4 ms·

All of the videos on that channel are great - it’s one of my favourites on YouTube. Some of them show horrible accidents ultimately caused by extremely silly pr

by 542458 3y ago

All of the videos on that channel are great - it’s one of my favourites on YouTube. Some of them show horrible accidents ultimately caused by extremely silly process issues (including nobody being responsible for cleaning in a factory, or failure to label the input pipes for a factory, or everybody in charge of monitoring a system skipping out on work). Also, it’s impressive how dramatic the quality increase is between the old videos and the new ones.

BaseballPhysics 3y ago
Or in this case, failure to flush dead leg pipes where popcorn polymer was known to form.
aaron695 3y ago
> extremely silly process issues None of these were silly. It takes an extraordinary amount of hard work and collective intelligence to fix these issues. > failure to label the input pipes for a factory Labels are not the end solution, no one reads labels unless they want something, anyone in IT should know this. (It's a great dark pattern trick) That video was a great example video of "Murphy's law" the engineer principle, not the joke. The problem is the solution, different attachments for different fluids goes against the safety of standardization. I've seen USCSB give advice I would consider incorrect or in question, they suggested locking compound gates. You can be directed to leave them unlocked to allow emergency evacuation in person or by car. I don't know what's better there, but USCSB needed to also address evacuation safety if they make statements like that. This stuff is hard and has to be applied to accidents that have not happened. It's a 'Bullshit jobs' mega-machine. [edit] I have the say the 30 second intro to the "Explosion at the Husky Superior Refinery" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFhkzK7jkKg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFhkzK7jkKg gave me goosebumps.
- sclarisse 3y ago
  The brain finds amusement when it detects a discrepancy between expectation and result. https://youtu.be/Tflm9mttAAI https://youtu.be/Tflm9mttAAI I think this one especially is simple enough of an error, and the consequences are so disastrous, that it’s reasonable to find it silly.
  - aaron695 3y ago
    [dead]
- MichaelZuo 3y ago
  > Labels are not the end solution, no one reads labels unless they want something, anyone in IT should know this. (It's a great dark pattern trick) That's pretty solvable in IT, just assign full responsibility for fixing the problem to whoever messes up via ignoring the labels.
  - lazide 3y ago
    Hard when ignoring the labels kills them before they can be punitively assigned the task I guess.
    - MichaelZuo 3y ago
      Hence why I said "in IT"? Did you misread my comment? Obviously in a chemical plant this would be futile in a lot of scenarios. And so much more complex proactive measures are the norm.
      - lazide 3y ago
        I guess I did! I thought you were saying it as a way of recommending it outside of IT.
- fdhfdjkfhdkj 3y ago
  [dead]
- calgarymicro 3y ago
  The USCSB didn't just recommend labels in that case (though that likely would have prevented the incident since it was caused by someone unfamiliar with the facility who might have read them). They also recommended making sure the connectors for the inlets were different so it would be physically impossible for the error to occur. That said, it's quite silly indeed that the inlets for two incompatible chemicals that would release toxic fumes if mixed were 18 inches apart, unlabeled, used the exact same connector, and were locked behind the same gate. I don't think it takes extraordinary collective intelligence to see how this could become a problem. The report for anyone who wants to know more: https://youtu.be/Tflm9mttAAI https://youtu.be/Tflm9mttAAI I don't recall the compound gate thing but I'd appreciate a link if you have one.
  - aaron695 3y ago
    > mixed were 18 inches apart, unlabeled, used the exact same connector. They were labeled. Same connector - Standardized connectors are safer. Every chemical can't have a different connecter. If the truck swaps connectors in and out per location you are mostly back to square one. The connectors were locked, that's the differential they choose. Except one wasn't, which is the same issue as the truck swapping connectors. It shouldn't have been possible to have two connectors unlocked at once. > were locked behind the same gate. Multiple gates creates other issues. > 18 inches apart This the problem, multiple gates a distance apart are an issue, but probably the solution. It also allows clear signage on the gate rather than than the 7 characters you can see on the connector label. I count 5 - 7 connections, they can't all be behind a gate, so there is no hard rule. > compound gate thing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh2HWT8gPeY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh2HWT8gPeY They actually want a 'written' policy to stop people coming in. People ram raid gates to get into compounds so they can't be flimsy. In an emergency power could be out and you can be in a car or running while on fire.
    - calgarymicro 3y ago
      > They were labeled Were they? It says they had labels some distance down the pipe, but they weren't labeled at the point where the hoses connected where someone could actually read it. > Every chemical can't have a different connecter. Every chemical doesn't have to have a different connector. Maybe just ones that will cause a dangerous reaction if mixed. > I count 5 - 7 connections, they can't all be behind a gate, so there is no hard rule. Sure. Again, a good rule of thumb would be to separate the ones that could cause rapid death. > They actually want a 'written' policy to stop people coming in. So no fire code issue then.
jrockway 3y ago
The one where a box factory blew up because of a chemical safety issue was a real eye opener. Who knew that if you make cardboard boxes, you have to be aware that sometimes municipal water has too much oxygen in it and it will cause your machinery to randomly blow up, destroy the neighborhood, and kill 4 people one day? I had no idea. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGVbGNdx7g0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGVbGNdx7g0
- creato 3y ago
  That’s a pretty charitable summary of the issue of pressure vessel safety. I’m just a hobbyist with tools in my garage and I’ve avoided buying an air compressor for air powered tools because I don’t want to have a pressure vessel to maintain. If I know this, industrial operations definitely should.
  - jrockway 3y ago
    Sure, pressure vessel rusts, pressure vessel explodes is pretty understandable, but it's surprising that you need a pressure vessel to make boxes.
    - pests 3y ago
      Eh, they needed steam to make the cardboard. Sounds reasonable.
  - SkyPuncher 3y ago
    A lot of the risk scales with size. I have a 2.5 gallon air compressor that does everything I need. Even if it has a blow out, it’s just not large enough to be risky.
    - chaosite 3y ago
      You're obviously right that the risk scales with size, but I'm still suspicious of pressure cookers. Yeah, it won't destroy the house, but I could still be seriously injured by it if the pressure release valve was clogged and I wasn't paying close enough attention.
reaperman 3y ago
You may really enjoy this book[1]. Very short chapters with pithy yet conversational analysis of a wide variety of disasters, including things like "pumps were labeled perfectly clearly, but due to one being installed at a later date and other being removed, they were numbered in a line going 1, 2, 3, 5, 4, 6". 0: Earlier edition of same book with awesome cover to get people to understand it's not a super boring textbook at all (in fact it's really not a textbook): http://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=83EEA4069C89A895711DEFADAC2EDC81 http://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=83EEA4069C89A895711DEFAD... 1: Latest edition: http://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=DC1C71A6B692001AA8FAFACA513F1638 http://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=DC1C71A6B692001AA8FAFACA...
flyinghamster 3y ago
Amazing videos that make me go ARGH. I remember when a silicone plant blew up in the NW Chicago suburbs, and sure enough they had a video, ready to make me facepalm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j8EprZP4IE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j8EprZP4IE

by 542458 3y ago

BaseballPhysics 3y ago

Or in this case, failure to flush dead leg pipes where popcorn polymer was known to form.

aaron695 3y ago

> extremely silly process issues None of these were silly. It takes an extraordinary amount of hard work and collective intelligence to fix these issues. > failure to label the input pipes for a factory Labels are not the end solution, no one reads labels unless they want something, anyone in IT should know this. (It's a great dark pattern trick) That video was a great example video of "Murphy's law" the engineer principle, not the joke. The problem is the solution, different attachments for different fluids goes against the safety of standardization. I've seen USCSB give advice I would consider incorrect or in question, they suggested locking compound gates. You can be directed to leave them unlocked to allow emergency evacuation in person or by car. I don't know what's better there, but USCSB needed to also address evacuation safety if they make statements like that. This stuff is hard and has to be applied to accidents that have not happened. It's a 'Bullshit jobs' mega-machine. [edit] I have the say the 30 second intro to the "Explosion at the Husky Superior Refinery" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFhkzK7jkKg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFhkzK7jkKg gave me goosebumps.

sclarisse 3y ago
The brain finds amusement when it detects a discrepancy between expectation and result. https://youtu.be/Tflm9mttAAI https://youtu.be/Tflm9mttAAI I think this one especially is simple enough of an error, and the consequences are so disastrous, that it’s reasonable to find it silly.
- aaron695 3y ago
  [dead]
MichaelZuo 3y ago
> Labels are not the end solution, no one reads labels unless they want something, anyone in IT should know this. (It's a great dark pattern trick) That's pretty solvable in IT, just assign full responsibility for fixing the problem to whoever messes up via ignoring the labels.
- lazide 3y ago
  Hard when ignoring the labels kills them before they can be punitively assigned the task I guess.
  - MichaelZuo 3y ago
    Hence why I said "in IT"? Did you misread my comment? Obviously in a chemical plant this would be futile in a lot of scenarios. And so much more complex proactive measures are the norm.
    - lazide 3y ago
      I guess I did! I thought you were saying it as a way of recommending it outside of IT.
fdhfdjkfhdkj 3y ago
[dead]
calgarymicro 3y ago
The USCSB didn't just recommend labels in that case (though that likely would have prevented the incident since it was caused by someone unfamiliar with the facility who might have read them). They also recommended making sure the connectors for the inlets were different so it would be physically impossible for the error to occur. That said, it's quite silly indeed that the inlets for two incompatible chemicals that would release toxic fumes if mixed were 18 inches apart, unlabeled, used the exact same connector, and were locked behind the same gate. I don't think it takes extraordinary collective intelligence to see how this could become a problem. The report for anyone who wants to know more: https://youtu.be/Tflm9mttAAI https://youtu.be/Tflm9mttAAI I don't recall the compound gate thing but I'd appreciate a link if you have one.
- aaron695 3y ago
  > mixed were 18 inches apart, unlabeled, used the exact same connector. They were labeled. Same connector - Standardized connectors are safer. Every chemical can't have a different connecter. If the truck swaps connectors in and out per location you are mostly back to square one. The connectors were locked, that's the differential they choose. Except one wasn't, which is the same issue as the truck swapping connectors. It shouldn't have been possible to have two connectors unlocked at once. > were locked behind the same gate. Multiple gates creates other issues. > 18 inches apart This the problem, multiple gates a distance apart are an issue, but probably the solution. It also allows clear signage on the gate rather than than the 7 characters you can see on the connector label. I count 5 - 7 connections, they can't all be behind a gate, so there is no hard rule. > compound gate thing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh2HWT8gPeY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh2HWT8gPeY They actually want a 'written' policy to stop people coming in. People ram raid gates to get into compounds so they can't be flimsy. In an emergency power could be out and you can be in a car or running while on fire.
  - calgarymicro 3y ago
    > They were labeled Were they? It says they had labels some distance down the pipe, but they weren't labeled at the point where the hoses connected where someone could actually read it. > Every chemical can't have a different connecter. Every chemical doesn't have to have a different connector. Maybe just ones that will cause a dangerous reaction if mixed. > I count 5 - 7 connections, they can't all be behind a gate, so there is no hard rule. Sure. Again, a good rule of thumb would be to separate the ones that could cause rapid death. > They actually want a 'written' policy to stop people coming in. So no fire code issue then.

jrockway 3y ago

The one where a box factory blew up because of a chemical safety issue was a real eye opener. Who knew that if you make cardboard boxes, you have to be aware that sometimes municipal water has too much oxygen in it and it will cause your machinery to randomly blow up, destroy the neighborhood, and kill 4 people one day? I had no idea. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGVbGNdx7g0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGVbGNdx7g0

creato 3y ago
That’s a pretty charitable summary of the issue of pressure vessel safety. I’m just a hobbyist with tools in my garage and I’ve avoided buying an air compressor for air powered tools because I don’t want to have a pressure vessel to maintain. If I know this, industrial operations definitely should.
- jrockway 3y ago
  Sure, pressure vessel rusts, pressure vessel explodes is pretty understandable, but it's surprising that you need a pressure vessel to make boxes.
  - pests 3y ago
    Eh, they needed steam to make the cardboard. Sounds reasonable.
- SkyPuncher 3y ago
  A lot of the risk scales with size. I have a 2.5 gallon air compressor that does everything I need. Even if it has a blow out, it’s just not large enough to be risky.
  - chaosite 3y ago
    You're obviously right that the risk scales with size, but I'm still suspicious of pressure cookers. Yeah, it won't destroy the house, but I could still be seriously injured by it if the pressure release valve was clogged and I wasn't paying close enough attention.

reaperman 3y ago

You may really enjoy this book[1]. Very short chapters with pithy yet conversational analysis of a wide variety of disasters, including things like "pumps were labeled perfectly clearly, but due to one being installed at a later date and other being removed, they were numbered in a line going 1, 2, 3, 5, 4, 6". 0: Earlier edition of same book with awesome cover to get people to understand it's not a super boring textbook at all (in fact it's really not a textbook): http://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=83EEA4069C89A895711DEFADAC2EDC81 http://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=83EEA4069C89A895711DEFAD... 1: Latest edition: http://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=DC1C71A6B692001AA8FAFACA513F1638 http://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=DC1C71A6B692001AA8FAFACA...

flyinghamster 3y ago

Amazing videos that make me go ARGH. I remember when a silicone plant blew up in the NW Chicago suburbs, and sure enough they had a video, ready to make me facepalm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j8EprZP4IE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j8EprZP4IE