Take care of your structures

Are you maintaining your structures properly? As plants age, corrosion seeps in and is a deadly killer. Do not ignore corrosion. It can cause catastrophic failures.
A safety bulletin by the Minerals and Energy department of Australia mentions " In January 1998 a wharf walkway structure failed due to extensive corrosion when 6 men were walking on the structure. All men fell with the failed walkway structure 8 metres to the ocean, some suffering serious injuries. An investigation identified that corrosion of the failed walkway truss was severe and some cross bracings in the truss had completely corroded through. It was further reported that in 1991 and 1993 structural engineering reports had been commissioned and these reports recommended that repairs be carried out to corroded members on several walkway structures including the structure which collapsed. At the time of the collapse, none of the rectification work identified in those reports for this walkway structure had been attempted. The investigation report concluded “the walkway truss failed as a result of the mine operators inadequately actioning reported recommendations by consultant engineers.” Treatment plants may also be very corrosive environments and there have been several incidents where steel floors have collapsed. Where corrosion in structural steelwork is more than merely a surface feature or where the corrosion may have diminished the original strength of the structure, a structural design engineer should be employed to assess the safety of the structure. If remedial work is recommended then such work should be carried out immediately, or in accordance with the priority timeframe identified in the consultant’s report. Furthermore, employees should be encouraged to report cases of structural steelwork corrosion they identify. Periodic plate and weld thickness tests should be performed on all bins, silos and hoppers to ensure their structural integrity has not been affectedby corrosion".
Read the safety bulletin in this link.

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The causes of fires and explosions - 75 years later

75 years ago, this month, the worst airship disaster took place when the hydrogen filled Hindenburg air ship caught fire and exploded as it was completing its 35th trip across the Atlantic, killing 35 people. Till date there are many theories about the incident. The Smithsonian magazine has published an article that mentions "Realistic alternatives for the cause of the explosion include a buildup of static electricity, a bolt of lightning or a backfiring engine, but at this point it’s impossible to determine what exactly caused the spark".
Today, static electricity. lightning and backfiring engines are still causes of fires, though there has been a lot of development in each of these fields to avoid fires. The BP Texas refinery disaster was started when the vapour cloud ignited due to a back firing engine. There are numerous cases of fires due to static electricity and lightning. Though technology has improved, man continues to commit the same mistakes!

Read the interesting article in the Smithsonian mag in this link. 
 

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PVC plant explosion

 An explosion at a PVC plant few weeks ago in US has been reported.The accident forced area residents and plant workers to shelter in place for several hours. Read and see the video of the fires in this link.

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Using GIS for emergency planning and response

A news item mentions that "The latest version of the web-based Geographic Information System (GIS) emergency planning and response system, developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), is all set for operations in factories in Mahbubnagar, Krishna and Nalgonda districts. Introducing the fourth phase of the technology here on Friday, NIC deputy director general Sanjay Singh Gehlot said, “the latest version aims to minimize damages during explosion or chemical accidents in industries.” The first phase the technology was launched some eight years ago".
Read the news item in this link.

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Discharge of bleaching agent causes illness

An incident in Thailand has been reported where many workers were sent to hospital after an abrupt discharge of a bleaching agent. The accident took place about 6.30pm when workers smelled a strong chlorine-like odour at the plant. The article mentions that the odour probably came from sodium hypochlorite, which was discharged from the plant during an emergency shutdown.
Read the article in this link.

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Blast in chemical factory

The Hindustan Times has reported a blast at a chemical factory near Chandigarh that killed 4 personnel.
"Initial reports suggested that the first blast was caused by a "static charge". However, according to sources linked with the probe, a safety valve of the reactor may have malfunctioned'.
Read the article in this link.

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Commissioning new plants - hazards

In a new plant that was being commissioned, Hot Oil, used as a heating medium, leaked from a flange. The leak was on the second floor and the temperature of the medium was about 300 deg C. The leaking hot oil, caused major fires and a section of the new plant was destroyed. Ensure that commissioning is done in a planned way and that checklists are followed.

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Chemical plant cited for safety violations

A chemical plant in the US has been cited for safety violations by OSHA. These violations include insufficient ventilation, an inadequate sprinkler system, inadequate worker training and failure to conduct hazard assessments at the plant.Read the article in this link.

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Hazards in tanks and vessels

WorkSafe , Alberta has published a safety bulletin titled "Controlling explosion hazards in vessels, tanks and piping systems. The following is mentioned:

"Two workers were welding an overflow pipe on top of a tank truck that contained residual flammable materials. Welding sparks ignited the materials, the tank exploded and the workers were killed. The explosive atmosphere in the tank had not been tested prior to the workers beginning their work. The tank previously contained produced water.

A vessel was purged with natural gas to remove hydrogen sulphide. The vessel was opened and a worker was washing the inside of the vessel with a water wand. A pyrophoric iron reaction on the demister pad started to release sparks inside the vessel. An explosion occurred and the worker was fatally injured.

Iron sulphide is a pyrophoric material. This means that it can spontaneously ignite when exposed to air. It is created when iron oxide (rust) is converted into iron sulphide in an oxygen-free atmosphere where hydrogen sulphide gas is present or where the concentration of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) exceeds that of oxygen.
When iron sulphide is subsequently exposed to air, it is oxidized back to iron oxide and either sulfur or sulfur dioxide gas is formed. This chemical reaction between iron sulphide and oxygen generates a considerable amount of heat. In fact, so much heat is released that individual particles of iron sulphide become incandescent and glow. This heat can ignite nearby flammable mixtures.
Most refineries experience spontaneous ignition of iron sulphide either on the ground or inside equipment. Pyrophoric iron fires most commonly occur during shutdowns when equipment and piping are opened for inspection or maintenance. Iron sulphide fires can be avoided by preventing the sulphide from contacting air. This can be achieved by maintaining a continuous layer of liquid or inert gas between the material and the air. Inerting vessels with nitrogen gas is one such method.

A vessel containing hydrogen sulphide was purged with propane. The workers then opened the vessel for clean-out. When the manway was opened, an explosion occurred resulting in the four workers receiving burns to their faces and hands. The possible source of ignition that caused the explosion was static discharge or metal-to-metal contact"
Read the Workplace health and safety bulletin in this link


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Enforcement of safety rules

An article in the Hindu newspaper reflects the lack of enforcement of fire safety rules in hospitals and other buildings. Chemical plant zoning rules are another area where the rules need to be strictly implemented to avoid the consequences of a catastrophic incident. Unfortunately there is still more to improve in this area. Let us not wait for another Bhopal type incident to wake up to the reality.
Read the article in the Hindu in this link.
  
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Explosion in glue factory in Japan

An explosion has been reported in a glue factory of Mitsui Chemicals in Japan. Read the article and see the photo of the explosion in this link.

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Lessons to learn from Hot work accident at DuPont

The CSB has published its report on the investigation of a hot work accident at a DuPont facility in the US.

Two contractors were performing welding atop a 10,000 gallon slurry tank when hot sparks ignited flammable vapors inside the tank, causing an explosion that killed one contractor and seriously injured another.
One of the root causes of the incident was failure to test the internal atmosphere of the tank prior to hot work outside the tank. DuPont is renowned for their safety practices and if can happen in DuPont, it can happen anywhere else.

While I am not commenting on the incident and its findings, I strongly feel that competency to understand process safety issues is dwindling in India. When I started my consultancy 10 years ago on process safety, I often got calls for a "safety audit". I had to explain that process safety is different from the regular occupational health and safety. What I see today is the alarming lack of process safety competency in leadership in many Indian Chemical Companies. You may have excellent process safety systems but the bottom line is that unless you have competent personnel to understand and use these systems, they cannot protect you.

Read the CSB report and watch the excellent video in this link.

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