HAZARDS OF TRAPPED PRESSURE AND VACUUM

2.11 Trapped pressure underneath catalyst crust

ACCIDENT Contractor fatality during reactor catalyst removal!

A contract employee was fatally injured while removing catalyst from a
hydrodesulfurization (HDS) reactor.
After shutdown and a nitrogen purge, the reactor inlets and outlets were
blinded, and a nitrogen hook-up provided to supply a continuous purge for
use by the catalyst unloading contractor. The atmosphere at the reactor top
opening was checked for oxygen, flammable material and hydrogen sulphide
and found to be satisfactory. Wearing respiratory equipment suitable for inert
gas entry work, the worker went inside the top of the reactor to remove the
internal structure.
There was a crusted layer on top of the catalyst bed below the distribution
tray in the top of the reactor. What was unknown to everyone was the build-up
of nitrogen pressure under the crusted layer. When the worker inside the
reactor chipped the crust, the sudden release of pressure killed him. His
equipment and part of the reactor contents were expelled upwards through a
22 inch (0.6 m) diameter manhole.

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HAZARDS OF TRAPPED PRESSURE AND VACUUM

Precautions
Nitrogen injection pressure should be lowered to less than 0.7 psig/50 mbar, or
strict formal checking procedures should be enforced. An example of a
pressure regulating system with simple pressure relief device is given below:

Note: Remember that nitrogen (or any other gas) should never be used for
strength testing of pressure vessels except in very special circumstances
following a risk assessment and approval process.
For more details on nitrogen hazards, refer to BP Process Safety Booklet
Hazards of Nitrogen and Catalyst Handling.

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