Comprehensive analysis of hazard factors in the chemical industry

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Comprehensive analysis of risk factors in the chemical industry: The American Insurance Association (AIA) investigated 317 fire and explosion incidents in the chemical industry, analyzed the primary and secondary causes, and categorized the risk factors in this industry into the following nine types. 　　1. Plant location 　　(1) Prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and storms ； 　　(2) Insufficient water supply ； 　　(3) Lack of support from public fire-fighting facilities ； 　　(4) There are climate issues such as high humidity and significant temperature fluctuations ； 　　(5) Affected by nearby industrial facilities with high risk ； 　　(6) Proximity to transportation facilities such as highways, railways, and airports ； 　　(7) It is difficult to evacuate people and vehicles to a safe place in an emergency. 　　2. Plant layout 　　(1) Process equipment and storage equipment are too densely packed ； 　　(2) The safety distance between process units with significant hazard and those without hazard is insufficient ； 　　(3) Expensive equipment is overly concentrated ； 　　(4) There is no effective protection for devices that cannot be replaced ； 　　(5) The distance between fire sources such as boilers and heaters and the combustible process equipment is too small ； 　　(6) There are terrain obstacles. 　　3. Structure 　　(1) Supports, doors, walls, etc. are not fire-resistant structures ； 　　(2) Electrical equipment lacks protective measures ； 　　(3) Insufficient explosion-proof ventilation capacity ； 　　(4) The control and management indication devices lack protective measures ； 　　(5) The foundation of the device is weak. 　　4. Insufficient awareness of the hazards associated with the processed substances (1) The raw materials are mixed in the device, where they undergo natural decomposition under the action of a catalyst ； 　　(2) The explosion range of the treated gases, dusts, etc., under their process conditions is unclear ； 　　(3) There is a lack of thorough understanding of the detailed conditions of materials and products when the process becomes abnormal due to operational errors or poor control. 　　5. Chemical Process Engineering 　　(1) There is insufficient kinetic data regarding chemical reactions ； 　　(2) Insufficient awareness of dangerous side effects ； 　　(3) The explosion energy has not been determined through thermodynamic studies ； 　　(4) Insufficient detection of process abnormalities. 　　6. Material Transfer 　　(1) Poor control over material flow during various unit operations ； 　　(2) The product labeling is incomplete ； 　　(3) Dust explosion in the air delivery device ； 　　(4) Treatment of waste gas, wastewater, and waste residues ； 　　(5) Loading and unloading facilities within the device. 　　7. Mistakes in operation 　　(1) Ignoring training on operation and maintenance ； 　　(2) The supervisory role of managers has not been fully utilized ； 　　(3) Inappropriate driving and parking plans ； 　　(4) Lack of operational training for emergency shutdown ； 　　(5) A coordination system between operators and safety personnel has not been established. 　　8. Equipment defects 　　(1) Corrosion and damage of the device caused by improper material selection ； 　　(2) Inadequate equipment, such as the lack of reliable control instruments ； 　　(3) Fatigue of materials ； 　　(4) The metal material has not undergone adequate non-destructive testing, or it has not been inspected by experts. (5) There are structural defects, making it impossible to stop the equipment in order to carry out regular inspections or preventive maintenance ； 　　(6) The equipment operates under process conditions that exceed its design limits ； 　　(7) Problems existing during operation or inadequate disaster prevention measures were not improved in a timely manner ； 　　(8) There are no continuous records of temperature, pressure, start-up and shutdown conditions, as well as pressure changes in the intermediate tank and the pressurized tank. 　　9. Inadequate disaster prevention plans (1) Lacks strong support from regulatory authorities ； 　　(2) Unclear division of responsibilities ； 　　(3) Abnormal operations or failures of the equipment are the responsibility of only the safety department, with a single-line approach being used. (4) There is no plan for accident prevention, or such a plan exists but is of poor quality ； 　　(5) Failure to take effective measures in case of an emergency ； 　　(6) Regular safety inspections conducted jointly by the management and production departments were not implemented ； 　　(7) No continuing education on safe production nor necessary disaster prevention training was provided for production supervisors and technical staff. 　　Swiss Re counted 102 accident cases in the chemical and petroleum industries, analyzed the role of the aforementioned nine types of risk factors, and obtained the statistical results shown in Table 3-4. Table 3-4: Hazard factors in the chemical and petroleum industries
Category | Hazard factors | Percentage of hazard factors / %
Chemical industry | Petroleum industry
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Problems with plant location | Problems with plant layout | Structural issues | Insufficient awareness of the hazards associated with processed substances | Chemical processing issues | Problems with material transportation | Errors in operation | Equipment defects | Inadequate disaster prevention plans
3.5 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 20.2 | 10.6 | 4.4 | 17.2 | 31.1 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 12.0 | 14.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 10.0 | 46.0 | 2.0
As can be seen from Table 3-4, equipment defects represent the most significant hazard; eliminating this hazard factor would lead to significant improvements in safety in both the chemical and petroleum industries. In the chemical industry, the “4” and “5” categories of hazard factors account for a large proportion. This is determined by the characteristics of the chemical industry, which is based primarily on chemical reactions. In the oil industry, the two categories of hazard factors, “2” and “3”, account for a large proportion. 　　The oil industry is characterized by the need to handle large amounts of flammable materials. Due to the immense energy released in cases of fire or explosion, inadequate safety distances between facilities and insufficient fireproofing in buildings can pose significant risks. Furthermore, misoperation issues account for a large proportion in both types of industrial hazards. Operator negligence is often a common cause of both types of industrial accidents, and it plays a greater role in the chemical industry. In devices based on chemical reactions, misoperation is often a major cause of accidents.