Any time a catastrophic event occurs that is related to an industrial or manufacturing process, there is speculation as to how it could have been prevented. Was it human error? Were the safety standards followed? Did the company know there was a potential hazard? Many companies equate assuring worker safety with following OSHA mandates. Although OSHA’s regulations apply to a long list of situations, not all environments where hazardous materials are handled are covered. Despite the fact that OSHA has been in force since the early 70’s, there are many vulnerable areas in terms of safety they have yet to address. Then too, with new technologies and products come new hazards. That leaves the onus to fully protect workers on the companies themselves. To make this easier, SSOE advises its clients to apply “ready-to-use” OSHA procedures voluntarily even to areas or industries that are exempted or are not yet covered. One method for identifying potential safety hazards is a Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) that OSHA requires of companies engaged in the processing or handling of hazardous chemicals. The Three Ws of a Process Hazard Analysis PHAs take place in a single meeting, or series of them, and have a prescribed format. Continue Reading →

SSOE’s Cliff Reese, PE and Bruce Taylor of Midland Engineering are featured in Hydrocarbon Processing magazine’s November 2012 issue. The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is implementing special initiative programs that target companies in the petroleum and chemical industries Continue Reading →

Findlay, Ohio, June 29, 2011 - SSOE Group (www.ssoe.com), an international engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) firm, announced today that it was recently awarded the 2011 Contractor Safety & Environmental Excellence Award from Marathon Petroleum LP Marketing & Transportation Engineering. The award recognizes SSOE as a top safety performer for their facility located in Findlay, Ohio. Continue Reading →