Integrity Manuals: The Most Significant Factor in Avoiding Asset Failure

Integrity Manuals: The Most Significant Factor in Avoiding Asset Failure: This special report, authored by Richard Fish, Asset Integrity Specialist, demonstrates the importance of integrity manuals when it comes to combating asset corrosion.

No excuse for cutting corners on corrosion in downstream plants

No excuse for cutting corners on corrosion in downstream plants: The risks to safety and revenue associated with corrosion in refineries and petrochemical plants are too high to ignore. Phil Yule, Cosasco, explains.

Drum explosions - beware - it happens too often

 Recently a company experienced an incident when a welder was cutting scrap beams in the scrap yard. There was an empty drum in the yard and he wanted to cut open the drum. The moment he pierced through the drum with his cutting torch, the drum exploded and injured him. Luckily it was not fatal.
I have been writing about how you should treat empty, but not decontaminated chemical/oil drums as potential bombs. Read my earlier posts here:

https://indiaprocesssafety.blogspot.com/2015/05/be-careful-while-cleaning-empty-drums.html
https://indiaprocesssafety.blogspot.com/2015/12/empty-drums-are-deadly-drums.html

Read a safety alert about drums in this link

The Hindu: Safety manual remains a promise, accountability a dream

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/safety-manual-remains-a-promise-accountability-a-pipe-dream/article24183266.ece

watch-out-for-dead-legs

https://www.chemicalprocessing.com/articles/2011/watch-out-for-dead-legs/?show=all

Lessons Learned from Process Safety Incidents (and Near Misses)

Lessons Learned from Process Safety Incidents (and Near Misses): Every chemical engineer knows that seemingly small mistakes or temporary lapses in judgment can have serious consequences.

Ammonia leak due to filter lock ring wrong material

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/pages/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/ammonia-leak-caused-by-plant-failure

Static electricty incidents

1. Solvent unloading from tanker to drums having 200 lits capacity was in progress. 50% of solvent unloaded in HDPE drums. Fire took place near tanker. Solvent storage godown also caught fire. One fatality & nine injured.Root Causes: Static charge generated during unloading solvent from tanker to drum, No proper earthing & bonding arrangement while unloading solvent from tanker to drum to neutralize the static charge, Lack of awareness training. 
2.  Charging of solid material from HDPE bags to kettle was going on. Fire took place due to static charge resulting in one fatality and three injured. Root Causes: Earthing & bonding was not adequately provided to neutralize the static charge generated. Potential hazard involved in the process was not captured properly by using hazard identification techniques like HAZOP study. 

  Courtesy: A.G.Shingore, National Safety Council

Hydrogen Sulphide incident

Two workers have died in a paper mill in Australia due to likely exposure to hydrogen sulphide gas while working on top of a water tank. It is reported that the mill was under maintenance and most probably a decomposition of the pulp in water formed hydrogen sulphide. The mill had an excellent safety record but yet this happened. Dont even let your guard down,

Batch Reactor incidents

1. During trial batch on plant & completion of solvent & acid addition, heating was started. After 15 min. pressure increase observed on reactor. Solvent vapours came out through flange joints of reactor and resulted in explosion due to electrical spark resulting in three fatalities. Root Causes: Non-flameproof electrical installations an Hazard identification & Risk assessment & control was inadequate. 
2. Reactor pressurised due to exothermic reaction containing oleum & solvent. The mixture came out from reactor manhole.Two workers working below the reactor were injured due to splashing of acid & during treatment they died. Root Causes: High rate of oleum addition due to failure of orifice. Hazard and operability (HAZOP) study and interlocks were not appropriate. 
3. In a batch reactor, chlorination was started at 9.00 p.m. Approximately 300 Kgs chlorine was passed. Reactor was containing intermediate chemicals. At about 10.30 p.m, release of toxic gas from scrubber vent was observed. Employees of near by industries were affected by inhalation. Root Causes: Failure of scrubbing system, Leak detectors & alarms were not in operation. 
4. During addition of solvent in agrochemicals intermediate kettle, toxic & poisonous gas started releasing from flange joints. Shop floor workers affected due to inhalation of poisonous gas. Two fatalities & three injured. Root Causes: Hazard not identified & risk was not evaluated before starting the batch. Improper MOC of gasket, No proper scrubbing system.

Courtesy: A.G.Shingore, National Safety Council