Safety procedures for loading, unloading, and transporting methanol

Packaging method: small-opening steel drum, ordinary wooden box outside the ampoule bottle； Glass bottles with threaded mouths, glass bottles sealed with iron caps, plastic bottles, or metal drums/tanks, packed in ordinary wooden boxes. Transportation notes: For railway transportation of this product, steel tank cars owned by the enterprise must be used for shipping, and approval from the relevant authorities is required prior to shipment. During transportation, the vehicle should be equipped with the appropriate types and quantities of pest control equipment as well as emergency response devices for leaks. It is best to transport in the early morning and evening during summer. The tank trucks used for transportation should be equipped with grounding chains, and perforated partitions can be installed inside the tanks to reduce static electricity generated by vibrations. Mixing or transporting it together with oxidizers, acids, alkali metals, food chemicals, etc. is strictly prohibited. During transportation, it should be protected from exposure to sunlight and rain, as well as high temperatures. When making stops en route, stay away from sources of fire, heat, and high temperatures. The exhaust pipes of the vehicles used to transport this item must be equipped with flame arrestors, and the use of mechanical equipment and tools that may generate sparks for loading and unloading is prohibited. When transporting by road, follow the designated routes and do not stop in residential areas or densely populated zones. Sliding is prohibited during railway transportation. Bulk transportation by wooden boats or concrete boats is strictly prohibited.

Thank you, could you be more specific? For example, what should be paid attention to during operations in the factory

Safety Operating Procedures for Methanol Loading and Unloading 1. Personnel at the liquid filling station must examine the shipping order, and only after verifying the validity of the relevant documents as well as the satisfactory condition of the vehicle’s safety features can they proceed with the loading and unloading operations. 1.1 Qualification inspection 1.1.1 Qualifications of the purchasing entity. Possess a license for the safe production of hazardous chemicals or a business license for such activities. 1.1.1.2 The qualifications of the transportation company to which the vehicle belongs. Possess a License for the Operation of Road Transport of Hazardous Goods. 1.1.1.3 Qualifications of transport vehicles. Requirements: (1) Motor vehicle registration certificate; (2) Road transport permit that matches the approved scope of business; (3) The transport vehicles and tanks must correspond to the photos shown on the registration certificate; (4) The maximum loading capacity specified in the Road Transport Permit must be consistent with the loading capacity indicated on the registration certificate; (5) For mobile pressure vessels (pressure tank trucks), the maximum filling capacity shall not exceed the loading capacity specified in the registration certificate. 1.1.1.4 Qualifications of drivers and escorts. Required: (1) Driver’s license and ‘Qualification Certificate for Commercial Road Transport Drivers’; (2) Escort worker’s ‘Operation Certificate for Road Transport of Hazardous Goods’. 1.2 Safety condition inspection 1.2.1 Transport vehicles and tanks must be equipped with warning signs in accordance with relevant regulations, and marked with words such as “Toxic”, “Explosive”, “Corrosive”, as well as road transport hazard labels for dangerous goods. 1.2.2 Motor vehicles transporting methanol shall be equipped with flame arresters on their exhaust pipes. 1.2.3 The tank truck is in good condition; the color of the tank body must meet the **color code requirements, and the static electricity grounding strap must be properly grounded. 1.2.4 The breather valve is in good condition. 1.3 Methanol tank trucks shall not be filled under the following conditions: 1.3.1 When the paint color, markings, and gas type do not meet the specified requirements, or when the paint color and markings have faded and it is difficult to identify the type of gas. 1.3.2 Incomplete or unrecognizable markings. 1.3.3 The new tank truck does not have a certificate of conformity. 1.3.4 Exceeding the technical inspection deadline. 1.3.5 Safety accessories are incomplete, damaged, or do not meet the specifications. 1.3.6 The methanol tank has severe deformation, corrosion, and uneven surfaces. 1.4 Provide safety training to methanol transport personnel, and verify its effectiveness as appropriate. Issue methanol safety data sheets and safety labels. 2. After the methanol loading/unloading workers inspect the relevant qualifications and safety equipment to ensure they are in good condition, and confirm that loading and unloading is permitted at the methanol tank area holding 10,000–20,000 cubic meters of methanol, the workers proceed with the loading or unloading of the tank truck. 2.1 The driver parked the vehicle in the designated location as required. Turn off the engine and use the handbrake. Fixed blocks are installed at both the front and rear of the wheels to prevent the vehicle from rolling away. Connect the static grounding alarm correctly. Car keys, lighters, etc. should be handed over to the methanol loading/unloading workers for safekeeping; communication devices such as mobile phones must be locked in the driver’s cabin. It is not allowed to make or receive calls in the area surrounding the site, and no one should remain in the driver’s cabin during the methanol loading/unloading process. 2.3 The methanol loading/unloading operators carefully check that the static electricity bonding devices for methanol handling are in good working condition; they verify that the static electricity grounding alarms are functioning properly. They also inspect whether the instruments on the loading platform, level gauges, and various pipeline valves are operating normally, as well as whether there are any leaks in the metal hoses used for methanol unloading. After confirming it is valid and free of defects, connect the flexible metal hose, open the alcohol removal valve and the inlet valve of the buffer tank; once the buffer tank is filled with methanol, close the root valve beneath the breather valve. Open the pump inlet, then vent the pipeline at the pump inlet through the valve located above the filter. Next, open the vent valve on the canned pump to vent it as well. After venting is complete, ensure that the pump outlet is closed before starting the pump. 2.4 Once the pump is started, if the outlet pressure is 0.4 MPa and the current is around 20 A, it indicates that the pump has started properly. Slowly open the outlet valve, keeping the pressure difference between the inlet and outlet within the range of 0.25–0.38 MPa (with 0.37 MPa being the optimal value). The pump wall temperature should be below 80°C, usually around 70°C ； Under normal conditions, the temperature of the circulation pipe is 2°C higher than that at the inlet; the current is kept around 30A to transport methanol. Meanwhile, the personnel in the 20,000-cubic-meter methanol storage area were informed to keep a close eye, as the transportation of methanol had begun. 2.5 Strictly control the unloading speed, which must not exceed 1.5 m/s. Methanol loading and unloading must be carried out continuously without interruption. The maximum filling capacity of a methanol tank truck shall not exceed its approved load capacity. 2.6 During loading and unloading, the drivers of the loading/unloading party, the escorts, as well as the operators of the sending/receiving party must be present, remain at their posts, strictly follow the operating procedures, carefully control the number of vehicles entering the site, and it is strictly prohibited to overload, mix cargos, or load them incorrectly. The vehicle escort personnel monitor the liquid level in the tank at all times; when the liquid is almost depleted, they inform the loading/unloading staff to prepare to stop the pump, in order to prevent the shielded pump from running idle without any liquid ； The unloading operator continuously monitors the liquid level in the buffer tank, keeping it between 60-90%, and adjusts the level by controlling the outlet valve of the pump. 2.7 During normal unloading, if a decrease in the liquid level in the buffer tank is observed within the first 40 minutes of unloading, it indicates that the opening degree of the pump outlet is too high; adjust the opening degree of the outlet valve slightly until the liquid level stabilizes. About forty minutes later, as the amount of methanol remaining in the tank was low, it was necessary to reduce the outlet valve. The escort kept a close eye on the liquid level in the tank; when the unloading workers noticed that the liquid level in the buffer tank was dropping rapidly, it indicated that there was no methanol left in the tank. At that point, the pump was stopped, unloading was halted, and the pump’s outlet valve was closed. 2.8 During loading and unloading, closely monitor the loading and unloading equipment for any abnormalities; if such abnormalities occur, emergency measures must be taken. 3. Only after loading and unloading are complete and the relevant measures have been implemented can the vehicle leave the site. 3.1 After unloading is complete, and once it is confirmed that there is no residual methanol, remove the metal hose and hang it up. Open the root valve of the breather valve. Notification: Unloading at the 20,000 cubic meter methanol tank area is complete. The residual liquids and debris left at the scene must be properly removed and cleaned to prevent contamination and harm to others. 3.2 After methanol filling is complete, wait 5–10 minutes before removing the static grounding wire. Only after confirming that all parts of the tank truck connected to the system have been removed can the wheel fixing blocks be taken out, the vehicle key be handed over to the tank truck driver, and the vehicle be allowed to start. 3.3 Methanol tank trucks may leave the factory only after it is confirmed through measurement that they are not overloaded; otherwise, if the maximum allowable loading capacity is exceeded, they are not allowed to leave the factory, and the tank farm should be contacted for handling. 4. The sales department shall ensure that the actual destination of hazardous chemicals is properly verified. 5. Emergency response to methanol leaks 5.1 In the event of a large-scale leak due to situations such as a broken filling arm or cracked connection flanges during loading and unloading, the personnel on duty should wear appropriate protective equipment and position themselves upwind. They must immediately shut off the isolation valves of the storage tank and the tank truck, call the emergency rescue service, inform the relevant authorities, and activate the emergency rescue plan. 5.2 When working in the toxic area, at least two people should be present, and protective equipment must be worn properly before entering the area. 5.3 When a large-scale leak endangers the safety of personnel in nearby areas and residents, relevant personnel should be immediately organized to evacuate to the upwind direction. 6. The filling operation of the tank truck must be stopped immediately in the following situations, and proper measures must be taken: 6.1 During thunderstorm weather ； A fire broke out near 6.2 ； 6.3 Methanol leakage ； 6.4 Other safety hazards. 6.5 The vehicle does not meet the filling requirements.