Ignition sources drumming equipment

Accident statistics on the equipment involved in large losses give somewhat contradictory information (see Table 20). According to Mahoney (1992) the most common process items as primary accident cause are reactors. The next in the list are process drums whereas heaters are one of the safest. This contrasts with Instone s (1989) data, where heaters and boilers were the most common process items in the accidents, whereas reactors and process drums were quite uncommonly involved. This difference may be partly because Mahoney has analyzed the primary causes of large losses, whereas Instone has listed the involvement of equipment in losses. Since furnaces are sources of ignition for flammable leaks from other equipment, furnaces are not necessarily listed as primary causes even they are probably involved as secondary causes in many losses. Therefore the inclusion of both reactors and furnaces in the list of most unsafe equipment is well justified. 

Material handling equipment. Material handling equipment used to transfer drums and containers shall be selected, positioned and operated to minimize sources of ignition related to the equipment from igniting vapors released from ruptured drums or containers. 

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