SAFETY & HEALTH IN

CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

An outline of various facets of safety

and health in a chemical industry
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GOPAL DUTT PANDEY
JOINT SECRETARY, NSC UP CHAPTER
 Pressure Vessels
Dangerous Flammable gases,
materials vapour and dust hazards

RISK OF
ACCIDENTS
AND / OR Corrosion
HARMFUL
Hazardous Plant
EXPOSURES
chemical reactions alteration
Hazardous Unit
Operations Working with Pipelines

Entry into Sampling

confined spaces & Gauging
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GOPAL DUTT PANDEY
JOINT SECRETARY, NSC UP CHAPTER
 Dangerous Materials
1. Explosives
2. Gases
3. Inflammable Liquids
4. Inflammable Solids
5. Oxidising substances
6. Toxic and Infectious substances
7. Radio Active Substances
8. Corrosive Substances
9. Miscellaneous Dangerous Substances

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GOPAL DUTT PANDEY
JOINT SECRETARY, NSC UP CHAPTER
 HAZARDS OF PRESSURE
VESSELS
Design Failure of relief systems Lack of hydraulic
defects testing

Lack of LEAKAGE OR
proper BURSTING OF Attempt of
instrume PRESSURE pneumatic
ntation VESSELS testing
or
instrume Lack of
ntation Lack of Corrosion routine
failure N.D. Tests of vessels inspections

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GOPAL DUTT PANDEY
JOINT SECRETARY, NSC UP CHAPTER
 HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL
REACTIONS
• UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE BEHAVIORS OF
REACTIONS AND ADOPTING PRECAUTIONARY
AND EMERGENCY MEASURES.

Normal
Reaction rate
Anomaly 2
Reaction rate

Reaction rate
Arhenious Anomaly 1
equation

Temperature Temperature Temperature

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GOPAL DUTT PANDEY
JOINT SECRETARY, NSC UP CHAPTER
HAZARDS OF UNIT OPERATIONS
UNDERSTANDING THE HAZARDS
INHERENT IN EACH UNIT OPERATION
AND ADOPTING PRECAUTIONARY AND
EMERGENCY MEASURES.
EXAMPLES
Heat Transfer Surface Fouling & Leakage,
Miscalculation in scaling, Mixing
of fluids etc.
Size Reduction Dust Explosions, Dust release, etc.
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GOPAL DUTT PANDEY
JOINT SECRETARY, NSC UP CHAPTER
FLAMMABLE GASES, VAPOURS
AND DUST HAZARDS

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GOPAL DUTT PANDEY
JOINT SECRETARY, NSC UP CHAPTER
• Identification of potential areas, where possibility
of flammable mixture are possible.
• Efforts to avoid hazardous mixtures, by inert gas
purging and other methods.
• Declaring hazard zones and providing flame proof
electrical fittings and equipments.
• Providing Explosion Vents in spaces with
possibility of air-vapour mixtures.
• Explosimeter testing.
• Providing adequate fire control devices.
• Providing arrangements to avoid static sparks. Etc.

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GOPAL DUTT PANDEY
JOINT SECRETARY, NSC UP CHAPTER
 HEALTH HAZARDS
• Identification of potential health hazards.
• Assessment of levels of physical and chemical
health hazards.
• Control of hazards by various techniques.
• Adequate awareness among the workers.
• Periodic medical examination of the workers.
• Personal protection for occasional exposures.
• Proper hygiene and decontamination facilities.
Etc.
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GOPAL DUTT PANDEY
JOINT SECRETARY, NSC UP CHAPTER
HAZARDS DUE TO CORROSION
• Weakening and falling of structures and sheds.
• Falling of workers from height due to breaking of
raised platforms, hand rails, toe boards, stairs and
ladders.
• Spills and toxic releases from pipelines due to
corrosion.
• Leakages and bursting of vessels due to corrosion.
• Corrosion monitoring and control.
• Testing and inspection of vessels and structures to
ensure safety

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GOPAL DUTT PANDEY
JOINT SECRETARY, NSC UP CHAPTER
Oxygen Toxic Flammable
Difficiency Contamination Environment
Combusti-
Possibility of ble
Electrocutions ENTRY substances
through
electric INTO
Failure to escape
equipments CONFINED on emergency
Possibility of
SPACES
Toxic gas
generation
during the work. Difficulty in
Lack of Ventilation welfare
monitoring
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GOPAL DUTT PANDEY
JOINT SECRETARY, NSC UP CHAPTER
 Safety While Entry into Confined
Spaces
•Thorough cleaning and •Self contained breathing
purging before hot work. apparatus.
•Safety belt with one end •Environmental monitoring
outside. for oxygen, toxic gases and
flammable gases before entry.
•Life line to monitor welfare.
•Pipeline isolation before
•On going ventilation.
entry
•A person to watch the
•Electric isolation before
welfare.
entry.
•Low voltage electric
•Proper ladder for entry.
appliances.
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GOPAL DUTT PANDEY
JOINT SECRETARY, NSC UP CHAPTER
 F
ir
e

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GOPAL DUTT PANDEY
JOINT SECRETARY, NSC UP CHAPTER
 SAFETY IN USE OF PIPELINES
•Hazards due to inadequate Identification of Pipelines.
•Hazards due to leakages and bursting of pipelines.
•Hazards due to collision of vehicles with pipelines.
•Hazards due to improper materials of construction of pipelines.
•Hazards while breaking of pipelines.
•Hazards while tapping of pipelines.
•Bursting due to thermal expansion of liquids in the pipelines.
•Bursting of pipelines due to freezing of pipelines.
•Accumulation of condensates in the pipelines. Etc.
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GOPAL DUTT PANDEY
JOINT SECRETARY, NSC UP CHAPTER
 PLANT ALTERATIONS AND
MODIFICATIONS
Alteration in plant, equipment, component, process, operating
procedure, etc.due to some difficulty. Followed by failure in some
unforeseen aspect of the system.
•Design intention of each and every component of the system
should be well understood by every person concerned.
•If any alteration is inevitable,
•Refer the matter to the designers.
•Carry out HAZOP study by expert team.
•Pass it through plant modification approval committee.

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GOPAL DUTT PANDEY
JOINT SECRETARY, NSC UP CHAPTER
 SAMPLING AND GAUGING
•Exposures of gases, vapours and dust while collecting samples.
•Approaching odd locations.
•Splashes and spillages while collecting samples.
•Exposures due to breaking of sight glasses nd glass level
indicators.
•Dip gauging of flammable liquids.
•Dip gauging of corrosive liquids.

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GOPAL DUTT PANDEY
JOINT SECRETARY, NSC UP CHAPTER
 HAARDS DUE TO
INSTUMENT FAILURES
•Absence of fail safety
instruments.
•Lack of interlocks and trip
systems.
•Human failures in manual and
semi automatic operations.
•Need for safety analysis of the
instrumentation systems.

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GOPAL DUTT PANDEY
JOINT SECRETARY, NSC UP CHAPTER
 TOTAL SAFETY & HEALTH
MANAGEMENT
•Selection of Proper Plant Site. •Preventive maintenance schedule.
•Safe Design. •Proper PPE.
•Process Control Instrumentation. •Availability of MSDS.
•Management of pressure vessels. •Safety Awareness.
•Proper Testing and Inspection. •First Aid Facility.
•Proper log books and records. •Good Fire fighting system.
•Barricading the sensitive areas. •Adherence to safety statutes.
•Work Permit system. •Emergency planning and
preparedness.Good industrial hygiene.
•Proper grounding and bonding.
•Inernal and expernal safety audits.
•Use of flame arresters on vents.
•Use of flame proof fittings.
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GOPAL DUTT PANDEY
JOINT SECRETARY, NSC UP CHAPTER
THANK
YOU
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GOPAL DUTT PANDEY
JOINT SECRETARY, NSC UP CHAPTER