Refinery safety issues

In the previous two chapters it was noted that offshore safety management has much in common with other process industries, particularly onshore facilities such as refineries, pipelines, and chemical plants. However, each industry does have its unique safety issues and problems. For example, a chemical plant will often either manufacture or use highly toxic compounds that have to be handled with special... 

In oil and gas systems, the refinery is a major industrial setup for obtaining various desired/specified petroleum products from cmdes. Naturally, safety issues in a refinery are of prime importance. At present with the introduction of digital technology in instrumentations there have been a number of changes in refineries. Now refineries are smart refineries. The following basic objectives remain the same ... 

Also, the emissions of uncombusted hydrogen sulfide vapors (HjS) to the atmosphere could also be (although more remotely) a potential safety issue. This happened at the Good Hope Refinery where 1 worked in 1981, when reports of noxious odors were reported from a local high school. Our plant manager appeared on the television news to assure the community that while the H S odor was bad, it was not in the least harmful to the children. 

The purpose of this book is to provide practical guidance on issues to do with the design, operation and maintenance of process faciUties, including chemical plants, oil refineries, offshore facilities and pipelines— with a focus on safety issues. It is organized into the following chapters ... 

The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AlChE) has helped chemical plants, petrochemical plants, and refineries address the issues of process safety and loss control for over 30 years. Through its ties with process designers, plant constructors, facility operators, safety professionals, and academia, the AlChE has enhanced communication and fostered improvement in the high safety standards of the industry. AlChE s publications and symposia have become an information resource for the chemical engineering profession on the causes of incidents and means of prevention. 

Senior managers are concerned primarily with long-term issues. With respect to risk, they are particularly sensitive to the potential for major environmental and safety events such as the Exxon Valdez spill, the refinery explosion at Texas City, or the Deepwater Horizon/Macondo catastrophe. 

Our introduction mentioned that technicians collect many samples a year. Some of these samples may possess different health or physical hazards (see Figure 10-1). In fact, in a refinery or petrochemical plant it is fairly safe to say that most samples will have some type of hazard associated with them. So, why make a big issue about collecting samples The answer is to promote the safety and health of the technician and ensure a non-toxic atmosphere in areas and vessels. 

Just five months into the BP refinery investigation, the CSB issued an urgent safety recommendation to the BP Global Executive Board of Directors. The Directors were instmcted to commission an independent panel to assess and to report on the effectiveness of BP North America s corporate oversight of safety management systems at its refineries. BP was also strongly urged to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of BP s corporate safety culture. 

Safety, security concerns growing challenges for refineries and contractors. Oil Gas Journal (March 2007). http //www.ogj.com/articles/prinl/volume 105/issue 12/supplement tO Oil gas joumal/technology forum refining equipment services/safety security concems growing challenge for refiners contractors.html. 

CSB s Investigation Report into the Texas City Refinery Explosion also identifies safety culture as a key issue requiring leadership of senior executives. It was particularly critical of the lack of a reporting and learning culture, and of a lack of focus on controlling major hazard risk. 

Unfortunately there are other cases of nitrogen asphyxiation. In November 2005, two contract workers performing maintenance at a Valero refinery died. One died while attempting to rescue the other. The Chemical Safety Board investigated this accident and issued a case study and safety video to help prevent more tragedies from nitrogen. 

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