Hazard minimizing

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Mixed Waste Focus Area, Technical Baseline Results, World Wide Web Http //wastenot.inel.gov/mwfa/results.html (1996) U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). FY91 Waste and Hazard Minimization Accomplishments, DOE Report MHSMP=-91-37, Pantex Plant, Amarillo, TX 79177, (1991) J. E. Klein. R D Needs for Mixed Waste Tritium Pump Oils (U), Westinghouse Savannah River Company Inter-Office Memorandum, SRT-HTS-94-0235 (July 11, 1994). 

Reduce solvent and reagent consumption (hazard minimization)... 

There are only two ways to minimize any risk of harm minimize the exposure or minimize the hazard. Minimizing the exposure of persons who handle the substances can be done through various means, such as protective clothing, engineering controls, respirators, and the like. However, by designing chemistry that reduces or eliminates the hazard, exposure is no longer a risk. 

Despite the efforts of the chemical industry, there have been lapses. In March 2005, there was an explosion and fire in the BP refinery in Texas City that killed 15 and injured more than 170 [10], The accident occurred during startup of the unit and had several causal factors. Despite these tragic lapses, the trend is good there is an ever increasing emphasis on safety and hazard minimization. 

Safety considerations might dictate that a particularly hazardous component be removed from the process as early as possible to minimize the inventory of that material. 

The hazard of an explosion should in general be minimized by avoiding flammable gas-air mixtures in the process. Again, this can... 

Distillation. There is a large inventory of boiling liquid, sometimes under pressure, in a distillation column, both in the base and held up in the column. If a sequence of columns is involved, then, as discussed in Chap. 5, the sequence can be chosen to minimize the inventory of hazardous material. If all materials are equally hazardous, then choosing the sequence that tends to minimize the flow rate of nonkey components also will tend to minimize the inventory. Use of the dividing-wall column shown in Fig. 5.17c will reduce considerably the inventory relative to two simple columns. Dividing-wall columns are inherently safer than conventional arrangements because they lower not only the inventory but also the number of items of equipment and hence lower the potential for leaks. 

Choose the distillation sequence to minimize the inventory of hazardous material. 

DILLON Materials Selection for the Chemical Process Industries freeman Hazardous Waste Minimization... 

Carbon dio.xide has the adv antages that in use (a) adverse chemical reactions are extremely unhkely, (b) there is no electrical hazard, and (c) damage to apparatus is minimal. 

Polonium can be mixed or alloyed with beryllium to provide a source of neutrons. The element has been used in devices for eliminating static charges in textile mills, etc. however, beta sources are both more commonly used and less dangerous. It is also used on brushes for removing dust from photographic films. The polonium for these is carefully sealed and controlled, minimizing hazards to the user. 

Few of the naturally occurring elements have significant amounts of radioactive isotopes, but there are many artificially produced radioactive species. Mass spectrometry can measure both radioactive and nonradioactive isotope ratios, but there are health and safety issues for the radioactive ones. However, modem isotope instmments are becoming so sensitive that only very small amounts of sample are needed. Where radioactive isotopes are a serious issue, the radioactive hazards can be minimized by using special inlet systems and ion pumps in place of rotary pumps for maintaining a vacuum. For example, mass spectrometry is now used in the analysis of Pu/ Pu ratios. 

Hazard and Operability Analysis. The hazard and operabihty analysis (HAZOP) procedure is quite popular because of its ease of use, the abihty to organize and stmcture the information, minimal dependence on the experience of the analysts, and the high level of results. Furthermore, the approach is capable of finding hazards associated with the operation of a faciUty, hence the incorporation of the word operabihty in the name. 

With these waste-minimization techniques, methanol synthesis is relatively clean, and poses no unique environmental hazards. The need for environmental controls is more closely associated with the synthesis gas generation process. 

The main objectives of RCRA ate to protect pubHc health and the environment and to conserve natural resources. The act requires EPA to develop and adininistet the following programs soHd waste disposal practices providing acceptable protection levels for pubHc health and the environment transportation, storage, treatment, and disposal of hazardous wastes practices that eliminate or minimize hazards to human health and the environment the use of resource conservation and recovery whenever technically and economically feasible and federal, state, and local programs to achieve these objectives. 

Shipment nd Stora.ge, Sulfur monochloride is minimally corrosive to carbon steel and iron when dry. If it is necessary to avoid discoloration caused by iron sulfide formation or chloride stress cracking, 310 stainless steel should be used. Sulfur monochloride is shipped in tank cars, tank tmcks, and steel dmms. When wet, it behaves like hydrochloric acid and attacks steel, cast iron, aluminum, stainless steels, copper and copper alloys, and many nickel-based materials. Alloys of 62 Ni—28 Mo and 54 Ni—15 Cr—16 Mo are useful under these conditions. Under DOT HM-181 sulfur monochloride is classified as a Poison Inhalation Hazard (PIH) Zone B, as well as a Corrosive Material (DOT Hazard Class B). Shipment information is available (140). 

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