Practical guidelines for determining electrical area classification

Practical guidelines for determining electrical area classification: Hazardous area classification is a method used to identify where an explosive environment may exist. Codes offer guidance for electrical area classification

Safe Temporary Power and Lighting Strategies For Refinery Turn-around Activities

 https://www.electricalsafetypub.com/news-headlines/safe-temporary-power-and-lighting-strategies-for-refinery-turn-around-activities/

IGNITION SOURCES - IDENTIFICATION AND CONTROL HSE UK

 Ignition sources may be:

Flames;
Direct fired space and process heating;
Use of cigarettes/matches etc;
Cutting and welding flames;
Hot surfaces;
Heated process vessels such as dryers and furnaces;
Hot process vessels;
Space heating equipment;
Mechanical machinery;
Electrical equipment and lights
Spontaneous heating;
Friction heating or sparks;
Impact sparks;
Sparks from electrical equipment;
Stray currents from electrical equipment
Electrostatic discharge sparks:
Lightning strikes.
Electromagnetic radiation of different wavelengths
Vehicles, unless specially designed or modified are likely to contain a range of potential ignition sources

Sources of ignition should be effectively controlled in all hazardous areas by a combination of design measures, and systems of work:
Using electrical equipment and instrumentation classified for the zone in which it is located. New mechanical equipment will need to be selected in the same way. (See above);
Earthing of all plant/ equipment (see Technical Measures Document on Earthing)
Elimination of surfaces above auto-ignition temperatures of flammable materials being handled/stored (see above);
Provision of lightning protection
Correct selection of vehicles/internal combustion engines that have to work in the zoned areas (see Technical Measures Document on Permit to Work Systems);
Correct selection of equipment to avoid high intensity electromagnetic radiation sources, e.g. limitations on the power input to fibre optic systems, avoidance of high intensity lasers or sources of infrared radiation
Prohibition of smoking/use of matches/lighters
Controls over the use of normal vehicles
Controls over activities that create intermittent hazardous areas, e.g. tanker loading/unloading
Control of maintenance activities that may cause sparks/hot surfaces/naked flames through a Permit to Work System
Precautions to control the risk from pyrophoric scale, usually associated with formation of ferrous sulphide inside process equipment
Direct Fired Heaters, Hot Oil Systems and Processes Operating Above Auto-Ignition Temperatures

SOURCE: https://www.hse.gov.uk/comah/sragtech/techmeasareaclas.htm

Explosion Relief Vents for Highly Effective and Economical Explosion Protection

 https://bulkinside.com/bulk-solids-handling/explosion-protection-process-safety/explosion-relief-vents-for-highly-effective-and-economical-explosion-protection/

Newson Gale - 5 Reasons why you should specify ATEX, IECEx and FM Approv...

PREVENTING COMBUSTIBLE DUST EXPLOSIONS

 https://bulkinside.com/bulk-solids-handling/explosion-protection-process-safety/preventing-combustible-dust-explosions/

IGNITION RISKS OF ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE

 https://bulkinside.com/bulk-solids-handling/explosion-protection-process-safety/background-to-the-ignition-risks-of-electrostatic-charge/

SUGAR AS AN EXPLOSION RISK

 https://bulkinside.com/bulk-solids-handling/explosion-protection-process-safety/sugar-explosion-risk-grounding-helps/

DUST EXPLOSION HAZARDS

 https://bulkinside.com/bulk-solids-handling/explosion-protection-process-safety/dust-explosion-hazards/

IS TRUCK GROUNDING NECESSARY?

 https://bulkinside.com/bulk-solids-handling/explosion-protection-process-safety/is-truck-grounding-necessary/

WISH YOU A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 To all my readers, wish you a very Happy and Healthy 2022! Play your part in avoiding LOPC's!

Explosion due to hydrocarbon being drawn into boiler firebox

A leak in a hydrocarbon refrigerant system formed a vapor cloud that was drawn into the inlet of a steam boiler. The increased fuel to the boiler caused rapidly rising pressure within a steam drum. The rapidly rising pressure exceeded the capacity of the boiler’s safety valve and the steam drum ruptured. The boiler rupture was close enough to the gas leak to ignite the vapor cloud and produce an explosion due the confined nature of the gas lea  and an ensuing fireball. The fire took eight hours to extinguish. The explosions and fire destroyed a portion to the LNG plant and caused 27 deaths, and injury to 72 more.

LNG leak causes sewer explosion

 LNG leak from open run-down line during a pipe modification project. LNG entered an underground
concrete storm sewer system and underwent a rapid vapor expansion that overpressured and ruptured
the sewer pipes. Storm sewer system substantially damaged.

SULPHURIC ACID EMERGENCY REPSONSE AND CASE STUDIES

http://www.greatersudbury.ca/content/div_emergprep/documents/norfalco_presentation_nov23_07.pdf

The Case of the FATAL TANK ENTRY

 https://www.assp.org/docs/default-source/psj-articles/mtricketts_0220.pdf?sfvrsn=ba188947_2

Health and Safety Risks for Workers Involved in Manual Tank Gauging and Sampling at Oil and Gas Extraction Sites

https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/OSHA3843.pdf

Case study of death of an engineer due to burns

 https://britanniapandi.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/BSafe-Case-Study-No.1-Burns-Fatality-Commentary-No.1.pdf

SAFETY ALERT SIGHT GLASS INCIDENT

 https://www.bsee.gov/sites/bsee_prod.opengov.ibmcloud.com/files/safety-alerts/incident-and-investigations/safety-alert-no-76.pdf

ANOTHER ANNIVERSARY OF BHOPAL.....National Process Safety Week on anniversary of Bhopal disaster December 3rd

Tonight is the 37th anniversary of the Bhopal gas disaster. We still do not seem to learn from Bhopal. The same mistakes that occurred at Bhopal keep recurring in various incidents around the World. Production pressures along with cost cutting measures take a toll on process safety. Just like the National safety week in march, I mooted the idea of having a National Process Safety Week every year on the anniversary of Bhopal for all chemical industries in India. During this week, the root causes of the Bhopal disaster and process incidents in individual organisations can be discussed with all  employees including top management. The root causes are again given below: They are still relevant today:

1. Do not cut costs without looking at the effects on process safety
2. Maintain all your layers of defense including asset integrity
3. Continually ensure that competency of personnel operating and maintaining plants are updated and current
4. Be prepared for the worst case scenario.
5. Understand the risks and measures to eliminate / reduce or control them
6. Learn from your past incidents. Those who do not learn are condemned to repeat the incidents.
7. Pay heed to your process safety management system audit reports

 I am again attaching the link of some pictures of the victims of Bhopal, lest we forget..........

" Mothers didn't know their children had died, children didn't know their mothers had died, and men didn't know their whole families had died" - Ahmed Khan, Bhopal resident on the Bhopal disaster

How to Avoid Common Genset Room Design Mistakes

How to Avoid Common Genset Room Design Mistakes: The room and building that a power generating set will be located in must comply with all genset room design requirements to ensure reliable operation.