It has been some time since I wrote my last post. I was on leave for my marriage. I have returned to the office now and I am back with another post on Chemical Reaction Hazards. Many times, I have come across people asking us what steps should be followed for identifying and mitigating the chemical reaction hazards. Today we will be talking on the same.
First, of all, I would like to thank Fauske & Associates LLC (FAI) for their continuous support and for publishing my last blog post on their website. If you have missed the same, you can access it by clicking on the link below
As per the research conducted by Dr Phil Nolan (South Bank University, UK) and Dr John Barton (UK Health and Safety Executive) and graduate students based on data analysis, the following four gaps have contributed equally i.e. 25% each to thermal runaway reactions leading to multiple incidents in past:
- Lack of proper understanding of the thermochemistry (heat of reaction) and chemistry (balanced chemical equation)
- Insufficient engineering design for reactor heat transfer system
- Inadequate control and safety back-up systems including emergency relief systems, process vent, and other engineering controls
- Poorly written batch procedures and insufficient operator training.
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| Concept Sciences Inc. Explosion |
Hence, it is imperative to develop a process safety strategy to address these four gaps. A process safety strategy should include the following:
