Plant layout safety considerations

Examples of common safe practices are pressure relief valves, vent systems, flare stacks, snuffing steam and fire water, escape hatches in explosive areas, dikes around tanks storing hazardous materials, turbine drives as spares for electrical motors in case of power failure, and others. Safety considerations are paramount in the layout of the plant, particularly isolation of especially hazardous operations and accessibility for corrective action when necessary. 

Before proceeding any further with the development of a process design and its associated economics, it will be desirable to consider an overall view of the various functions involved in a complete plant design. Particular emphasis in this discussion will be placed on important health, safety, loss prevention, and environmental considerations. Other items that will be noted briefly include plant location, plant layout, plant operation and control, utilities, structural design, storage, materials handling, patents, and legal restrictions. 

Safety Design Considerations in Munition Plants Layout... 

The plant layout of the 4S is optimized to meet various functional needs the requirements for safety, radiation zoning, and piping and cabling construction requirements and access and security considerations. The general philosophy of the 4S plant layout is as follows ... 

Because the configuration of equipment and associated items covered in this chapter may vary significantly among vendors, the plant layout designer should study the principles outlined and adjust each layout accordingly. Consideration for maintenance, operation, safety, and economics, as well as the use of common. sen.se, re.sulw in an effective overall furnace de.sign. 

The plant layout of Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) is optimized for meeting various functional needs, as well as safety, radiation zoning, piping and cabling requirements, erection and construction requirements, and access and security considerations. 

Liston (Ref. 27) provides useful checklists for equipment and building siting and layout for safety purposes, as well as other safety-related criteria for plant design. These checklists address economic considerations and facility geographical location, site selection, layout, and unit plot planning factors. 

Non-structural considerations such as safety, operation, architecture, cost and owner preference may dictate the shape, orientation, and layout of a plant building. In establishing these, however, the engineer should also consider the requirements for blast resistant construction. 

The general layout of an industrial process plant involves considerations of cost and safety. Some of the factors that contribute to safety and loss prevention are (i) segregation of different risks (ii) minimization of vulnerable pipework (iii) containment of accidents (iv) limitation of exposure (v) efficient and safe construction (vi) efficient... 

Safety and protection of human lives must be the paramount concern in the preparation of layouts. The following considerations are by no means totally inclusive they are only those that would have a substantial impact on the plant dimensions and capital cost ... 

Topics include inherent safety in a process, considerations lor safer plant siting and layout, Improved equipment and piping design, and active and passive protective systems... 

Provisions in the layout should be made early in the process of plant design as a valuable way of reducing P2. In this regard, feedback of experience from similar installations should be taken into account. Decisions on layout are of particular importance in relation to missiles and flooding hazards, and these considerations are addressed in the corresponding sections of this Safety Guide. 

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