What safety measures should be taken when replacing the catalyst in a sulfuric acid converter?

Pay attention to the weather conditions; try to avoid changing the catalyst on rainy, foggy days or when the humidity is high.

What was mainly discussed above is catalyst safety; to add more details: 1. Dust masks and other personal protective equipment； 2. 36-volt safety light ； 3. Personnel walking stepping board (for protecting the catalyst) ； 4. Inspection of the bed layer support structure to prevent personnel from falling ； 5. Ensure the safety of the catalyst lifting device; it is prohibited for people to use this device to go up or down.

Transformation catalyst screening plan: 1. Fifteen days before the system is shut down, analyze the fractional conversion rates in stages 1, 2, 3, and 4, as well as the resistance of each bed. If the resistance of a bed increases while its conversion rate decreases, it is possible to determine the catalyst consumption in that bed. 2. Open the converter manhole; it will cool down naturally to a temperature suitable for human operation. 3. Before shutting down the plant, construct a temporary platform at the converter manhole from where the catalyst can be removed; safety measures should be in place for accessing this platform. The thermocouple and sleeve should be removed before taking out the catalyst to avoid damage. The thermocouple must be installed before the catalyst is refilled, and it must be in place correctly. The thermocouple is always placed at the interface between the pebbles and the catalyst. 4. Recommended screen sizes: LP-120 should use 9/16 or 5/8 inch square openings, while LP-110 can use 1/2 inch square openings. These settings allow for an effective separation of pebbles from Monsanto’s catalysts, with minimal loss during screening. The sieve should be placed in an open area near the converter where it is easy to access, and careful manual sieving of the catalyst can reduce sieving losses. Installing a pulley block at the top of the converter facilitates the lifting and lowering of the catalyst tank. Buckets with a capacity of 20–25 L and handles are likely the most convenient for use inside the converter as well as for accessing the manhole. A short-handled shovel can be used to transfer the catalyst into the bucket. Once the catalyst bucket is removed from the converter, it should be screened immediately; the catalyst after screening should be stored in a dry, airtight, waterproof bag or bucket, in a dry place (preferably indoors), until all the catalyst has been removed and screened. 5. Screening operations must not be carried out on rainy days or before it starts to rain; vinyl sheets and ropes or wires should be prepared to cover the manholes during rain or when screening is not in progress. All workers must wear dust masks, and gloves should be worn when working in areas with high temperatures. 6. Before removing the catalyst and the cobblestones, draw a line on the shell along the horizontal level of the cobblestones; once the converter is emptied, draw another line 50 mm below the original line. These lines can serve as markers when reinstalling the catalyst to ensure the correct filling height. 7. Before reinstalling the catalyst, thoroughly clean the partition under the grid. Remove any one of the grills to gain access to this area for cleaning. Although a vacuum cleaner can be used, a soft brush will also yield satisfactory results; any dust or dirt remaining on the partitions may be blown into the lower layer of catalysts. Check the grid holes; if they are blocked by broken pebbles or catalyst, clean them out. Under normal conditions, the grid openings do not need to be cleaned, but broken pebbles may clog these openings, leading to an increase in pressure drop. Check the distance between the grid and the housing to ensure there are no large holes through which pebbles and catalyst can leak out from the grid; some partitions are covered with refractory bricks, and these bricks should be inspected and repaired if necessary. 8. When reloading the catalyst, it is necessary to lay a layer of pebbles 50 mm high on the grid, and use wide wooden planks and plywood as working platforms inside the converter. Under no circumstances should one walk directly on the pebbles or the catalyst, as this will cause holes to form in the pebbles that support the catalyst and can also damage the catalyst particles. The catalyst should be evenly spread across the entire horizontal surface of the converter; it should be leveled off first, and then covered with uniform gravel 50 mm thick. 9. The manhole should be closed, and all entrances and exits of the converter must be sealed to prevent water or moist air from entering until the unit is started up.

3M masks, safety gloves made of plastic; however, the catalyst remains highly toxic

Thank you very much for the information from above~~