Recent Blog Posts

Respiratory Protection for Non-Technicians

May 31st, 2016

Are personnel who work near ammonia refrigeration systems required to be equipped with respirators per Title 8 CCR §5144 Respiratory Protection? This is a prudent question to consider before assigning employees to work near any hazardous material. The risk faced by personnel who inspect equipment, work in machinery rooms, on roofs, etc. yet never perform […]

Risk Management Program De-Registration

April 5th, 2016

If a process modification occurs that reduces a chemical inventory below the RMP threshold quantity, the facility is no longer subject to the requirements of USEPA’s Risk Management Program (Title 40 CFR §68). The proper protocol for notifying USEPA of this change is to submit a De-Registration Form which is contained within the RMP eSubmit Users Manual (Page 112). Once received […]

Emergency Response Coordination

March 7th, 2016

It is critical for facilities that store, handle, and use hazardous materials, to coordinate their emergency response activities with local first responders that may be involved in an emergency event. Site visits, phone calls, table top discussions, and joint training are all acceptable means to achieve this coordination. During an emergency, trust is critical to […]

Overview of Federal and California Process Safety Regulations (Part 3 of 3)

February 16th, 2016

This is a continuation of our blog series titled Overview of Federal and California Process Safety Regulations. Part 1 and Part 2 of our series can be accessed here and here. RMP vs. CalARP The California Accidental Release Prevention (CalARP) regulation is similar to USEPA’s Risk Management Program (RMP) with a few exceptions. The following is […]

Emergency Action and Response Programs

February 11th, 2016

Facilities that store hazardous chemicals understand that they must plan for emergency situations. However, when one attempts to research the regulatory requirements for emergency situations, you can quickly become confused. For a facility in California that utilizes Hazardous Materials there are several emergency response-related regulations that you must be familiar with. Hazardous Waste Operations and […]