Newsletter 81
Executive Summary Newsletter 81
Legislation, regulatory and compliance requirements, industry benchmarks and metrics drive a transparent approach to safety reporting for businesses. I do not disregard the importance of reporting, but to me, safety is far greater than mere metrics. Working in manufacturing across various industries for the bulk of my career, I have developed a stance on safety that relates its importance to the value of human wellbeing and life itself – a metric that has an intangible value, disproportionately higher than any possible gain or loss of compliance points.
Read moreBasis of Safety - BOS - final
Have you ever wondered about the story behind of the Basis of Safety? More importantly, how can you apply this essential framework within your company ? Discover the initiatives some Safex members have embraced, along with insights into competency and good explosives practices.
Read moreDeciding on the high-temperature trip and alarm levels for AN (Ammonium Nitrate) plant service
This paper looks at the instrumentation of an Ammonium Nitrate plant and explains the variety of temperature trips and alarms. For instance, 200ºC is used as an alarm on a pipe reactor. Or maybe even as low as 105ºC on a pump.
Read moreTanker Transport Explosions involving Ammonium Nitrate Emulsions
We in Australia have had two transport explosions of ANE tankers in the past two years. The first, in Western Australia was a single vehicle event. The second, in Queensland, involved two vehicles – a light vehicle crashed into the ANE tanker. To my knowledge, nowhere else in the world has had a deflagration-detonation transition (DDT) where ANE is the only chemical involved.
Read moreAngellala Creek Ammonium Nitrate Incident
It has now been ten years since the Angellala Creek ammonium nitrate incident at Bakers Bend near Charleville in Queensland, Australia.
Download pdfCrisis Management in the Industry
On March 9th, 2022, at 2:27:40am, an explosion took place on the main evaporator of the acetic acid Distillation System next to the HMX plant, at Rafaela Site. Three employees suffered non-life-threatening injuries, but there was destruction of the Distillation Column System, and considerable damage to the walls and services of the HMX plant.
Read moreLicense to supervise: a way to work SHES Responsibilities of Company Leaders
As part of the SHES Strategy for the Austin Powder LATAM Group, the development of SHES Leadership was defined as one of the pillars identified. A tool developed to work on this issue was the License to Supervise Program.
Read moreCleaning and Decontamination
Managing risk in the explosives industry is an ongoing task that requires a systematic and disciplined approach. Risks are always present, which implies the need for controls and strategies to manage hazards effectively and consistently. This is where activities such as cleaning and decontamination play a fundamental role, not only in ensuring operational safety but also in mitigating risks that could lead to incidents.
Read moreThe History of the Gunpowder Mills at Waltham Abbey
The Royal Gunpowder Mills at Waltham Abbey has a long and fascinating history. It has shaped military history as well as the development of civil industries such as mining and quarrying. It began as a family run business making gunpowder, but later became Crown property and a major local employer of workers in the Lea Valley.
Read moreReporting Requirements of materials that may contain PFAS
The US EPA is requiring all US manufacturers to spend hundreds to thousands of labor hours to generate reports identifying all materials and articles they imported between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2022 that contained any per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS, a broad family of chemicals including fluoropolymers like PTFE (aka Teflon) is a top priority of the EPA.
Read moreNixt conference
4 very interesting presentations from a recent NIXT conference in South Africa. The presentations coves a wide and interesting series of subjects and were presented by BME and AECI Mining.
NIXT Learning from Lead Azide Incident - NIXT Material of Construction - NIXT Planning for Safety - NIXT Transport of dangerous goods in electric vehicles
BlastON Annual Journal - 1st Edition 2020-2024 Features SAFEX
The BlastON Annual Journal, which launched its first edition in 2024, highlighted SAFEX International as a key safety-driven organization in the explosives industry. The editorial, authored by Dr. PSJ Halliday, Secretary General of SAFEX, delves into the organization's origins, growth, and its robust commitment to promoting safety, health, and environmental (HS&E) standards globally.
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