Toxic Chemical Release Hazard Distance Determination Using Chemical Exposure Index (CEI) in a Gas Refinery

Cheraghi, Morteza; Bagherian-Sahlavani, Ali; Mohammad Fam, Iraj

doi:10.30492/ijcce.2019.31730

Toxic Chemical Release Hazard Distance Determination Using Chemical Exposure Index (CEI) in a Gas Refinery

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

¹ Department of Health, Safety & Environment (HSE), School of Environment, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, I.R. IRAN

² Center of Excellence for Occupational Health, Occupational Health and Safety Research Center, School of Public Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, I.R. IRAN

10.30492/ijcce.2019.31730

Abstract

Events leading up to the release of toxic chemicals in the processing plants are one of the main hazards of chemical industries that can endanger employees and also people in neighborhood. In this study, DOW's Chemical Exposure Index (CEI) is used to determine hazard distances of possible toxic chemical releases in one of the South Pars gas refineries. To do this, 318 considerable release scenarios were identified and by process parameters and CEI equations, airborne quantity, chemical exposure index and hazard distances were calculated. In the worst case of a toxic chemical release, hazard distance of the studied refinery is 10000 meters. The Sludge Catcher unit is the most dangerous unit in terms of toxic chemical release. In addition to the advantages of the CEI observed in this study also some limitations were observed including sensitivity to process parameters, no consideration of the material inventory and the concentration in the CEI calculations

Keywords

Main Subjects

Health, Safety, Environment (HSE)

References

[1] Cao H., Li T., Li S., Fan T., An Integrated Emergency Response Model for Toxic Gas Release Accidents Based on Cellular Automata, Ann. Oper. Res., 255(1): 617-638 (2017).

[2] Badri N., Nourai F., Rashtchian D., The Role of Quantitative Risk Assessment in Improving Hazardous Installations Siting: A Case Study, Iran. J. Chem. Chem. Eng. (IJCCE), 30(4): 113-119 (2011).

[3] Landucci G., Antonioni G., Tugnoli A., Bonvicini S., Molag M., Cozzani V., HazMat Transportation Risk Assessment: A Revisitation in the Perspective of the Viareggio LPG Accident, J. Loss Prev. Process Ind., 49: 36-46 (2017).

[4] Zhang B., Chen G-m., Quantitative Risk Analysis of Toxic Gas Release Caused Poisoning—A CFD and Dose–Response Model Combined Approach, Process Saf. Environ. Prot., 88(4): 253-62 (2010).

[5] Fam I.M., Nikoomaram H., Soltanian A., Comparative Analysis of Creative and Classic Training Methods in Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Participation Improvement, J. Loss Prev. Process Ind., 25(2): 250-253 (2012).

[6] Mohammadfam I., Kamalinia M., Momeni M., Golmohammadi R., Hamidi Y., Soltanian A., Developing an Integrated Decision Making Approach to Assess and Promote the Effectiveness of Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems, J. Clean. Prod., 127: 119-133 (2016).

[7 Mohammadfam I., Ghasemi F., Kalatpour O., Moghimbeigi A., Constructing a Bayesian Network Model for Improving Safety Behavior of Employees at Workplaces, Appl. Ergon., 58: 35-47 (2017).

[8] Bagheri M., Alamdari A., Davoudi M., Quantitative Risk Assessment of Sour Gas Transmission Pipelines Using CFD, J. Nat. Gas Sci. Eng., 31:108-18 (2016).

[9] Jianwen Z., Da L., Wenxing F., An Approach for Estimating Toxic Releases of H2S-Containing Natural Gas, J. Hazard. Mater., 264: 350-362 (2014).

[10] Sanchez E.Y., Represa S., Mellado D., Balbi K.B., Acquesta A.D., Colman Lerner J.E., et al., Risk Analysis of Technological Hazards: Simulation of Scenarios and Application of a Local Vulnerability Index, J. Hazard. Mater., 352: 101-110 (2018).

[11] Dow Chemical., "Dow's Chemical Exposure Index Guide", American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), New York (1998).

[12] Dow Chemical., "Dow’s Fire and Explosion Index Hazard Classification Guide", American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), New York (1994).

[13] ICI Mond Division., "The Mond Index", Imperial Chemical Industries, Explosion Hazards Section, Technical Department, Northwich, UK (1985).

[14] Jafari M., Zarei M., Movahhedi M., The Credit of Fire and Explosion Index for Risk Assessment of Iso-Max Unit in an Oil Refinery, Int. J. Occup. Hyg., 4(1):10-16 (2015).

[15] Roshan S.A., Gharebagh M.J., Economic Consequence Analysis of Fire and Explosion in Petrochemical Feed and Product Pipelines Network, Health Scope, 2(2):90-4 (2013).

[16] Zaranejad A., Ahmadi O., Fire and Explosion Risk Assessment in a Chemical Company by the Application of DOW Fire and Explosion Index, J. Occup. Health. Epidemiol. (JOHE), 4(3):163-75 (2015).

[17] Nezamodini Z.S., Rezvani Z., Kian K., Dow’s Fire and Explosion Index: a Case-Study in the Process Unit of an Oil Extraction Factory, Electron. Physician, 9(2): 3878 (2017).

[18] Ahmadi S., Adl J., Mirzaei M., Zarei M., Determination of Fire and Explosion Loss in a Chemical Industry by Fire and Explosion Index, J. Qazvin Univ. Med. Sci., 15(4): 68-76 (2012).

[19] Jahangiri M., Parsarad A., Determination of Hazard Distance of Chemical Release in a Petrochemical Industry by Chemical Exposure Index (CEI), Iran Occup. Health J., 7(3):55-62 (2010).

[20] Jabbari M., Sajjadi S.M.H., Gholamnia R., Determination of Airborne Quantity and Consequence Analysis of 1,3-Butadiene Release from a Petrochemical Plant Pipeline, Appl. Mech. Mater., 260: 56-58 (2013).

[21] Atabi F., Ghorbani R., Jabbari M., Assessment of Safe Distance for Five Toxic Materials Commonly in the Accidents of Chemical Road Transportation Using ALOHA and PHAST Software and CEI Index (Case Study: Tehran-Qazvin Highway), Iran Occup. Health J., 14(4):42-35 (2017).

[22] Gharabagh M.J., Asilian H., Mortasavi S., Mogaddam A.Z., Hajizadeh E., Khavanin A., Comprehensive Risk Assessment and Management of Petrochemical Feed and Product Transportation Pipelines, J. Loss Prev. Process Ind., 22(4): 533-539 (2009).

[23] Behari N., Noga M., Risk Assessment Screening Study for Fire, Explosion and Toxicity Effects of Hydrocarbons Stored in a Sphere and Bullet, J. KONES, 24(1):45-57 (2017).

[24] Abidin M.Z., Rusli R., Buang A., Shariff A.M., Khan F.I., Resolving Inherent Safety Conflict Using Quantitative and Qualitative Technique, J. Loss Prev. Process Ind., 44: 95-111 (2016).

[25] Adu I.K., Sugiyama H., Fischer U., Hungerbühler K., Comparison of Methods for Assessing Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Hazards in Early Phases of Chemical Process Design, Process Saf. Environ. Prot., 86(2): 77-93 (2008).

[26] Etowa C., Amyotte P., Pegg M., Khan F., Quantification of Inherent Safety Aspects of the Dow Indices, J. Loss Prev. Process Ind., 15(6):477-87 (2002).

[27] Hassim M.H., Comparison of Methods for Assessing Occupational Health Hazards in Chemical Process Development and Design Phases, Curr. Opin. Chem. Eng., 14:137-49 (2016).

[28] Hassim M., Hurme M., Inherent Occupational Health Assessment During Process Research and Development Stage, J. Loss Prev. Process Ind., 23(1): 127-138 (2010).

[29] AIHA., "ERPG/WEEL Handbook", American Industrial Hygiene Association (2015).

[30] NIOSH., "NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards", DHHS (NIOSH) (2012).

[31] Mardani M., Ghasemi A., A Credit Approach to Measure Inherent Hazards Using the Fire, Explosion and Toxicity Index in the Chemical Process Industry: Case Study of an Iso-max Unit in an Iran Oil Refinery, Caspian J. Health Res., 1(1): 1-17 (2015).