Level 1 - Course 4 - Unit 4 - Slides

SAChE® Certificate Program
Level 1, Course 4: An Introduction to Managing Process Safety Hazards

Unit 4 – Safeguards
Narration:
[No narration]
Copyright ©American Institute of Chemical Engineers 2016. All rights reserved.

1
Objectives
Narration (male voice):

This is the fourth and final unit in the “An Introduction to Managing Process Safety Hazards”
course. By the end of this unit, titled “Safeguards,” you will be able to:
• Explain the difference between passive and active design for safeguards;
• Classify a safeguard according to hazard category or process variable; and
• Explain why relief valves and instrumented systems (such as safety systems) are used.

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SECTION 1: An Introduction to Safeguards
Narration:
[No narration]
Section 1

3
Types of Physical Safeguards

Safeguards are used to reduce the likelihood that hazards become incidents, or to mitigate
incidents if they occur.
Physical safeguards are categorized as passive or active, while there are also procedural and
inherently safer design safeguards (which we’ll cover in another course). Here we’ll emphasize
the first two.
Narration (female voice):

Click a safeguard category for an explanation and an example.

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Passive Design (Slide Layer)
[When Passive is clicked…]

Passive design minimizes the hazard by using design features which will reduce or eliminate a
hazard, including the frequency or consequence, without relying on the active functioning of any
device.
An example would be a containment dike around a hazardous material storage tank.

5
Active Design (Slide Layer)
[When Active is clicked…]

Active design minimizes the hazard by using design features which will reduce or eliminate a
hazard, including the frequency or consequence, by relying on the active functioning of a device
or control system.
An example would be a level sensor in a tank which shuts off an automatic feed valve when a
pre-set high level is reached.

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Safeguards are Used to Manage Hazards

Safeguards are a fundamental component of hazard identification and risk analysis and are
needed in the analysis to determine if a risk is tolerable.
Safeguards are used to manage a variety of hazard categories, such as:
• Excessive pressure;
• Runaway reactions;
• Excessive temperature;
• Toxic and flammable releases;
• Chemical reactivity;
• Uncontrolled flow or spills; and
• Explosive potential of gases and dusts.

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Four Example Safeguard Properties

In this unit, we’re going to explore some safeguard examples. These examples will be organized
by these properties:
• Flow;
• Pressure;
• Containment; and
• Fire/explosion prevention.

Before advancing, do some brainstorming. Use the form on the slide to jot down one or more
devices or procedures that could prevent or mitigate incidents related to these properties. This
exercise is just to get your thoughts going; your entries are not being evaluated.

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Part 2

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SECTION 2: Safeguards for Flow
Narration:
[No narration]

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Safeguards for Flow

We’ll begin by looking at the following examples for safeguards for flow:
• Excess flow valve;

• Flow control;
• Flow restricting orifice;
• Line blanks; and
• Check valves.
Your flow examples are shown. Did you identify any of the examples we listed here?

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Flow Example 1: Excess Flow Valve

Consider this situation…
A toxic liquid material is being transferred from a holding tank (1) to a waste truck (2). The
transfer hose becomes disconnected, resulting in a large toxic release.
With an excess flow valve installed, the release would have been greatly reduced or nearly
eliminated.

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Flow Example 1: Excess Flow Valve (continued)

An excess flow valve, through its internal design, responds to a high pressure differential
created when a line is severed or disconnected, by snapping shut, stopping or greatly reducing
the flow of material.
The primary consideration is to prevent catastrophic events, not reduce emissions. The valves
do not protect against slow leaks, such as those caused by corrosion or loose fittings.

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Flow Example 2: Flow Control Automation

Consider the following situation…
One step of a batch reaction involves charging water to a reactor by gravity. The material in the
reactor is violently water-reactive, and if the charging rate is too great, a runaway reaction will
occur.
The heat would be generated at a rate which exceeds the vessel jacket’s cooling capacity, and
even the reactor’s pressure relieving capability. This could result in catastrophic failure of the
vessel and serious damage to the vessel’s vicinity.
Because of this, the water needs to be added at a very controlled rate.

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Flow Example 2: Flow Control Automation (continued)

One way to deal with this is by using flow control automation. This diagram shows a very
simplified flow control system, designated by “FC,” to include a flow sensing element, an
analyzer, and a control signal out to an automatic valve.

15
Flow Example 3: Flow Restricting Orifice

Suppose in this situation the plant is still uneasy with the reliability of the flow controller, given
the gravity of the risk. They might consider adding a flow restricting orifice in the water line, as
shown here.
The flow restricting orifice will provide a passive, in-line safeguard. It’s simple, with no
mechanical components or reliance on a power supply. The orifice would be sized, based on the
head pressure, to allow a maximum flow (and associated reaction) no greater than the vessel’s
cooling capacity or pressure relieving capability.

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Flow Example 3: Flow Restricting Orifice (continued)

The device is installed between pipe flanges in the line where flow needs to be limited.
Orifice calculations determine hole diameter. If the flow restricting orifice is used to prevent a
catastrophic event, these calculations need to be accurate.

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Flow Example 4: Line Blanks

Line blanks are used to create an absolute barrier in a pipeline to prevent the mixing of two
liquids or gases. They are set between the flanges of the pipeline.
A common safety use is to isolate equipment when it’s being repaired, particularly on tank
supply lines preventing the ingress of dangerous materials like acids, steam, or asphyxiants (such
as nitrogen).
They come in a number of configurations. The figure-8, or spectacle blank (also known as a
spectacle blind), has a blocked side and an open side. Depending on which is visible, the
observer will know whether the flow is blocked or not.

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Flow Example 5: Check Valve

A check valve is used to keep flow going in only one direction.
For example, in this diagram, only one nozzle is available on this hypothetical reactor. It must be
shared in common by nitrogen and water. The check valve prevents mixing of the two materials.

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Flow Example 5: Check Valve (continued)

The photographs here illustrate two views of a check valve.
The symbol is widely used on engineering diagrams to represent a check valve. The arrow shows
the flow direction.

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Flow Example 5: Check Valve (continued)

Popular configurations for check valves are ball check and swing check as shown in these
illustrations.

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SECTION 3: Safeguards for Pressure
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Safeguards for Pressure

In this section, we’ll look at a couple of examples of safeguards for pressure:
• Pressure relief valve; and

• Rupture disc.

23
Pressure Example 1: Pressure Relief Valve

A relief valve allows the flow of material from its containment when the pressure reaches some
pre-determined level until the pressure returns to a safe level. It’s kept closed by a spring or
weight opposing the lifting force of process pressure.
You can explore the components of a conventional spring-loaded pressure relief valve by rolling
your mouse pointer over the dots around the illustration on the left.
Click the photograph of the pressure relief valve for a closer look.

24
Pressure Example 2: Rupture Disc

A rupture disc is a thin diaphragm (generally a solid metal disc) designed to rupture (or burst) at
a designated pressure. It’s used as a weak element to protect vessels and piping against
excessive pressure (positive or negative).
It’s common to see the relief valve and rupture disc used together, as shown in this illustration.

25
SECTION 4: Safeguards for Release Containment
Narration:
[No narration]

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Safeguards for Release Containment

If the pressure relief devices discussed in the last section do their job, there will be material that
needs to be contained, so let’s look at several examples of safeguards for release containment,
including:
• Catch tank;
• Dike;
• Double wall design;
• Physical isolation; and
• Sensors.

27
Release Containment Example 1: Catch Tank

Catch tanks (such as blowdown drums and knockout pots) are used to:
• Prevent or minimize escape of released materials;

• Possibly neutralize escaped materials; and
• Sometimes incorporate vapor/liquid separation.
• The illustration here shows the incorporation of a blowdown drum in the system.

28
Release Containment Example 1: Catch Tank (continued)

This illustration shows the incorporation of a catch tank to collect liquid resulting from the
vapor/liquid separation process.

29
Release Containment Example 2: Diking

Dikes are barriers, usually earthen or concrete, which surround process equipment to corral
possible leaks or spills. Here are two benefits of a dike:
• Capture allows for subsequent transfer or treatment; and

• Reduced surface area lowers the release rate (that is, evaporation) to the atmosphere;
the evaporation rate is directly proportion to the area of the spill.

30
Release Containment Example 3: Double Wall Design

This illustration shows a double wall design. It prevents release by complete secondary capture.
The pipe, vessel, or even the entire room can be double walled. Often, the capture space is
monitored and/or inerted.

31
Release Containment Example 4: Physical Isolation

With physical isolation, containment is achieved by partitioning the hazardous operation from
the rest of the facility. The contaminated atmosphere can be collected and directed to
treatment.

32
Release Containment Example 5: Sensors

Sensors can be used to safeguard an area. Containment is achieved by monitoring the
atmosphere for hazardous material and using automation to sound alarms and activate
containment/mitigation actions.

33
SECTION 5: Safeguards for Explosion/Flash Fire
Narration:
[No narration]

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Safeguards for Explosion/Flash Fire

In this section, we’ll look at three procedures that can be performed to safeguard against
explosions and flash fire:
• Grounding;
• Bonding; and
• Inerting.

35
Explosion/Flash Fire Example 1: Grounding

The voltage difference between two objects can be eliminated by connecting each to the
ground; this eliminates spark discharges (which are potential ignition sources) between the two
conductors.

36
Explosion/Flash Fire Example 1: Grounding (continued)

This is another illustration of the use of grounding procedures to safeguard tanks and vessels.

You can click the clamps for a closer look.

37
Explosion/Flash Fire Example 2: Bonding

Spark discharges between two conductors can be prevented by eliminating the air gap between
them; that is, bonding the two conductors.

38
Explosion/Flash Fire Example 2: Bonding (continued)

This is a variation of the grounding example we saw earlier. Note the bonding wire connected to
the tank and drum.

39
Explosion/Flash Fire Example 3: Inerting

Inerting is a technique by which a combustible mixture is rendered non-ignitable by addition of
an inert gas or a noncombustible dust. Typically, in inerting calculations, normal atmospheric air
is considered to be 79% nitrogen and 21% oxygen by volume.
Depending on the flammability related properties of a material, a process can be set up so that
it’s operating outside of a “flammable envelope.” This flammability illustration shows how the
oxygen level can be managed to achieve this.
The materials' flammability envelope, which is bounded by the lower and upper explosive limits
(LEL and UEL) and the limiting oxygen concentration (LOC), is represented in the diagram. This
diagram is for hydrogen in air at standard temperature and pressure, for which LEL equals four
percent, UEL equals 75 percent and LOC equals five percent.

40
Explosion/Flash Fire Example 3: Inerting (continued)

While nitrogen is the most common gas used for inerting in the chemical process industries,
there are cases where other gases might be used. If it can be established that they actually
exhibit inerting behavior under given operating conditions, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and
even flue gas have been used.
The atmosphere or vapor space will be considered inert when the oxygen concentration has
been reduced to a value that is less than the concentration that will support combustion; that is,
the limiting oxygen concentration (LOC).

Click the book icon if you would like to view a table which lists LOC values for some sample
materials.

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LOC Values Table (Slide Layer)

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Explosion/Flash Fire Example 3: Inerting (continued)

In SAChE’s course on “Nitrogen Safety,” you can learn how nitrogen gas for inerting is added to a
vessel’s vapor space, generally by means of a control valve, maintaining a set pressure. Pressure
control involves sensing the head space pressure and raising and lowering it as needed via this
automatic valving.
This is an illustration of a tank equipped with pressure-controlled blanketing adding nitrogen via
the tank blanketing valve when the liquid level drops, and vents nitrogen through the
conservation vent when the liquid level rises.

43
Inerting Case Study

Inerting can play a part in many areas that we wouldn’t commonly be aware of, including those
outside of the process industries. Consider this incident.
On the evening of July 17, 1996, Trans World Airlines Flight 800 exploded and crashed into the
Atlantic Ocean off of Long Island, New York, twelve minutes after takeoff from JFK Airport on a
scheduled international passenger flight to Rome.
All 230 people on board were killed in the third-deadliest aviation accident in U.S. territory.

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Part 2

45
Inerting Case Study (continued)

A four-year National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation concluded that the
probable cause of the accident was an explosion of flammable fuel and air vapors in a fuel tank,
with the most likely ignition source causing the explosion being an electrical short circuit.
As a result of the investigation, the NTSB requested that the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) consider “design modifications, such as nitrogen inerting systems” for aircraft fuel tanks.
The FAA’s plan to add these systems to commercial jets addressed one of the NTSB’s “Most
Wanted” Safety Recommendations.

46
Inerting Case Study (continued)

In response, the FAA issued requirements for adding fuel tank inerting systems to commercial
jets. These systems replace potentially explosive fumes in fuel tanks with "nitrogen enriched
air."
Aircrafts of most concern to the FAA are those that sometime fly with heated and near-empty
tanks, where the potential for explosive vapors exists. Fuel tank inerting is widely used in
military aircraft, such as the F-16, that rely on these systems during combat to help prevent fuel
vapors from igniting after sustaining damage from a missile or anti-aircraft shell.

47
Part 2

48
Unit 4 Summary

We’ve reached the end of the final unit in the “An Introduction to Managing Process Safety
Hazards” course. Having completed this unit on “Safeguards,” you should now be able to:
• Explain the difference between passive and active design for safeguards;
• Classify a safeguard according to hazard category or process variable; and
• Explain why relief valves and instrumented systems (such as safety systems) are used.
Before exiting, be sure to take the end-of-unit quiz. The Quiz Introduction is on the next slide.

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SAChE® Certificate Program

Level 1, Course 4: An Introduction to Managing Process Safety Hazards

Copyright ©American Institute of Chemical Engineers 2016. All rights reserved.

Narration (male voice):

Copyright ©American Institute of Chemical Engineers 2016. All rights reserved.

Copyright ©American Institute of Chemical Engineers 2016. All rights reserved.

Narration (male voice):

Narration (female voice):

Copyright ©American Institute of Chemical Engineers 2016. All rights reserved.

[When Passive is clicked…]

Narration (female voice):

An example would be a containment dike around a hazardous material storage tank.

Copyright ©American Institute of Chemical Engineers 2016. All rights reserved.

[When Active is clicked…]

Narration (female voice):

Copyright ©American Institute of Chemical Engineers 2016. All rights reserved.

Narration (male voice):

Safeguards are used to manage a variety of hazard categories, such as:

Copyright ©American Institute of Chemical Engineers 2016. All rights reserved.

Narration (male voice):

Narration (female voice):

Copyright ©American Institute of Chemical Engineers 2016. All rights reserved.

Copyright ©American Institute of Chemical Engineers 2016. All rights reserved.

Copyright ©American Institute of Chemical Engineers 2016. All rights reserved.

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• Excess flow valve;

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Narration (male voice):

Because of this, the water needs to be added at a very controlled rate.

Copyright ©American Institute of Chemical Engineers 2016. All rights reserved.

Narration (male voice):

Copyright ©American Institute of Chemical Engineers 2016. All rights reserved.

Narration (male voice):

Copyright ©American Institute of Chemical Engineers 2016. All rights reserved.

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Copyright ©American Institute of Chemical Engineers 2016. All rights reserved.

Narration (male voice):

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• Pressure relief valve; and

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• Prevent or minimize escape of released materials;

Copyright ©American Institute of Chemical Engineers 2016. All rights reserved.

Narration (male voice):