Operator safety

For air compressors Operating safety Thermal stability, Volatility Resistance to oxidation Extreme pressure and anti-wear (compressors) properties Low coking tendency (hot reciprocating compressors)... 

Thermal power plant components operated at high temperatures (>500°C) and pressures, such as superheater headers, steamline sections and Y-junctions, deserve great attention for both operation safety and plant availability concerns. In particular, during plant operation transients -startups, shutdowns or load transients - the above components may undergo high rates of temperature / pressure variations and, consequently, non-negligible time-dependent stresses which, in turn, may locally destabilize existing cracks and cause the release of acoustic emission. 

Process Hazards Analysis. Analysis of processes for unrecogni2ed or inadequately controUed ha2ards (see Hazard analysis and risk assessment) is required by OSHA (36). The principal methods of analysis, in an approximate ascending order of intensity, are what-if checklist failure modes and effects ha2ard and operabiHty (HAZOP) and fault-tree analysis. Other complementary methods include human error prediction and cost/benefit analysis. The HAZOP method is the most popular as of 1995 because it can be used to identify ha2ards, pinpoint their causes and consequences, and disclose the need for protective systems. Fault-tree analysis is the method to be used if a quantitative evaluation of operational safety is needed to justify the implementation of process improvements. 

Forklift Operations, Safety Guide SG-6, Chemical Manufacturers Association, Washington, D.C., 1960. 

Pyrotechnics have been used for military purposes for many centuries as propellants, explosive charges, time fuses, and for illumination. There are still many uses of pyrotechnic devices in military appHcations, where they provide portability, storage stability, simplicity of operation, safety, and the reUability required for military scenarios. The devices must be capable of surviving rough handling, weather extremes, and extended storage, yet reUably perform when called on to function. 

Job Specific Job-specific topics include training on new or revised operating, safety and maintenance procedures related to the toll. It could include emergency response plan training or laboratory technician training as well if those procedures were changed. 

The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) has a 30-year history of involvement with process safety for chemical processing plants. Through its strong ties with process designers, builders, operators, safety professionals and academia, the AIChE has enhanced communication and fostered improvement in the high safety standards of the industry. AIChE publications and symposia have become an information resource for the chemical engineering profession on the causes of accidents and means of prevention. 

Buried steel pipelines for the transport of gases (at pressures >4 bars) and of crude oil, brine and chemical products must be cathodically protected against corrosion according to technical regulations [1-4], The cathodic protection process is also used to improve the operational safety and economics of gas distribution networks and in long-distance steel pipelines for water and heat distribution. Special measures are necessary in the region of insulated connections in pipelines that transport electrolytically conducting media. 

The filters should be located downstream of the coolers and should be equipped with a vent and orificed fill line to permit air removal prior to being put into service to prevent shocking the system. External lifts for the filter covers should be furnished if the covers are too heavy for an operator to safely handle. A suggested weight is 35 pounds, deferring however to operator safety. An adequate valved drain should be furnished for each filter body to permit easy removal of dirty oil and sludge. 

Operator safety training costs for hazardous materials or processes. 

Standard Operating Safety Guides, published by the U.S. EPA Oflhee of Emergeney and Remedial Response... 

Level A for Operational Safety Management updates the plant status for specific components that are out of service and forecasts the effect on core melt frequency using minimal cutsets generated in Level B. Code features include ... 

The percent absolute back-pressure for conventional and pilot-operated safety relief valves is ... 

At 6 30 A.M. on June 21, 1970, fifteen railroad cars, including nine cars carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), derailed in the town of Crescent City, Illinois. The derailment caused one of the tanks to be punctured, then release LPG. The ensuing fire, fed by operating safety valves on other cars, resulted in ruptures of tank cars, followed by projectiles and fireballs. No fatalities occurred, but 66 people were injured. There was extensive property damage. 

Process safety management is based on the principle that appropriate management systems are needed in every area that has an impact on operational safety, from design through operation and maintenance to decommissioning. This same principle can be applied to other asp>ects of safety, health, and environmental control. 

Are procedures and manually operated safety interlocks sufficiently simple to use ... 

Clean up in such a way tliat the hazardous material is removed and does not produce a future danger. It may be necessary to pump out a hazardous liquid or to remove contaminated soil, etc. Decontamination procedures may be necessaiy. See EPA s Standard Operating Safety Guides for instructions for decontamination required following exposure to different danger levels of liazmds... 

Figure 7-5A. Pilot operated safety relief valve. By permission, Anderson, Greenwood and Co.

To ensure that plant is not subject to breakdown, it is important that there are no unnecessary failures to safety , that is, that correctly operating safety equipment only operates because of exceptional circumstances, not avoidable faults. Safety shutdown will occur for various reasons, i.e. ... 

Always install a relief valve that is capable of bypassing the full-load capacity of the compressor between its discharge port and the first isolation valve. Since helical-lobe compressors are less tolerant to over-pressure operation, safety valves are usually set within 10 per cent of absolute discharge pressure, or 5 psi, whichever is lower. 

A survey of 500 plants that have implemented predictive maintenance methods indicates substantial improvements in reliability, availability and operating costs. The successful programs included in the survey include a cross-section of industries and provide an overview of the types of improvements that can be expected. Based on the survey results, major improvements can be achieved in maintenance costs, unscheduled machine failures, repair downtime, spare parts inventory, and both direct and in-direct overtime premiums. In addition, the survey indicated a dramatic improvement in machine life, production, operator safety, product quality and overall profitability. 

Cold Solvents Solvents, for example, white spirit or paraffin, used either by immersion or by manual application are not to be recommended as effective, or particularly safe methods, of degreasing. When used by immersion, the holding tank can became heavily contaminated with soil, which will remain on the work after the solvent has evaporated. The use of solvent-soaked rags, although a time-honoured procedure, is now being frowned upon on the grounds of operator safety aqueous based pre-wipes are available. 

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