The dangers of decommissioned equipment

Today's Times of India carries a news article mentioning that 7 workers were injured in a boiler blast when they were removing an abandoned boiler from the premises of an Industrial Explosive factory. It is reported that chemical residues on the floor caught fire and exploded when the workers were attempting to cut the pedestal of the boiler using hot work. How many of your plants, especially old ones, have decommissioned equipment that are not yet removed from service, while the rest of the plant is in operation? Decommissioned equipment that are left in situ pose dangers if they are not properly isolated by blinds. The best option is to remove the decommissioned equipment safely. Many incidents have also been reported in dead legs (piping that have stagnant liquid in them that corrode and leak after some time) after decommissioned equipment have been removed. These dead legs must be removed at the next available opportunity.
Study your complete plant to identify decommissioned equipment and develop a plan to safely remove them from service.