Hazards and Control Measures

in Paper industry

Presentation by: R. No: 21 to 30

Introduction

 The pulp and paper industry converts wood or

recycled fibre into pulp and primary forms of
paper.
 In the 1800s, there was a shift away from using
cotton rags for paper production. Wood became
the most important source of fiber.
 First mechanical and then chemical methods have
been developed to produce pulp from wood.
Pulp and paper mills

 Pulp mills separate the fibres of wood or from

other materials, such as rags, wastepaper or
straw in order to create pulp.
 Paper mills primarily are engaged in
manufacturing paper from wood pulp and other
fibre pulp, and may also manufacture converted
paper products.
Production process

The production process can be divided into 7

sub-processes:
 raw materials processes;
 wood-yard;
 fibre line;
 chemical recovery;
 bleaching;
 paper production;
 products and recycling.
Simplified flow diagram of
integrated mill
Kraft Pulping

Sulfate or Kraft pulping was invented in

Germany in 1884 and remains the dominating
technology today.
Advantages:
– higher pulp strength
– wider variety of wood species may be used
– more effective at removing impurities like resins.
Disadvantage:
– the pulp yield is low, less than 50%.
Environmental problems (1)

Regulated wastes and emissions from the pulp

and paper industry include liquid and solid
wastes, air emissions, and wastewater.
 Air emissions related with this process are:
sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxides, particulate
matter, methanol, polycyclic organic matter,
hydrogen chloride, formaldehyde, chloroform,
phenol and chlorinated phenolics, dioxins,
furans and other chlorinated compounds.
Environmental problems (2)

 Wastewater releases include chlorinated

phenolics, dioxins, furans and other chlorinated
compounds, phosphates and suspended
sediments.

 Paper mills also produce non-hazardous solid

waste such as sludge derived from their
pulping and bleaching operations.
Raw water use

 Pulp mills are big water users. The total

requirement of raw water has through cleaner
production measures been reduced from about
200-300 m3 per ton of pulp in 1970 to well below
50 m3/ton, in some mills even below
10 m3/ton.
 Consumption of fresh water can seriously harm
habitats near mills, reduce water levels
necessary for fish, and change water
temperature, a critical environmental factor for
fish.
Pollutants in effluents

 The most common organic pollutants are

suspended solids (SS):
– lost cellulose fibre,
– dissolved organic compounds such as dissolved
lignin compounds, carbohydrates, starch and
hemi-cellulose
 Acidic compounds are predominantly natural
resin acids.
 Chlorinated organics (AOX) are found if
elemental chlorine is used in the process.
Solid wastes

 Dirty wood chips or fibers as well as bark.

 The broken, low-quality fibres are separated

out to become waste sludge.

 All the inks, dyes, coatings, pigments, staples

and "stickies" (tape, plastic films, etc.) washed
off the recycled fibres.
Cleaner production measures
Raw materials

 Maintaining moisture content of the raw materials

constant all year around.
 Keeping chemical inventory to a minimum and
buying small containers of infrequently used
materials.
 Labelling storage area for hazardous substances.
 Providing spill containment and collection
systems during storage.
 Genetically modifying forest trees.
Cleaner production measures
Wood-yard (1)

 Pulp mills integrated with lumbering

facilities: acceptable lumber wood is removed
during debarking; residual or waste wood from
lumber processing is returned to the chipping
process; in-house lumbering rejects can be a
significant source of wood furnish.
 Avoiding hydraulic debarking – saving
energy and water consumption, reducing
wastewater amount.
Cleaner production measures
Wood-yard (2)

 Reusing leachate water.

 Co-production from bark: mulch, ground
cover, charcoal.
 Burning bark from debarking and small chips
from chipping for energy production (depends
on the moisture content).
Cleaner production measures
Pulp production (1)

 Increasing brown stock washing efficiency.

Any remaining cooking liquor will increase the
chemical consumption in subsequent stages.
 Water reuse from evaporators. The
evaporation plant is always one of the largest
steam consumers in the mill. Condensate might
be used instead of fresh water in the mill.
 Repulping the rejects from screening rather
than putting them into the landfill.
Cleaner production measures
Pulp production (2)

 Using pulp centrifuging to remove any

remaining impurities.
 Sludge utilization by means of land-
spreading. This method of sludge disposal is
an area of concern, as sludge constituents are
not well identified.
 Air emissions control devices.
 Providing spill containment and collection
system.
Cleaner production measures
Chemicals recovery (1)

 Using of new technologies (CHP, BLG, heat

transfer, heat exchanger).
 Improvements technical parameters of
recovery boiler or furnace (geometrical shape
etc.).
 Using light gas strippers and gas collection
systems which will remove hazardous and foul
smelling pollution from the air and increase
workplace safety.
Cleaner production measures
Chemicals recovery (2)

 Deaerator tanks ahead of the boilers to

help reduce the intake of freshwater.
 Air emissions control devices.
 Providing spill containment and collection
system.
Cleaner production measures
Bleaching

 Avoiding chlorine bleaching.

 Continuing research on biotechnological
bleaching and electrochemical bleaching.
 Air emissions control devices.
 Providing spill containment and collection
systems.
Cleaner production measures
Paper production (1)

 Cleaning the roll in the paper machines to

avoid broken paper line.
 Adjustment of edge cutter to reduce side
trimming loss.
 Use of soft water as a boiler feed water.
 Recycling water evaporated from drying
process by condensing.
Cleaner production measures
Paper production (2)

 Optimizing the thermal effects on water

used in the paper machine and stock
preparation area.
 Providing disk save-all for paper machine.
 Repulping rejected paper in a closed loop
manner.
Cleaner production measures
Products processes and recycling

 Increasing recycling rates. Recycling

reduces energy consumption, decreases
combustion and landfill emissions, and
decreases the amount of carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere. This process also saves
money.
 Possibility for easy packaging recycling.
 Using “green” fuel for transportation.
Ideal paper mill (1)

 From cleaner production point of view is a

chlorine-free and zero-discharge one, with
minimized quantity and toxicity of air pollution
and solid wastes.
 It is seen that closed loops represent the most
effective approach to save both energy and
resource consumption and at the same way to
decrease all kind of wastes production.
Ideal paper mill (2)

 Such an approach is developed in the form of

paper recycling, different types of substances
re-use during production processes, co-
production and chemicals recovery.
 Future research can develop more sustainable
reuse options for kraft pulping solid wastes, as
well as pulping methods that result in purified
by-products that can serve as feedstock for
other manufacturing processes.
 Hazards in Paper Industry
 Any paper machine presents a set of hazards to the employees who work with and around it.
 By if employees are aware of these hazards, are able to identify them (and control them when necessary), and know how to
work safely in the presence, they can greatly decrease any measure of risk related to those safety hazards in paper
manufacturing.
 We’ll list some specific types of hazards below, and give specific types for working safely with them, but in addition it’s always
a good idea to keep the following best safety practices in mind:
 Never work on or around a paper machine without proper operational and safety training
 Always follow approved job procedures for each job task
 Always prioritize your own personal safety above any job task; don’t work if a task is unsafe
 Always assume responsibility not only for your own safety, but for the safety of everyone in the work area–remember safety is
a group activity
 Always ensure paper machines receive proper preventive maintenance on a routine basis
 Always use good housekeeping to limit unnecessary hazards in the work area
Specific Paper Machine Hazards

 Pinch Points
 A pinch point is pretty much what it sounds like:
A point where a person can get pinched between
moving parts or between a stationary object and
a moving part. But the pinch isn’t a cute little love
tap. Pinch points can lead to dangerous,
crushing injuries, leading to permanent disability,
amputation, and even death.
Paper machines often have
pinch points:
 Between two different moving parts
 Between a moving part and a
stationary part
 Around and beneath loads being
transported–for example, under a
large paper roll
 Between mobile equipment, such
as a forklift or clamp truck, and
other machinery or objects
Nips
 A nip is a specific type of pinch point created by
rotating or reciprocating parts.
 The hazard is that a finger or other body part can get
pulled into the nip area by the rotating motion,
leading to a severe crushing or cutting injury (or,
again, even death). Nips can be especially
hazardous because they’re often in areas where
people feed materials into the paper-making
process, make adjustments, or must add lubricants.
 Nips are common at paper machines at adjacent
rotating rolls, where a rotating roll and a moving rope
or web come together, or around moving ropes and
rope sheaves.
Sharp Surfaces
 Sharp surfaces can cause cuts,
scrapes, deep wounds, and
even amputations. There are
many sharp surfaces around a
paper machine, ranging from
box or utility knives employees
may carry around to things like
doctor blades and log saws. 
Hot Surfaces

 Paper machines and paper manufacturing

facilities in general include a number of hot
surfaces, which of course can cause
dangerous burns. Surfaces may be hot
because they are designed to either
produce or transfer heat, but they may also
be hot simply due to friction from moving
moving parts. 
 Possible locations of hot surfaces on a
paper machine include steam lines, steam
traps, and pumps. You may also find hot
surfaces near a paper machine; an
example might be the motor of a forklift.
Slip, Trip, and Fall Hazards
 Slips, trips, and falls cause many
of the injuries suffered in nearly
all workplaces, including paper
manufacturing plants. Injuries
from slips, trips, and falls can
range from nothing more than
wounded pride, to cuts and
bruises, broken bones, paralysis,
and death. Even from a fall of
only a few feet or from ground
level.
Here are some common slip, trip,
and fall hazards:

 Debris such as broke paper and scraps left on the floor

 Wires and cords left on the floor or in walkways in an unsafe
manner
 Fluids left on the floor, such as water near the wet end of a paper
machine
 Missing, broken, or poorly designed guard rails
 Missing, broken, or poorly designed steps
 Improper use of ladders 
 Failure to use fall protection
 Distraction and inattention to surroundings
 Hurrying
slip, trip, and fall hazards:
slip, trip, and fall hazards:
Particles Suspended in the Air

 During the papermaking and converting processes, paper fiber

dust is created, becomes airborne, and may eventually
accumulate on machines or the ground.
 This dust presents several hazards:
 On a walkway, it can be slippery and may contribute to slips,
trips, and falls
 It can get lodged in an employee’s unprotected eye
 It increases the risk of fire or explosion when airborne (check
our “combustible dusts” training sample below)
 A worker may inhale the dust, leading to respiratory problems
Particles Suspended in the Air
Noise Hazards
 Loud noises and noises
that continue for extended
periods of time can
severely harm your
hearing. Such noises are
common in many
manufacturing plants, and
that includes paper
manufacturing facilities.
Noise Hazards
Hazardous Chemicals
 There are many hazardous chemicals
used in papermaking facilities as part of
the papermaking process. Quite a few of
them are very hazardous. 
 Just a few are listed below:
 Anhydrous Ammonia
 Chlorine Dioxide
 Formaldehyde
 Hydrogen Sulfide
 Turpentine
Hazardous Chemicals
Confined Space Hazards
 Confined spaces present many hazards,
including some that can lead to death.
But perhaps we should begin by
explaining what a confined spaced is.
 OSHA says a confined space is a space
that:
 Is large enough for a person to get into it
and work
 Has limited or restricted means for entry
or exit
 Is not designed for an employee to be in
it continuously
Confined Space Hazards
Fire Hazards
 Fires are a serious safety issue anywhere–at home or
at work. And paper manufacturing facilities have some
characteristics (namely: paper and other word
products!) that make fires a serious hazard.
 In particular, the broke, litter, and dust at a paper
manufacturing facility, all most commonly found at the
dry end of the paper machine and near rewinders in
the converting area, are specific fire hazards (as are
the equipment that cause heat that could cause these
materials to ignite).
Fire Hazards
Conclusion: Common Hazards in a
Paper Manufacturing Plant

 We hope this article has been helpful in pointing out common types
of hazards in a paper mill and giving you tips on how to reduce the
risks. Please let us know if there are other common hazards you
think we should have included.
 You may also want to learn more about our online paper
manufacturing courses and/or our online safety training courses.
You can get them in any of several formats, including online
streaming video, USB, video discs, and SCORM and AICC (which
allow you to import them into a learning management system
(LMS).
 And for even more on paper manufacturing safety, OSHA’s always
a good resource.