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Water/ Air/ Oxygen/ Nitrogen
Steam: Air was purged out of a column by steaming first. Part of the steam condensed and flashed when hot gas oil was introduced, damaging column trays. Procedure changed to fuel gas purging after steaming and slow heating to expel water in column bottoms. BP
Steam: Was used to purge a CDU vessel. Vessel was isolated with hot steam inside. On cool down, produced vacuum. Vessel collapsed. Similar, Coker drum was isolated from its vent after steaming; collapsed. Similar, a railcar purged with steam. BP
Steam: Uncontrolled steam heating the bottoms in an Atmospheric Residue tank. BP
Steam distribution: Steam was isolated in a U configuration running under a culvert. It cooled and condensed, trapping vapor steam in the vertical riser outlet. As the steam in the riser also cooled and collapsed, it created a differential pressure across the condensate in the horizontal run, leading to water hammer and rupture of the riser piping. BP
Air: Receivers without RV or RV isolated have ruptured in service
Air: Tanks, vessels or piping have failed during pneumatic testing. 36” - 600m piping burst while at 123 bar (target 156 bar). Vessel at 5.5 bar (target 9 bar)
Air: Blown into a vessel to prove inlet line was clear. Vent was choked. Vessel end was blown off. Air used to blowoff dirt and mill scale from work areas has resulted in eye and skin injuries. WWW
Air: Used to drain oil out of a gearbox fast. Gearbox exploded. BP
Air: Above 140°C, lube oil vaporized and deposited in the discharge line of a compressor. Caught fire.
Air: In a plant bitumen lined discharge vessel produced flammable vapor and exploded
Air: Mol Sieve preferentially absorbed N2 and increased O2, widening flammability. Explosion. WWW
Air: Pneumatic testing a choke manifold. Thermowell ejected off like a bullet due to corroded threads. Similar, Christmas Tree handling/ test too failed during hydrostatic test. Similar, hydraulic accumulator containing oil/N2 at 400 bar broke loose of its mountings. BP
Oxygen: Autoignition temperature (AIT) and minimum ignition energy (MIE) are lower with higher O2 content. When O2 was used instead of air or N2 for purging, unexpected ignition occurred
Air: Aur Separation Unit. Combustible airborne particulates (soot) from forest fires accumulated on distillation column Aluminum vaporizers - in liquid O2 service. HC combustion led to Aluminum combustion that vaporized the cryogenic liquids. Resultant pressure ruptured the distillation column. Note: 0.2-mm-thick Aluminum fins
O2: Oxygen hoses have caused a few fires. As high velocity O2 escaped from pin holes, it ignited carbon steel mesh on the hose + impinging on flammable materials nearby. BP
Fire extinguisher bottom corrosion under rubber protective foot. When used to put out a fire, the cracked bottom hit the operator in his chest. BP
N2: Liquid N2 was evaporated and sent to vessel for blanketing. Evaporator malfunctioned, sending liquid N2 into vessel. ~ (-) 196°C. Embrittlement and vessel rupture
N2: Liquid N2 was vaporized and used to cool down 3 reactors. Inadvertent liquid N2 damaged the vessels. BP
N2: Truck heat source lost. Brittle fracture in 16” HC pipe
N2: Carbon Steel transfer line. Brittle fracture as a solenoid valve malfunctioned. Add a TALL to ESD supply. BP
N2: Liquid N2 was used to flash freeze in a food facility leaked and flashed. Asphyxiation. 6 fatalities
N2: Pressure testing with N2. PRV lifted and vent line rotated through 90°. Fatal injury
N2: HDS reactor was N2 purged. Worker entered to remove the catalyst. N2 had built up below a crust on top of catalyst bed. When the worker chipped the crust, it burst. Fatality. BP
N2: Purge contaminated with H2 kept a recurring fire, during leak test. BP
N2: Backflow via pig launcher check valve. Flammable gas in refinery N2 network. BP
N2: Molten wax was pressurized with N2 and sent to a refining process. Due to reduced N2 flow from its generator, compressed air was used to supplement N2. Internal deflagration. BP
N2: Same tank cars may be used to supply N2 and O2. Analyze supplied ‘nitrogen’ for O2. WWW
N2: Liquid Nitrogen was used for purging. Its leak cracked offshore SS platform deck due to low temperature
N2 Asphyxiation: Inadvertent use of N2 instead of air for breathing due to hose mix-ups/ interchangeable coupling or stepping into N2 purged vessels cause death only after 1 or 2 breaths. Exposed person has no warning and cannot sense that O2 level is too low. At < 16% O2 level, brain signals the victim to breathe faster and deeper. In 4 - 6% O2, the victim falls into a coma in less than 40 seconds. Use unique hose connectors. Monitor O2 level in confined spaces. Use body harness to pull out the victim without buddy becoming a victim, as happens in many cases
N2 Asphyxiation: As N2 is used in catalyst charging and changeout, number of fatal N2 gassing incidents have increased. N2 is a serious a gassing hazard as H2S. BP
N2 Asphyxiation: Coil Tubing water displaced with N2 into return tank. While trying to check water level, 3 fatalities. N2 asphyxiation
N2 Asphyxiation: While taking a sample of atmosphere inside a N2 purged reactor from its top manhole, operator was asphyxiated. BP
N2 Asphyxiation: While trying to help a confined space entry attendant lift an internal access ladder, another person on top of a reactor was asphyxiated. BP
N2 Asphyxiation: Technician inside a reactor skirt to connect a motor was asphyxiated. N2 leak via bottom Emulating Pump seal. BP
N2 Asphyxiation: Technician trying to fix a valve in an open area, but close to escaping N2 path. BP
N2 Asphyxiation: Worker trying to fix a leaky vent on a railcar under inert atmosphere. BP
N2 Asphyxiation: N2 used instead of Instrument Air. Leak in an analyzer house. BP
N2 Asphyxiation: Column was under purge. 2 workers inspected the surface of an open manhole flange for stress cracks. They sprayed dye on the surfaces and used black light for inspection. A tarpaulin cover over them resulted in asphyxiation. BP
Argon: A grinder entered a 54” SS piping under welding. Ar was shielding gas. He and his 3 rescuers were asphyxiated. BP
Chemicals
Chemical Injection: 3m long corrosion rupture, below a demulsifier injection point without injection quill. The quill would have introduced the chemical into the middle of the flowing stream, avoiding localized corrosion. Check injection points
Propane: Liquid propane refrigeration is a ‘bomb’. Leakage leads to fire/ explosion/ BLEVE
Methanol: Gravity fed from a portable tank to platform storage tank. The feed hose had a split and was duct taped. Hose opened and sprayed methanol. It was ignited by GT exhaust
Methanol: Damaged metal roof over a methanol tank was being removed. Sparks from the cutting torch ignited tank vent vapors. Methanol vapors had corroded the tank Aluminum flame arrestor, allowing flame flash back into the tank. Explosion and fire. Note: Tank had PVC piping rather than steel
Methanol: Lightning struck and ignited tank vapors. Explosion, blowing roof off and fire
Mercury: in natural gas can cause LMR (Liquid Metal Embrittlement), a rare but instantaneous failure of Aluminum Cold Box. Rupture, release and explosion
Mercaptan: Cleaning chemicals used to clean Odorizer produced reactive chemicals that exploded
Dust explosion: Combustible Polyethylene powder accumulation on ceiling and beams ignited and exploded
Benzene: Contractor entered a Benzene tank with respirator and protective cloth. Fatality. BP
Cleaning Chemicals: Mixing 2 different types may lead to toxic fumes. Check. And make sure equipment are free of chemicals after a cleaning operation
Cleaning Chemicals: Workers were exposed to chemical vapor while cleaning inside a reactor. Poor ventilation. Similar, worker cleaning a tank, knocked over a solvent container. Similar, in a boiler - the boiler scales and the chemicals reacted releasing fluoride compounds. BP
Cleaning Chemicals: Similar, cleaning with cyclone using a pressurized wand. 3 fatality. BP
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