Thanks to Abhay Gujar for sending this info. A major fire has been reported in a natural gas pipeline explosion in a plant in Texas. One Worker was killed. Read about it in this link.
Another incident involved the derailment and catching fire of ethanol rail tankers near Ohio. The article mentions that "Twenty-six cars of a 62-car Norfolk Southern train jumped the tracks at about 2:20 a.m. in Cass Township, and the contents of those that ruptured in the impact caught fire. The denatured ethanol in other tank cars that were not breached immediately was heated by the flames until it boiled and the tanks could no longer withstand the pressure, causing explosions that sent fireballs bursting spectacularly into the sky".
Read the article in this link.
February 10, 2011
Students campaign - "Crackdown on cracking crackers"
I was happy to receive a mail from Arijit Chanda, a student of Pondicherry Engineering College regarding assistance for a campaign they were planning to create awareness about the safety in firecracker bursting and avoidance of child labour in their manufacture. Though I could not contribute to their cause, I was happy to hear from him that their campaign went off well and was reported in the Hindu. The article in the Hindu about their campaign is given in this link. Kudos to Arijit and the team!
February 9, 2011
Exothermic explosion causes serious injury
A news article mentions that a 58 year old man was seriously injured when he was was in the process of mixing sodium cyanide pellets with hydrogen peroxide at a Chemical plant, when the volatile solution exploded, soaking him in the hot toxic mixture.
"An investigation by the HSE revealed that approximately five times too much hydrogen peroxide was added to the sodium cyanide pellets which resulted in an exothermic explosion".
Train your workers on the hazards of inadvertent reactions. Read the article in this link.
Read another article about the same incident in this link.
"An investigation by the HSE revealed that approximately five times too much hydrogen peroxide was added to the sodium cyanide pellets which resulted in an exothermic explosion".
Train your workers on the hazards of inadvertent reactions. Read the article in this link.
Read another article about the same incident in this link.
February 8, 2011
Another tragic confined space entry fatality - train your workers about the hazards
The Indian Express has reporetd a confined space entry fatality in a chemical factory near Pune. Apparently, a worker entered the confined space without any protection,after the can from which he was adding adhesive fell into the vessel. He got inside the vessel and was then overcome by the toxic fumes. Another worker who entered to save him was seriously injured. The rescue crew had to cut an opening in the vessel to rescue the trapped persons. It is sad that the vessel was not designed as per standards with manholes of standard dimensions. How many more lives will be lost in confined space accidents? It is important to train your workers on the hazards of confined spaces and requirements for a confined space entry permit. Also, train your people to overcome the urge to enter a confined space to rescue a fellow worker, without proper protection. It is a natural human tendency to enter a vessel quickly to save a fellow colleague, but it is a very dangerous practice if proper respiratory protection is not worn. Read more in this link.
In another incident that occurred some time back, a young engineer in a fertiliser plant in India was killed when he slipped into a vessel under nitrogen atmosphere. He was trying to check the work done inside the vessel from outside when he reportedly slipped inside.
In another incident that occurred some time back, a young engineer in a fertiliser plant in India was killed when he slipped into a vessel under nitrogen atmosphere. He was trying to check the work done inside the vessel from outside when he reportedly slipped inside.
February 6, 2011
Buy the Practical Process Safety Management book and support the Bhopal Victims
To all my readers - The National Safety Week is coming up in March and I would appreciate it if you could purchase copies of my book "Practical Process Safety Management" (details given in this link) to present to winners of safety week contests. As you are aware, the proceeds from this book are donated to the surviving victims of Bhopal and your contribution would make a difference.
Contact me at bkprism@gmail.com for details of purchasing the book. Thanks in advance!
Contact me at bkprism@gmail.com for details of purchasing the book. Thanks in advance!
Major fire at MIDC Taloja -Dangers of handling solvents
Thanks to Abhay Gujar for sending information about this fire:
There has been another Major Fire in one more Chemical Unit located in Taloja - M.I.D.C, near Navi Mumbai on Wednesday, 2nd February 2011.This is a Second Major Fire in Taloja M.I.D.C after the recent ‘Major Fire’ at ‘IOCL, Lube Blending Plant’ - on 18th January 2011. The fire was reported to have been fed by solvents stored in cans. Read the news article in this link.
The American Chemistry Council has published an excellent technical guide on solvent handling which highlights the following when handling solvents::
• "Understand the Solvent
• Follow Appropriate Regulations and/or Standards Applicable to Handling and Storage of Solvents
• Address Potential Ignition Sources
• Understand Conditions for Autoignition
• Maximize Ventilation as Appropriate to the Application
• Maintain Appropriate Work Temperature
• Educate and Train Employees
• Report Leaks and Spills in Accordance with Federal and State Regulations
• Consider Providing Secondary Containment Solutions
• Develop Appropriate Loading and Unloading Procedures
• Consider Developing an Emergency Plan
• Consider Inert Storage Solutions
• Consider Developing Standard Operating Procedures
There has been another Major Fire in one more Chemical Unit located in Taloja - M.I.D.C, near Navi Mumbai on Wednesday, 2nd February 2011.This is a Second Major Fire in Taloja M.I.D.C after the recent ‘Major Fire’ at ‘IOCL, Lube Blending Plant’ - on 18th January 2011. The fire was reported to have been fed by solvents stored in cans. Read the news article in this link.
The American Chemistry Council has published an excellent technical guide on solvent handling which highlights the following when handling solvents::
• "Understand the Solvent
• Follow Appropriate Regulations and/or Standards Applicable to Handling and Storage of Solvents
• Address Potential Ignition Sources
• Understand Conditions for Autoignition
• Maximize Ventilation as Appropriate to the Application
• Maintain Appropriate Work Temperature
• Educate and Train Employees
• Report Leaks and Spills in Accordance with Federal and State Regulations
• Consider Providing Secondary Containment Solutions
• Develop Appropriate Loading and Unloading Procedures
• Consider Developing an Emergency Plan
• Consider Inert Storage Solutions
• Consider Developing Standard Operating Procedures
• Control Static Electricity
Examples of operations that can generate static charges:
• High velocity and turbulent conditions, for example in pipelines, or the discharge of jets from nozzles and tank mixing.
• Filtration, particularly through micropore elements.
• Liquid droplets or foam falling through a vapor.For example, a spray or mist formation in vapor
spaces, splash filling of tanks, tankers, drums or intermediate bulk containers.
• Settling water droplets through liquid hydrocarbon. For example, after a line has been pigged off into a tank with water.
• Bubbling of gas or air through liquids.
• Mechanical movements such as belts or pulleys used as air blast coolers.
• The movement of vehicles, fans or even people.
• Movement or transport of powders, although not relevant in the case of solvents. There have been many incidents involving materials such as flour, where static accumulation has caused an explosion of flour dust.
• High velocity release of steam to atmosphere."
• High velocity and turbulent conditions, for example in pipelines, or the discharge of jets from nozzles and tank mixing.
• Filtration, particularly through micropore elements.
• Liquid droplets or foam falling through a vapor.For example, a spray or mist formation in vapor
spaces, splash filling of tanks, tankers, drums or intermediate bulk containers.
• Settling water droplets through liquid hydrocarbon. For example, after a line has been pigged off into a tank with water.
• Bubbling of gas or air through liquids.
• Mechanical movements such as belts or pulleys used as air blast coolers.
• The movement of vehicles, fans or even people.
• Movement or transport of powders, although not relevant in the case of solvents. There have been many incidents involving materials such as flour, where static accumulation has caused an explosion of flour dust.
• High velocity release of steam to atmosphere."
Read the ACC technical guide in this link.
February 5, 2011
Dangers of natural gas blowing -CSB Video
The CSB has released a new video on the dangers of purging with natural gas. I observe that though personnel in chemical plants and refineries are aware of the hazards, a number of other industries that use natural gas are unaware of the hazards. These include power plant operators. It is common sense that fuel+oxygen+ignition source = Fire. However, common sense is not so common, so educate the people who are not normally trained in the hazards of natural gas.
See the CSB video in this link.
Recipe for a dust explosion
I chanced upon a newsletter by Fike Corporation written in 1997. This was way before the Imperial sugar dust explosion incident in 2008. Its a pity that though the potential for dust explosions are known for a very long time (more than 50 years), still these explosion continue to occur. Salient points form the article are quoted below:
"Combine complacency with lack of housekeeping and you have the perfect recipe for a dust explosion.
At too many facilities, the ingredients are already there. All you need is a building with layers of combustible dust, like corn starch. Add unvented equipment that draws in suspended dust. Let a few airborne particles stray and find a spark. The first explosion will rupture the equipment, tossing the building dust into the air. The second will probably collapse the walls. And, if by chance you attached a sprinkler riser to one of the load bearing walls, forget your sprinkler protection. It’s gone. A suspended, combustible dust cloud burns much more violently than a pile of sawdust. When suspended dust particles are completely surrounded by oxygen, they rapidly release a tremendous amount of energy. The pressure wave produced by the initial exploding dust cloud shakes and suspends more dust from other surfaces to fuel a chain reaction of violent explosions. Usually, the second or third explosion is worse than the first.Industries producing dust as a product, such as some pharmaceutical industries, tend to be more aware of the hazards than industries that produce dust as a by-product. Unfortunately, it’s very easy for personnel to overlook the fallout from operations, such as grain handling or furniture making. Then an explosion hits, endangering the facility and equipment as well as the employees".
Read the newsletter in this link.
"Combine complacency with lack of housekeeping and you have the perfect recipe for a dust explosion.
At too many facilities, the ingredients are already there. All you need is a building with layers of combustible dust, like corn starch. Add unvented equipment that draws in suspended dust. Let a few airborne particles stray and find a spark. The first explosion will rupture the equipment, tossing the building dust into the air. The second will probably collapse the walls. And, if by chance you attached a sprinkler riser to one of the load bearing walls, forget your sprinkler protection. It’s gone. A suspended, combustible dust cloud burns much more violently than a pile of sawdust. When suspended dust particles are completely surrounded by oxygen, they rapidly release a tremendous amount of energy. The pressure wave produced by the initial exploding dust cloud shakes and suspends more dust from other surfaces to fuel a chain reaction of violent explosions. Usually, the second or third explosion is worse than the first.Industries producing dust as a product, such as some pharmaceutical industries, tend to be more aware of the hazards than industries that produce dust as a by-product. Unfortunately, it’s very easy for personnel to overlook the fallout from operations, such as grain handling or furniture making. Then an explosion hits, endangering the facility and equipment as well as the employees".
Read the newsletter in this link.
February 2, 2011
Major fire in Panoli Dyes Pigment unit
Thanks to Ajay Pancholi for sending this information - Times of India has reported a major fire in a Panoli Dyes pigment unit. Its is reported that several firefighters were hospitalised as they were injured when chemical drums (barrels) exploded in the fire. The cause of the fire is being investigated. The chemical involved is reported to be hexene. Read the MSDS of hexene in this link.
In many chemical units especially in small scale sector, flammable chemicals are handled in drums to save storage costs. A flammable chemical stored in a drum is a potential time bomb. The more number of full drums you store, the more is the hazard. It is better you do a monthly drum safety audit to ensure that good work practices are followed. In times of production pressure, managers tend to ignore the hazards of filled chemical drums.
Read the article about the fire in this link.
In many chemical units especially in small scale sector, flammable chemicals are handled in drums to save storage costs. A flammable chemical stored in a drum is a potential time bomb. The more number of full drums you store, the more is the hazard. It is better you do a monthly drum safety audit to ensure that good work practices are followed. In times of production pressure, managers tend to ignore the hazards of filled chemical drums.
Read the article about the fire in this link.
Gas leak at chemical factory kills three
A newspaper report mentions that 3 people were killed in a gas leak from a chemical factory in Uttar Pradesh. A chemist has been detained for interrogation. The plant in question reportedly has a thiophosgene plant and serves many pharma plants.
Read the article in this link.
Read the article in this link.
Plate heat exchangers and hazard free operations
In many processes plate heat exchangers are used. We tend to take them for granted when compared to shell and tube heat exchangers. They are reliable if they are properly specified and installed. A good article highlights the main points to have a trouble and hazard free operation. The article mentions the following tips:
"TIP 1: Tell Them Everything
TIP 2: Check Compatibility TIP 3: Avoid Situations Where Pressure Spikes Can Occur
TIP 4: Use a Strainer or Bypass the Unit During Startup
TIP 5: Keep Large Particles Out
TIP 6: Periodically Check Plate Pack Dimensions and Frame Integrity TIP 4: Use a Strainer or Bypass the Unit During Startup
TIP 5: Keep Large Particles Out
TIP 7: Use Good Piping Practices
TIP 8: Take Precautions to Minimize Port Erosion
TIP 9: Design for the Future, But Purchase on Your Current Needs
TIP 10: Purchase OEM Parts to Avoid Warranty Problem"
Read the article in this link.
TIP 8: Take Precautions to Minimize Port Erosion
TIP 9: Design for the Future, But Purchase on Your Current Needs
Read the article in this link.
January 30, 2011
Ammonia replaced as refrigerant after incidents of leaks
An article mentions the following:
I think this move will spread to the whole of India. The way ammonia gas cylinders are handled in the small and medium scale industries leave a lot to be desired. It is an inherently safer option to replace ammonia used in refrigeration systems. On the same subject, I still observe a number of non chemical plants using chlorine for their water treatment systems. There are safer alternatives to chlorine and it is time that the industry takes a look at it."The West Bengal Pollution Control Board (PCB) has announced that ice or cold storage plants should switch from ammonia to HCFC 22 following a series of leakages. The ruling means that municipal corporations and municipalities should not give any further licence to any ice plant or cold storage in urban areas unless they submit written undertakings stating that they will use HCFC 22 methane as refrigerant gas instead of Ammonia.It’s claimed that ammonia gas leak from cold storages in the city and adjoining towns and other districts have previously affected thousands of people".
Read the article in this link
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