Shut down activity - what are the safety precautions and checklist to be followed?

sreeharisri
Dear Friends & colleges, Good eve to all, In our factory this month end we are planning to do shut down activities, so friends kindly help me what are the Safety precautions and safety rules and checklist have to be followed , your valuable suggestion and information help me to serve better in my organization and avoid accidents in the shutdown activities.
Regards,
Sreeharisri
dipil
Dear Sreeharisri
Just follow the existing practices in your industry without fail... No need to make any extra rules for shutdowns...
If in case of any additional job or a new type of job which is coming in the shutdown, conduct a HIRA and prepare a SWP... Let all work according to this SWP's... It's better if you can include Engineers in conducting HIRA and for making SPW... As they made, they will feel the ownership and will follow more stringently than you tell them to do it... Hope you get what my idea is...
vallibasha76
Dear Srihari,
Plse kindly note that shut down procedure is different in different plant as per their process, so what i advice is, read ur plant shutdown & starting Safe operating procedure manual maintained by ur operation dept if they are maintained otherwise conduct JSA (job Safety analysis )before taking shut down what r all hazard associated in the process & take control measures and also ensure LOTO(lock out & Tag out) procedure for controlling all Energy I.e Mechanical,Electrical, Chemical etc. prepare one check list what r the events fallowed for shut down,so one should analyze the proces of ur organisation then only one suggest clearly....Hope u get what my idea....for ur problem.
Regards,
valli basha
sreeharisri
Dear dipil and Valli basha.
Good eve, Thanks for your valuable suggestion and information, keep in touch sir take care good nite,
Regards.
Sreeharisri
raghuvaran chakkaravarthy
Dear Dipil and Valibasha,

Thanks for your quick response on our member query.

Dear sreeharisri,

Already our Mr.Dipil and Valibasha gave suggestion of your query. You are not mentioned what type of company are you working in if its chemical company take a special precaution its mentioned below.

LIST OF SAFETY PRECAUTIONS FOR SHUTDOWN ACTIVITIES OF CHEMICAL PLANTS

There are two kinds of chemical plant shut down, i.e. planned shutdown and emergency or unplanned shutdown. An example of planned shutdown is as preparation for Turn Around or yearly preventive maintenance programs. Emergency plant shutdown can be triggered by many factors, such like electric power failure, machinery failure, instrumentation trouble and many more.

In both shutdown cases, there are safety precautions for shutdown activities of chemical plants that need to be taken into account. Such safety precautions are required to prevent potential hazards that commonly appear during plant shut down.

In fact, many people may underestimate chemical plant safety in shutdown condition. Of course there may no pumps running, no reactions occur or production process. But various potential hazards such as over pressure, fire and explosion still exist, which could present real danger to the plant and people inside it.

1. Release pressure that may be trapped between two closed valves or closed process equipment loops. If liquid trapped inside is decomposing and releasing gas, such as hydrogen peroxide, the condition will be worst.

2. Replace flammable gas inside vessel or piping line to below its Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) with inert gas, for instance nitrogen if hot work is planned to be done surround that area.

3. During normal operation there may be a leak through steam valve. Insert a blind plate to stop process heating by steam, otherwise pressure inside will build up and may create over pressure or over heating condition.

4. Always measure oxygen concentration inside tank or reactor at the safe level, where a job will be conducted.

5. Flammable gas concentration may zero in tank or column, but beware of nitrogen hazard, since nitrogen could make oxygen level less than safer concentration.

6. Maintain nitrogen blanket for tank containing flammable liquid during plant shut down. Flammable vapor is still released.

7. When pressure indication just relies on pressure gauge consider error indication. Seek another one for comparison.

8. Do not just rely on pressure gauge indication to make sure zero pressure. Open all available drain or vent valves to release the remaining pressure. Beware of pressure that trapped in a dead zone.

9. Bring any high temperature process to ambient. It is not only saving energy but also eliminate one hazard source. Except there is a strong requirement keeping that high temperature.

10. During plant shut down period, it is usually performed many jobs in the same time. Be careful not to use same hoses or transferring pump to avoid unintended reaction. Consider material compatibility. Read the MSDS to find out material compatibility.

11. There will be much flammable or combustible material spread around the plant site. Do not dispose used absorbent materials that still contain flammable liquid into trash bin.

12. Utilization of temporary lines or hoses may increase in shutdown period. Dispose damaged hoses and only use good hoses with the right specifications.

13. Several equipments or pipelines are designed to be used only in shutdown time. Be careful, because some part of the equipments or pipes may have been corroded and would not be able to hold certain pressure rating.

14. Used drums are usually used during plant shutdown in order to recover lubrication oils, chemicals or catalysts. Use only used drums that are originally used for those chemicals or ones that have been washed and cleaned up.

15. In yearly preventive maintenance period, there are not only permanent workers involved in plant shutdown activities but there will be contractor workers and temporary workers. Educate them adequately about all the potential hazards that may exist in the area where they work.

16. Temporary electric connections are commonly used for driving portable pumps or exhaust blowers in shutdown time. Put extra care to avoid electric spark generation because many flammable materials exposures.

17. Chemical splash and spill hazards will more likely occur during maintenance works.

The above checking points do not represent all the safety precautions for shutdown activities of chemical plants. Complete the above list based on your actual plant conditions. It had better to include them in safety inspection checklists during plant shutdown.

Source : Web.

Keep on sharing. . .
sreeharisri
Dear Raghuvaran chakravarthy.
Good morning, thanks for your valuable information on chemical plant shutdown activites, actullay I a working in automobile manufacturing company, Its there any separate safety procedure for manufacturing plant like wat you said about the chemical plant activities. If yes means can u just send me please.
Regards,
Sreeharisri.
“Safety is something we can live with”
raghuvaran chakkaravarthy
Dear Sreeharisri,

I don’t have any Start-up / shutdown procedures documents for any kind of industries (I am 100% construction ) but I add few points hope it’s helps a lot.

Many potential hazards can be realized during start-up or shut-down of plant or process. Specific operating procedures should be provided which take account of all eventualities. For some specific plant items, start-up is know to present particular additional hazards; some examples of these are:

• Dryers – when starting up a drying system after maintenance or a plant shutdown, the actual temperature the dryer might reach before settling out with the control system may result in an increased chance of a dust explosion;

• Furnaces – explosions may occur if ignition of fuel is delayed;

• Vessels, Tanks, Reactors – ignition of flammable vapors introduced may occur for systems relying on elimination of oxygen to prevent explosions, unless inert gas purging is carried out effectively;

• Reactors – start-up of batch reactors after agitator failure may cause an uncontrollable exothermic reaction.

The start-up and shut-down procedures should be ordered and phased so that interlinked plant operations can resume or cease in a safe and controlled manner.

Hope its helps.
sreeharisri
Dear friends,
Thanks for your information on my shut down activity plan and it was very useful once again i thank you friends, No fire accident and only one cut injury to the contract workers it was minor only.
Safe Regards,
Sreeharisri.
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