December 27, 2022
December 22, 2022
Anhydrous Ammonia Hose Failure
December 20, 2022
Why Visakhapatnam gas leak should set off alarm bells May 9, 2020
December 16, 2022
December 12, 2022
December 8, 2022
December 2, 2022
ANOTHER ANNIVERSARY OF BHOPAL - LET ALL LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST
38 years have gone by and the victims are forgotten! India is waking up to the importance of preventing a Bhopal like incident after the LG Polymer incident in 2020. The root causes of that incident were similar to that of the Bhopal disaster.
Let all your senior leadership and all employees listen to this podcast by the BBC. There were enough warning before the incident happened.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001bs5c
Have a Process Safety Week in your organization and sensitize your leadership your workforce on the lessons of Bhopal.
TTHE LESSONS MUST NOT BE FORGOTTEN.
December 1, 2022
LINE BREAKING INCIDENT
On November 28, 1999, a blockage occurred somewhere in the recycle waste line on the second level. This line brings crude Teal with excess aluminum to T-103, which feeds back to the reactors. During the night shift they were able to blow the line from T-105 to the control valve, which left the blockage within about 20 feet of T-103. The morning of November 29, 1999, Employee #1, the outside operator, tried to blow out the plug through a detail (bleeder) just above T-103 with 150 pounds of nitrogen.
The nitrogen pressure went around the control valve via a by-pass to the slop tank. He closed the valves back toward the slop tank. Then he opened the valve into T-103 to try and blow nitrogen into the tank, but it was still plugged somewhere, which was about 1 to 2 feet of line. At this point they were going to have to perform a line break and separate the line above the valve on T-103. The line breaking permit was obtained. Employee #1 relieved the nitrogen pressure back to the slop tank, but the slop usually had 3 to 10 psig on it. He ensured that the valves were closed, locked and tagged.
Then the maintenance crew came to perform the line break. The crew consisted of four employees, which all wore a hard hat with attached face shield, safety shoes, safety glasses, PVC gloves, nomex, and aluminized suits. Employee #1 stayed in the area, but over at the guard rail. The guard rail was just under 10 feet and was about 9.5 feet from the line break. He wore the same PPE except the face shield and aluminized suit. The maintenance crew proceeded to break the flange. One bolt was out and the other three were loose. The shift supervisor was standing on the ground level talking with the Employee #1. Employee #1 told him the flange started to drip. It started to spray lightly and then quickly just gave way into a stream. The stream hit Employee #2 in the face, because he was kneeling as he was working. Employee #1 saw the flames. As he was being burned by the fire, he jumped over the guard rail and fell approximately 12 feet to the ground. Employee #1 sustained a fractured ankle and compressed L1 vertebrate, and was killed. The flash fire lasted about 10 seconds according to the shift supervisor. Employee #2 was hospitalized for his burns. Three other employees were burned during the accident but didn't require hospitalization.
Source:OSHA.GOV
November 27, 2022
CONFINED SPACE ENTRY INCIDENTS - USCG
This incident again reminds us of the dangers of confined space entry.
"Last Fall a foreign flagged containership during a coastwise voyage reported upon leaving port that
the vessel’s second engineer was missing. Despite an extensive search by the vessel’s crew and
officers, the individual was presumed to have gone ashore and missed the sailing. Upon arrival at
the following port the individual was found deceased behind an access door to the main propulsion
engine’s scavenging air receiver:
Read how the fatality occurred in this link:
https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO%20Documents/5p/CG-5PC/INV/Alerts/0204.pdf
November 23, 2022
Safety Alert High Velocity Vent Valves, Vacuum Valves, P/V Valves USCG Alert
"A recent marine casualty resulted in significant damage to tank structures, piping and components of
a combination chemical / oil product carrier. Vessel-to-vessel loading operations were taking place at
anchorage and one tank became over-pressurized. Subsequently, three cargo tanks and three
ballast tanks on the ship suffered catastrophic structural failures that allowed hazardous cargo to
migrate throughout those areas. This incident caused the vessel to list and created a very dangerous
explosion hazard requiring costly and time-consuming lightering and repair operations. Additionally, it
presented a hazard to the port and persons involved.
The investigation is nearly complete and investigators have identified several causal factors, one being the failure of the high velocity vent valve which did not open and prevent over pressurization of the tank while it was being filled".
Read the safety alert to understand why the high velocity vent valve failed to operate, in this link:
https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO%20Documents/5p/CG-5PC/INV/Alerts/0411.pdf
November 20, 2022
November 19, 2022
IT’S THE SEEMINGLY MINOR ITEMS that sometimes can create a catastrophe. USCG Safety alert
"This is a reminder to owner operators that sometimes it is the most seemingly minor thing such as a
mechanical part or electrical component that can lead to a catastrophe. For example, a nearly 20 year
old bulker was leaving port when its main engine throttle failed. In this case the vessel was able to
drop anchor without incident. The failure occurred because a small drive belt that connected the console throttle lever components to an electrical potentiometer failed. Movement of the throttle causes the
potentiometer to move and creates a variable signal to other controls which manage engine
speed. When the belt failed the control from the engine room console was lost"
Read this safety alert in detail with additional incidents mentioned in this link
https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO%20Documents/5p/CG-5PC/INV/Alerts/ll0114.pdf
November 15, 2022
Overeating Can Create Dangerous Gas! (Especially with Anaerobic Bacteria) USCG safety alert
This safety alert is very much applicable to us in the CPI. Anaerobic bacteria reside in ETP's.
This safety alert shares important information related to a unique, not very well known and potentially
deadly hazard that recently developed on a vessel involving the formation of dangerous levels of
Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)1 gas within a waste oil tank. This was determined to be due to the use of
biodegradable cleaners and the chemical reactions and resultant H2S byproduct involved in breaking
down oils in an anaerobic (low oxygen) environment like that found in a full slop tank. In this case,
vessel officers had detected significant H2S concentrations (>200 PPM) in the vessel’s engine room
bilge holding tank.The cleaner provided micro-nutrients to the waste water thus causing the bacteria to thrive resulting in increased rates of H2S production.
Read the safety alert with detailed incidents in this link https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO%20Documents/5p/CG-5PC/INV/Alerts/0818.pdf?ver=2018-06-08-143912-267
November 11, 2022
Danger! Improper Bonding During Gas Freeing Can Have Explosive Results! USCG Safety Alert
"During gas freeing operations, cargo tank manway and butterworth openings are opened and the flammable vapors within the cargo tank are then removed using mechanical air moving equipment. As outside air is introduced into the cargo tank, the vapor/air mixture within the tank, and near the tank openings, will fall into the flammable range. During this time, if the air moving equipment used to gas free the cargo tank is not the proper type, is not properly maintained, or is not properly electrically bonded and secured to the vessel’s structure, static electricity generated by the air moving equipment can discharge as an electric arc and ignite the flammable vapor/air mixture".
Read the full safety alert with photos in this link https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO%20Documents/5p/CG-5PC/INV/Alerts/0120.pdf?ver=2020-01-30-101338-710
November 7, 2022
TANK SAMPLING DANGERS / H 2 S Threshold Limit Change USCG Safety alert
"Prior to using portable gas monitoring equipment, personnel should familiarize themselves with
ISGOTT Section 11.8 and safe work practices for conducting or witnessing these tests. ISGOTT
recommends when sampling tanks personnel should stand perpendicular to the wind to avoid being
downwind or upwind and creating eddies".
Read the safety alert in this link https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO%20Documents/5p/CG-5PC/INV/Alerts/0214.pdf
November 3, 2022
Electrical Issues Spark Major Concern – Addressing Hazardous Area Electrical Installations Knowledge Gaps
"The purpose of this Safety Alert is to emphasize the importance of properly installed and maintained
listed or certified safe electrical equipment in hazardous areas in order to reduce the risk of fire or
explosion onboard vessels. The Coast Guard has seen a number of instances where there was a lack
of knowledge in the marine industry as it relates to the installation, training,
maintenance and inspection of these certified systems"
Read the alert in this link https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO%20Documents/5p/CG-5PC/INV/Alerts/USCGSA_0520.pdf?ver=2020-07-06-132441-980
October 30, 2022
Failure of pipeline emergency shut-down valve - HSE UK
This alert is issued following the failure of a spring return pipeline emergency shut down valve (ESDV). The failure left the primary platform isolation device inoperable with the valve failed in the open position. Other ESDVs have been examined and have found to be at risk of failing in this manner. Spring return valves other than ESDVs are equally vulnerable.
Read the full report in https://www.hse.gov.uk/safetybulletins/pipelinevalve.htm
October 26, 2022
Chloride induced stress corrosion cracking of stainless steel thermowells: Potential for ingress of atmospheric moisture HSE UK
"This safety notice describes a specific degradation mechanism found inside stainless steel thermowells operating where the external atmosphere contains halides, as is typical in coastal locations or near to cooling towers. Thermowells can 'breathe' during normal operation as vessels heat up and cool down, drawing in the external atmosphere through non gas tight fittings. If the atmosphere contains halides this can leave any stainless steel susceptible to Chloride Stress Corrosion Cracking (CISCC). The HSL Research Report 902 (Reference 1) covers the susceptibility of stainless steel to CISCC in some detail and links to other research papers and published documents".
Read the full safety alert in this link https://www.hse.gov.uk/safetybulletins/thermowell-corrosion.htm
October 22, 2022
Catastrophic rupture of dead-leg pipe-work -HSE UK
"A recent failure on a UK refinery involved an 8" diameter vertical relief line, approximately 5m in length, which catastrophically failed during normal operation part way along its length, releasing approximately 75 tonnes of extremely flammable material at elevated temperature and pressure. Connected to an insulated process header and vessels, the failure involved complete separation of the relief line (which was not insulated).
Subsequent examination of the line revealed excessive internal thinning which was very local to the failure point, but relatively normal wall thickness elsewhere along its length. The inspection regime included regular thickness testing at four locations, but not at the area local to the failure. Notably, an adjacent relief line was also found to have very similar localised and severe internal corrosion, which had also gone undetected".
Read the full incident in this link https://www.hse.gov.uk/safetybulletins/catastrophic-rupture-dead-leg-pipe-work.htm