che_december-2024 - 35

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❍
Safety datasheets (SDS) for
the natural gas (methane)
that will be contained in the
cylinder
❍
Burner and cylinder details
from the original equipment
manufacturer (OEM)
❍
Information on gas detection
systems, either installed or
portable, being used on site
❍
❍
Handling procedures for
compressed-gas cylinders
FIGURE 2. There are a number of resources that can be used to analyze possible hazard scenarios, including
safety datasheets and equipment operating manuals
Basic outline of a hazard review
Hazard or risk analysis involves a
structured process used to identify
both the extent and likelihood
of consequences associated with
hazards that may be present. To
fully analyze the hazards associated
with a scenario at your site and provide
an effective analysis to allow
risk mitigation, you need to take
into account several fundamental
concepts, described in the following
sections, in the absence of other
safeguarding procedures.
Another caveat that the team will
need to consider is the fact that
most systems never truly eliminate
a hazard or a risk unless a redesign
is undertaken, the risk is transferred
elsewhere, or the activity is
never undertaken or permanently
stopped. Otherwise, mitigation can
only be done by implementing safeguards
to minimize or significantly
reduce the frequency of occurrence
of an adverse event.
For example, consider the manufacture
of paint products from flammable
hydrocarbons that can potentially
explode or cause a fire. In this
case, nothing can be done within the
existing process to fully eliminate a
fire or explosion hazard risk, unless
you were to change the manufacture
over to a completely different
paint formulation. This would eliminate
the risk of explosion, replacing
it with other, less severe risks that
would then have to be reviewed
and mitigated by other means
and methods.
Step 1 - Recognition of a scenario,
or " knowing that you don't
know. " Where do you start? You
may have been lucky, and have
never had an accident before at
your site - or so you've been told.
Or, you're a new employee and
you've been asked to undertake a
hazard review, for example, related
to the use of natural gas within
a process to fire a burner using a
compressed-gas cylinder.
Start by recognizing that you
" know that you don't know " and
work toward knowing all you can.
This includes gaining knowledge
of the work process for completing
a hazard review and analysis, and
the specific task at hand, which in
this case, would be the safe and
effective use of compressed-gas
cylinders inside a building to fire
a burner system. To best accomplish
this task, the following tasks
are recommended:
* Do a " walk-around " using the
appropriate personal protective
equipment (PPE) assigned to you.
Observe the area where the gas
cylinder will be used and complete
a sketch of the area to familiarize
yourself with the layout and any facility
siting concerns
* Ask fellow employees or other
people in the area about what issues
could arise by installing or
using a natural-gas fired burner
* Inquire about any other related
past incidents at the site, either within
the company itself or the industry
in general
* Research potential related issues
in the public domain
* Assemble a reference package
of all key process safety information
(PSI), including (but not limited to)
the following:
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DECEMBER 2024
Building and workspace access
and egress routes, for
both normal routing and
under emergency conditions
❍
Confirmation of who normally
works in the area and for
what period of time to establish
whether or not the area
is considered to be an " occupied
space " or not. One
key factor that clearly establishes
100% occupancy is if
there is a meeting room in
the immediate area that anyone
can book at any time of
the day, or a training room,
lunchroom or an office with a
person's name assigned to it,
who works day or night shifts
in a role that is covered over
the entire year
Step 2 - What could go wrong in
the absence of safeguards? Work
with a colleague, especially someone
who will be in the workspace
and possibly will be responsible for
receiving, using and handling the
natural-gas cylinder, as well as operating
the burner system, to generate
a list of possible scenarios that
should be considered in a hazard review
and analysis. Refer to the SDS
for methane, the burner and cylinder
operating manuals and any relevant
OEM brochures to get a comprehensive
list of scenarios and safeguarding
to be used or present (Figure
2). Factors to consider include
the following:
* Receipt and movement of gas
cylinders
* Primary valve break on the highpressure
natural-gas cylinder
* Loss of primary containment
(LOPC) of the natural gas into the facility,
considering the below cases:
❍
No ignition case, no gas
odorant present, people
present
❍ No ignition case, gas odorant
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