human errors and examine error-likely situations in areas such as equipment design, procedures, communication, training, and more. You will also learn analysis techniques to pinpoint these error-likely situations.
Discount of the Month
Attend multiple courses scheduled in the same week and same location and save up to $250. Discount is reflected in Combined Course price. No training discounts apply to the Certified ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 Lead Auditor Training courses. Discounts may not be combined with other discounts. Click here for details.
Upcoming Courses: May 2011 - July 2011
*Take two or more courses during the same week to SAVE! Combination options are highlighted. View the course calendar for a complete list of courses.
ENVIRONMENTAL
Environmental Compliance Bootcamp |
Clean Water Compliance Institute |
Implementing ISO 14001 |
Regulatory Inspection Planning |
Combined Course: Certified ISO 9001 / ISO 14001 Lead Auditor |
OSHA Compliance Bootcamp |
Beyond Environmental Bootcamp |
Certified ISO 14001 Lead Auditor |
PROCESS SAFETY
Facility Siting Hazard Analysis Techniques |
Process Hazard Analysis Leader |
Management of Change |
Revalidating Process Hazard Analyses |
Advanced PHA leader |
Root Cause Analysis and Incident Investigation |
Human Error Prevention |
Hazard and Accident Analysis |
Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis Techniques |
Layer of Protection Analysis |
Safety Integrity Level |
THESIS Risk Management Basics |
THESIS Risk Management Theory and Practice |
Operating and Maintenance Procedures |
Conduct of Operations |
Process Safety Management Compliance |
Compliance Auditing |
SAFETY
OSHA Compliance Bootcamp |
QUALITY
ISO 9001 Lead Auditor |
MARINE
Classification and Statutory Surveys for Superintendents |
LNG Transport - Operational & Technical Overview |
Chemical Tankers: Operational and Technical Overview |
Classification of Submersibles |
Train the Trainer |
Hull Structure and Rules Compliance |
ISO 9001, QMS - Lead Auditor |
Offshore Rules and Regulations for Floating Production Installations |
Environmental Awareness |
ISO 14001:2004 Internal Auditor |
ISM Code Internal Auditor |
OHSAS 18001:2007 Internal Auditor |
Vetting Inspections for LNG Vessels |
Structural and Winterization Requirements for FOI's |
Certification of Drilling Systems |
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