Accident in a refrigeration plant

Thanks to Satya Subrahmanyam for sending details about an accident in  a diary that killed three people, where according to Deccan Chronicle,  "An oil separator exploded due to reported electro-mechanical failure and the entire refrigeration unit caught fire. The blast occurred an hour after work started in the morning".
Read the article in this link. 
Read another associated article in this link 


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Ammonia leak in Urea plant

An ammonia leak in an urea plant in North India has affected 8 workers according to a news report. The shift in charge and a DGM were arrested and later released on bail. Read the news article in this link.


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CSB statement on Chevron refinery fire

The CSB has posted their statement about the Chevron refinery fire.An important statement is given below:
"The CSB also has identified deficient management of change reviews conducted by Chevron where more corrosion resistant metallurgy such as 9CR was identified as needed for crude unit high temperature service that could have addressed the piping circuit that failed. However, this more corrosion resistant metallurgy was not implemented more broadly in crude unit high temperature service. Under the current regulatory system Chevron cannot be cited for conducting “ineffective” MOC’s – they are only required to simply conduct them and implement agreed upon actions. Too many of the elements of the PSM regulation simply require paper procedures or activities,rather than concrete measures toreduce risk at every opportunity"
Read the CSB statement in this link.

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Accidents and gas releases at a smelter

Read the article in this link

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Beware of the alligator in a PSSR!!

A participant in a recent training session told me of an incident where a cross country pipeline was being welded in marshy territory. The job was completed for the day and the next morning when the welder approached the pipe to start his job, an alligator which had entered the pipe in the night caught him and fatally wounded him.
I am reminded of such "alligators"  when people do not conduct a PSSR properly. Hidden hazards ("Alligators") will be waiting for you and will kill you when you least expect it. Take PSSR's seriously!


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Another sight glass incident

A worker died at a refinery when he was exposed to propane and HF when a sight glass ruptured. Read about the accident in this link.

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Refinery tank fire - lessons learnt

In 1995 two petrol tanks caught fire in a refinery in Gujarat. See the presentation in this link and learn lessons from the incident.

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On line flare cleaning

I read about a online cleaning of a partially blocked flare header. I was wondering what change the refinery made for the flare header to get partially blocked in the first place. See the video and article in this link. PS: This is for information only.

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Slurry pump accident

Even a slurry pump when operated dead headed can cause a serious accident. When pumps are operated with their discharge valve closed and no recirculating, the energy will converted to heat. In this incident a slurry pump over pressurized due to superheating of the slurry. Read about the incident   in this link.

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Are your contingency plans in place?

A recent fire in the Chennai Airport air traffic control complex due to a battery explosion highlights the how good contingency planning and drills can bring a dangerous situation in control. A Times of India article mentions that "A battery of the uninterrupted power system, that was the third back up for the Advance Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (ASMGCS) or surface movement radar, had caught fire and exploded. The battery system that exploded was immediately isolated from other equipment to prevent damage to sensitive machines. Even as the fire fighting was taking place, a few air traffic controllers were sitting along with their colleagues on the second floor and communicating with pilots of overflying aircraft over high frequency communication system."

Read the full article in this link.



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Confined space entry precautions

Reading a 1987 document about the hazards of confined spaces indicates how relevant it is even today. Old is gold!
Read it in this link. 

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Ammonia leak from plant

An incident where a safety valve in an ammonia plant lifted and discharged ammonia to the atmosphere has been reported. Check where your ammonia safety valves discharge. Vent stacks which may have been built by the designer may not be the appropriate solution as the population around the plant may have increased. Read about the incident in this link.


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