Flammable Liquids: Lessons Learned From MARS F' Mushtaq, ECJRCMAHB

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Flammable Liquids Lessons Learned From MARS
F. Mushtaq, EC-JRC-MAHB
Institute for the Protection and Security of the
Citizen
1 February 2007
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Flammable Liquids - Risks

• Most likely risk release followed by ignition
  leading to a fire and possible explosion
• Risk is amplified by the possible large
  quantities that may be present, for example in
  refineries.
• Flammable liquids
• volatile by nature, vapors combined with air can
  ignite and burn increased temperature of liquid
  generally increases the rate at which vapors are
  evolved
• flammable liquid vapors normally heavier than air
  and will settle to the lower levels, not easily
  diffusing with air unless there is sufficient
  movement
• explosions occur when the lower explosive limit
  (L.E.L.) is reached and a source of ignition is
  present

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Flammable Liquids Safe Handling

• Basic rules for safe handling
• Limit the quantities at any one location to those
  actually necessary.
• Eliminate possible ignition sources wherever
  flammable liquids are stored or used.
• Avoid sparks from static charges generated by
  pouring.
• Use flammable chemicals in appropriately equipped
  areas only.
• Prevent accumulation of vapors by careful
  handling and by providing adequate ventilation.
• Use only approved containers, e.g. safety cans or
  metal drums, for all transportation and handling.
• Label every storage container used for flammable
  liquids with the name of the material and a
  warning about the risk from them.

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Accidents in MARS

• 122 accidents identified (should we only look at
  fuels depots?)
• Large number of accidents to analyse, but
  detailed information limited (no obvious trends
  identified, accidents very varied)
• Lessons learned divided into
• storage
• transfer
• processing
• Lessons further divided into
• prevention
• mitigation

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Flammable Liquids Storage

• Basic rules for storage inside buildings
• Egress flammable or combustible liquids shall
  not be stored so as to limit use of exits,
  stairways, or areas normally used for the safe
  egress of people.
• Containers flammable or combustible liquids
  should be stored in the container provided by the
  manufacturer. These liquids, in pure or combined
  forms, should be transferred to approved
  containers only and should be labeled to indicate
  the hazards.
• Container Storage approved containers for
  flammable and combustible liquids should be
  stored in an explosion-proof cabinet or
  explosion-proof refrigerator, unless all traces
  of such chemicals have been removed from the
  container.

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Lessons Learned Storage

• Accident Prevention - lessons
• Inertisation
• Maintenance
• Corrosion management
• Inspection frequency
• Improvement of the internal safety organization
  required
• Setting up of work-permit procedures
• The use of well-trained personnel
• Operating procedures
• Introduction of quality assurance procedure for
  maintenance works
• Revision of procedures and training on static
  charges
• Review of communication procedures

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Lessons Learned Storage

• Accident Mitigation - lessons
• Use of weak roof-to-shell seams in order to allow
  the rupture of the roof instead of the bottom
  part of the tank
• Installation of sensors for monitoring the
  concentration of dangerous substances in the air,
  connected with alarm systems
• Preferential use of foam for fire-fighting
• leaves the full quantity of water for tank
  cooling
• reduces the risk of the dikes overfilling
• Locating storages at a safe distance from other
  activities

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Lessons Learned Transfer

• Accident Prevention - lessons
• Management/Organisation
• Piping design
• Maintenance and Inspection Programmes
• Training
• Including refresher training arrangements for
  operators/technicians.
• Rigorous change control procedures should be
  employed
• including risk assesment
• Review of risk assessment
• considering critical process effects on start-up,
  e.g. exceeding process parameters, thermal
  cycling, transmitted vibration etc.
• Raise awareness of the risks involved and the
  need to follow procedures

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Lessons Learned Transfer

• Accident Prevention - lessons
• Management/Organisation (continued)
• High level overview of unit operations
• Communications/competency
• additional training to enable recognition of
  hazardous situations
• Draining systems
• Included in inspection programme
• Regulations on the use (integrating all existing)
• Review of operating procedures.
• Identify operations not in manuals or described
  by operating instructions
• Write detailed operating procedures
• Approved by all parties involved and in the case
  of the involvement of a third party by the
  management.

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Lessons Learned Transfer

• Accident Prevention - lessons
• Plant/Equipment
• Ensure the mechanical integrity of pipework, in
  particular with respect to the following
• Stress caused by mechanical, temperature,
  pressure, corrosion
• Dead legs and drain points to be minimised and,
  where retained, assessed
• Redundant equipment and pipework, including
  drain/vent points, to be removed, where
  practicable.

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Lessons Learned Transfer

• Accident Mitigation - lessons
• Management/Organisation
• Upgrade fire fighting systems
• (Tanker) ship crews must be well trained in fire
  prevention/fighting
• Emergency planning should be improved
• Shutdown arrangements
• Decontamination
• Avoid alarm overload for control room operator
• Safe means for emergency depressurisation of
  columns or vessels
• Address possible releases into the effluent
  treatment plant

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Lessons Learned Transfer

• Accident Mitigation - lessons
• Plant/Equipment
• Motorize all large sized block valves, in order
  to reduce response times in closing/opening,
  particularly in case of an emergency.
• Remote operable emergency isolation valves for
  significant inventories of flammable
  hydrocarbons.
• Remote isolation of pumps.

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Lessons Learned Process

• Accident Prevention - lessons
• Management/Organisation
• Implement program to identify weak points of the
  plant or process
• Including increased monitoring of relevant
  process parameters.
• Increase workers awareness of the importance of
  a strict application of operating procedures
• Systems for reporting plant defects, for testing
  interlocks and trips, for authorising equipment
  changes
• Certain type of work to be authorised at senior
  management level.
• Procedures for assessing the potential for
  runaway reaction should include guidance on
• (a) control of the batch process recycles
• (b) recognizing potential deviations

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Lessons Learned Process

• Accident Prevention lessons
• Management/Organisation
• Approved auditing of examination and inspection
  procedures and the methods of assessment for
  vessel integrity, control systems
• Design parameters should be re-examined
• Drainage systems
• rigorous procedures required for draining pumps,
  pipework etc
• Improve the location of personal protective
  equipment
• Overhaul the electric securing systems of the
  machines
• Update the risk analysis carried out for the
  safety report
• Tune the onsite emergency plan to the accident
  scenarios identified in the safety report.

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Lessons Learned Process

• Accident Prevention lessons
• Equipment
• No of equipment types have been identified as
  being particularly vulnerable
• Valves
• Installation of remote controlled gate valves and
  regular inspection of said valves
• Replacement of the motor-driven valves placed in
  the pipes feeding the pumps, in order to reduce
  the shutting delay to below 30seconds
• Valve should have an indication of its position
• At the base of critical isolation valves there
  should be orifices to which steam can be injected
  to dissolve blockages

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Lessons Learned Process

• Pipework
• Elimination of bends and modification of
  direction of outlet pipes
• Identify materials resistant to erosion
• Modification of material of construction
• Piping layout
• Pumps
• Use of appropriate pump type
• Regulation system for pump speed
• Control Systems
• Modify measurements range of the control
  instruments
• More complete measurements required
• Auto-shutoff valves connected to level control

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Lessons Learned Process

• Accident Mitigation - lessons
• Previous lessons also apply.
• Improve the training of the personnel concerning
  the management of emergencies.
• Define for all equipment the sequence of
  operations needed to secure the equipment.
• Reliable rapid-isolation valves to be installed
  at various points to allow the isolation of
  various sections (marked for identification).
• including isolation valves closer to the vessels.
• Check the suitability of building and structure
  design criteria as well as of safety window glass

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Lessons Learned Process

• Accident Mitigation - lessons
• Performance of the rescue and fire fighting
  services revealed the value of the existing
  emergency plan in reducing the extent of the
  damages.
• Alternative escape routes from scaffold platforms
  or any work area must always be available.
• Provide a refinery fire tender on stand-by at the
  scene.
• Staff must be equipped with flash-fire suits.
• Improve the placing of hydrants and fixed
  monitors
• Mobile air storage tanks should be provided for
  breathing apparatuses.

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Points to Consider

• Document like for LPG is known information
• should we look for standards again?
• should we consider the size of sites, and produce
  lessons?
• Should this document only look at fuel depots (no
  processing), refineries etc?
• should we look at petroleum products only?
• Trends may become more relevant then,
• Could follow other groups, identifying age of
  accidents for specific failures?
• Checklist for inspectors?