Engineers and Societies Assignment

Title: Safety Manual for Chemical Plant

1.0 Introduction
A chemical plant is an industrial process plant that manufactures chemicals, usually on a large
scale. The general objective of a chemical plant is to create new material wealth via the chemical
or biological transformation and or separation of materials. Chemical plants use specialized
equipment, units, and technology in the manufacturing process. Petrochemical plants using
chemicals from petroleum as a raw material are usually located adjacent to an oil refinery to
minimize transportation costs for the feedstocks produced by the refinery. The Company Safety
Manual is intended to inform the worker of the Companys Procedures and Policies on Safety
Manual. This manual will also give you an on the spot reference guide to the applicable OSHA
regulations for the majority of the work we perform. A copy of this Safety Manual must be on
every job site.
2.0 Management Responsibilities
Managements responsibilities are the focal point of the Companys overall safety program and is
responsible for ensuring that;
The Companys health and safety policies and procedures are enforced.
Periodic management meetings are held for the purpose of reviewing health
and safety practices and accident trends to determine the effectiveness of the
program. All necessary equipment, materials and personal protective
equipment are provided and maintained in good working condition.
Employers are required to provide information to their employees about the hazardous chemicals
to which they are exposed using:
A hazard communication program
Employers must develop a written program that covers at least:
A list of the hazardous chemicals known to be present at the facility along
with MSDSs for each chemical
The methods the employer will use to inform employees
of the hazards non-routine tasks
The hazards of chemicals in unlabeled pipes

Labels and other forms of warnings
The employer must ensure that each container of hazardous chemicals in
the workplace is labeled, tagged or marked with the following:
Identity of the hazardous chemical
Appropriate hazard warnings



Material safety data sheets (MSDS)
MSDS may be kept in any form including operating procedures
It may be more appropriate to address the hazards of a process rather than
individual hazardous chemicals
Information and training
Employers must provide employees information and training on hazardous
chemicals in their work area:
At the time of their initial assignment
Whenever a new physical or health hazard the employees have not
previously been trained about is introduced into their work area.

3.0 Employee Responsibilities
Safety starts at the top but is the responsibility of every employee. Safe work practices require
alertness and a knowledgeable awareness of potential hazards. The safe work practices as
follows:
Eye Protection- All persons in the work area, including visitors, must wear eye protection
at all times, even when not performing a chemical operation.
Clothing- to avoid exposure to hazardous materials, wear clothing that completely covers
the torso and legs.
Food and Beverages - Do not prepare, store, or consume food or beverages in any
chemical work area. Industrial chemicals must not be placed in refrigerators used for storing
food and beverages.
Working Alone- Do not work alone with chemicals. Work should be absolutely forbidden
unless there are at least two people present.
Workers Responsibility- Employees must learn understand, and follow all safety rules
and regulations that apply to their work areas. Workers must use personal protective equipment
as appropriate for each procedure that involves hazardous materials.
OSHA does not cite workers for violations of their responsibilities, but each employee is
encouraged to comply with all OSHA rules, regulations and standards .OSHA recommends
workers do the following:
- Read the OSHA poster at your job site.
- Follow all lawful employer safety and health rules and regulations.
- Report any job-related injury or illness to your employer, and seek treatment promptly.
4.0 Safety Procedures
Our goal is to build and operate plants in such a way that malfunctions are as unlikely as
possible. When planning and constructing new plants, we apply the same stringent standards
worldwide. This also applies to existing plants. Process safety focuses on preventing fires,
explosions and accidental chemical releases in chemical process facilities or other facilities
dealing with hazardous materials such as refineries, and oil and gas production installations. The
following are suggested as rules for persons in all chemical workplaces:
a. Immediately notify your supervisor if you are injured or experience an illness in the
workplace.
b. Wear proper eye protection-American National Standards Institute (ANSI) - approved glasses
or goggles-at all times in chemical work, handling, and storage areas.
c. Always know the hazards and physicochemical properties of the chemicals used (e.g.,
corrosiveness, flammability, reactivity, and toxicity). Read the label and the MSDS for each
unfamiliar or extremely hazardous chemical in the workplace.
d. Always wear appropriate protective clothing. To minimize exposure to hazardous chemicals,
wear clothing that covers the torso, arms, and legs. Confine long hair and loose clothing. Wear
shoes that completely cover the feet. Do not wear high-heeled shoes, open-toed shoes, sandals, or
shoes made of woven material. e. Never perform any work with hazardous materials when alone
in the workplace.
f. Do not eat, drink, smoke, or apply cosmetics in work areas where laboratory or industrial
chemicals are handled or stored.
g. Do not perform unauthorized work, preparations, or experiments with hazardous materials.
h. Always wash your face, hands, and arms with soap and water before leaving the work area.
i. Never engage in horseplay, pranks, or other acts of mischief in chemical work areas.
j. Never remove chemicals or equipment from the facility without proper authorization.





Global process safety guideline
We focus on prevention and determine and evaluate the possible risk posed by a plant to people
and the environment, develop a corresponding safety and environmental plan, and check its
implementation. These steps are a fixed part of the process from designing a plant to putting it
into operation. And a plant only starts up when they have been completed. The guideline
provides a five-step review system for environmental protection, health and safety (EHS
reviews) that covers all aspects of process safety, occupational safety, occupational health and
environmental protection when planning plants.
EHS reviews:
Stage 0 * Identification of fundamental risks before starting planning

Stage 1 * Identification of hazards associated with plants and processes
* Formulation of tasks for the basic safety concept.
* Inspection of the planned site from the aspect of safety
* Formulation of tasks for the environmental protection concept

Stage 2 * Review and approval of the safety and environmental protection concepts

Stage 3 * Evaluation of the plans for consistency with regard to safety
* Use of the HAZOP method (Hazard and Operability Study)

Stage 4 * Check for complete implementation of the safety and environmental protection
concepts before the plant starts operations






4.0 Hazards
Every workplace has hazards. A workplace hazard is anything that has the potential to cause
harm to a person. Hazards can take the form of items, such as machinery to a persons work
environment, such as working at heights or a slippery floor. Hazards in the workplace should be
identified and the risk of the hazard causing an injury should be assessed. Reducing the risk of
the hazard causing injury is an important step towards maintaining workplace safety.

Chemical Hazards: Physical, Health.

Several factors that can influence how a chemical will behave and the hazards the chemical
presents, including the severity of the response:

* Concentration of the chemical.
* Physical state of the chemical (solid, liquid, gas).
* Physical processes involved in using the chemical (cutting, grinding, heating, cooling, etc.).
* Chemical processes involved in using the chemical (mixing with other chemicals, purification,
distillation, etc.).
* Other processes (improper storage, addition of moisture, storage in sunlight, refrigeration, etc.).


Explosives
The OSHA Laboratory Standard defines an explosive as a chemical that causes a sudden, almost
instantaneous release of pressure, gas, and heat when subjected to sudden shock, pressure, or
high temperature. If you ever come across any chemical that you suspect could be potentially
shock sensitive and/or explosive, do not attempt to move the container as some of these
compounds are shock, heat, and friction sensitive.
Examples of explosive and potentially explosive chemicals include:
Compounds containing the functional groups azide, acetylide, diazo, nitroso, haloamine,
peroxide, and ozonide
Nitrocellulose
Di- and Tri-nitro compounds
Peroxide forming compounds
Flammable and Combustible Liquids
The OSHA Laboratory Standard defines a flammable liquid as any liquid having a flashpoint
below 100 degrees F (37.8 degrees C), except any mixture having components with flashpoints
of 100 degrees F (37.8 degrees C) or higher, the total of which make up 99% or more of the total
volume of the mixture. OSHA further breaks down flammables into Class I liquids, and
combustibles into Class II and Class III liquids. Please note this classification is different than
the criteria used for DOT classification. This distinction is important because allowable container
sizes and storage amounts are based on the particular OSHA Class of the flammable liquid.
Classification Flash Point Boiling Point
Flammable Liquid
Class IA <73 degrees F <100 degrees F
Class IB <73 degrees F >=100 degrees F
Class IC >=73 degrees F, <100 degrees F >100 degrees F

Combustible Liquid
Class II >=100 degrees F, <140 degrees F --
Class IIIA >=140 degrees F, < 200 degrees F --
Class IIIB >=200 degrees F --

Flammable Solids
The OSHA Laboratory Standard defines a flammable solid as a solid, other than a blasting
agent or explosive, that is liable to cause fire through friction, absorption of moisture,
spontaneous chemical change, or retained heat from manufacturing or processing, or which can
be ignited readily and when ignited, burn so vigorously and persistently to create a serious
hazard. An example of a flammable solid is gun powder.



Under the DOT hazard class system, flammable solids are listed as hazard class 4. Flammable
solids are further broken down into three subcategories:

Flammable Solids Class 4.1
Spontaneously Combustible Class 4.2
Dangerous When Wet Class 4.3

Poisons
OSHA draws a distinction between toxic chemicals and acutely toxic chemicals. Under the DOT
hazard class system, poisons are listed as hazard class 6. As a general rule of thumb, all
chemicals should be treated as poisons and proper procedures such as maintaining good
housekeeping, use of proper PPE, good personal hygiene, etc., should be followed.
Corrosives
OSHA defines a corrosive as a chemical that causes visible destruction of, or irreversible
alterations in living tissue by chemical action at the site of contact. Under the DOT hazard class
system, corrosives are listed as hazard class 8. Corrosive chemicals can be further subdivided as
acids and bases. Corrosives can be in the liquid, solid, or gaseous state. Corrosive chemicals can
have a severe effect on eyes, skin, respiratory tract, and gastrointestinal tract if an exposure
occurs. Corrosive solids and their dusts can react with moisture on the skin or in the respiratory
tract and result in an exposure.

5.0 Personal Protection Equipment
Employers have duties concerning the provision and use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
at work. PPE is equipment that will protect the user against health or safety risks at work. It can
include items such as safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility clothing, safety
footwear and safety harnesses. It also includes respiratory protective equipment (RPE).
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
1. Dust Mask
a. A dust mask should be worn when handling powdery solids.
b. Dust masks prevent inhalation of solid particles.

2. Ear Protection
a. Ear plugs are required when operating the Ro-Tap.
b. If your ears are sensitive to noise, you may want to wear ear plugs while working in other
parts of the laboratory.
c. Ear plugs protect the ears against high-decibel noise.

3. Eye Protection
a. Safety glasses with side shields or safety goggles are to be worn at all times in the laboratory.
b. Safety goggles must be worn when handling hazardous chemicals.
c. Glasses and goggles must comply with ANSI Z87.1-2003.

4. Footwear
a. All persons operating equipment in the Unit Operations Laboratory are required to wear over-
the-ankle, non-porous shoes with toe protection that meets the ANSI Z41-1999
Standard.
b. Proper footwear is required to protect the feet against burns from chemicals, steam, and hot
water and from the impact of heavy falling objects such as tools or barrels.

5. Gloves
a. Insulated gloves are required to avoid burns when operating steam valves and when handling
hot objects.
b. Rubber or other protective gloves are required to avoid contact with chemicals that can burn or
penetrate the skin.

6. Hardhat
a. Hardhats provide protection from falling objects and from striking the head against pipes and
equipment.
b. Hardhats must comply with ANSI Z89.1-2009 (Class A or B).

7. Rubber Aprons
a. Rubber aprons are required when handling concentrated acids or bases.
b. Rubber aprons are required for transferring glacial acetic acid into the liquid-liquid extraction
feed tank and for adding chemicals to the pilot-scale PDMS reactor system.

8. Face Shields
a. Face shields provide protection from splashing chemicals.
b. Face shields are required when certain operations call for additional protection.




6.0 Emergency Procedures
Each location shall maintain an emergency plan which:
Provides for all people
Provides a firefighting organization
Is coordinated with the local community and industrial neighbors
Is field tested and documented at least annually
Covers all potential incidents relative to that location, for example: utility losses,
hazardous/toxic release, fire, explosion, civil unrest, bomb threats and natural disasters.

SAFETY EQUIPMENT


1. Eye-Wash Fountains
Use:
-Chemical contact with the eyes.
-Place eyes in contact with water stream for 15-20 minutes.
-Contact lenses must be removed.









2. Safety Showers
Use:
-Splashing or spilling chemicals onto someone.
Operation:
-Pull handle suspended beside the shower.
-Clothing should be removed for a major spill.

3. Fire Extinguishers
Operation:
-Remove from wall and remember the acronym PASS
Pull the pin.
Aim at the base of flames.
Squeeze the handle.
Sweep the extinguisher back and forth and advance toward the flames.




4. Low Oxygen Alarm
Operation:
-Alarm will automatically go off if oxygen level falls below 19 volume-%.
-A continuous bell will sound and a red light will flash.


5. Fire Alarms
Purpose
-Sound an alarm throughout the building in the case of a fire, chemical release, or other
emergency requiring building-wide evacuation.







7.0 Conclusion











































References.
Ansi American National Standard Institute, 2011. Chemical Safety Standards. [Online]
Available at: http://webstore.ansi.org/safety_standards/chemical_safety.aspx
[Accessed 1 August 2014].
BASF The Chemical Company, 2011. Process Safety:Global process safety guideline. [Online]
Available at: http://www.basf.com/group/corporate/en/sustainability/environment/process-safety
[Accessed 30 July 2014].
Center of Disease Control and Protection, 2012. Workplace Safety & Health Topics. [Online]
Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/chemical-safety/ [Accessed 3 August 2014].
Hamel, K. D., 2011. Eight Tips for Chemical Safety. [Online]
Available at: http://ohsonline.com/articles/2011/08/01/eight-tips-for-chemical-
safety.aspx[Accessed 2 August 2014].
Safety Toolbox Talks, 2013. Safety Blasting Helmets:Chemical Safety Tips. [Online]
Available at: http://safetytoolboxtopics.com/Hazard-Communications/chemical-safety-tips.html
[Accessed 2 August 2014].