Overview

The presentation describes a simplified flowsheet and operation of part of a plant blowdown system and the location and design intent of the locked open valve that was left closed during startup.

The relevant sections of ASME VIII are presented and discussed, in particular, the narrow circumstances in which a valve may be located in the pressure relief path; API Recommended Practice 520 and 521 concerning relief streams are shown in in support.

A summary of the events leading up to the explosion are set out, followed by comments on Management of Change and the procedures surrounding LO/LC valves. Finally, there is some discussion around human error and HSE Guide 48 Reducing Error and Influencing Behaviour Classification.

Speaker

Rodney Gilmour, Consultant, Process Engineering Design on Line Ltd

Rodney has an MA in engineering science from St. Anne’s College, Oxford and an MSc in chemical engineering with design from the University of Manchester. He is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the IChemE and the IMechE with over 40 years experience in the process industries.

Rodney commenced his career at ICI Huddersfield in the fine chemicals area and later moved to ICI R&D at Runcorn to work on fluorochemical CFC replacements. After a spell as plant engineer on a vinyl chloride plant he moved to Albright & Wilson to oversee capital projects worldwide in the industrial phosphates and phosphorus derivatives divisions.

He set up PEDL in 2003 as an independent consultancy; latterly, he has worked as an expert witness across the oil, gas and chemical industries and as a consultant to the phosphoric acid industry.

The material presented in this webinar has not been peer-reviewed. Any opinions are the presenter’s own and do not necessarily represent those of IChemE or the Manchester Members Group. The information is given in good faith but without any liability on the part of IChemE.

Webinar recording