Is it dangerous to feed material through the manhole while under nitrogen protection?
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The workshop is about to start operating; one of the stations needs to be purged with nitrogen first, after which it must be maintained under a slight positive pressure. Later, the manhole cover will be opened to add solid materials, and at that time nitrogen will be released, posing a risk of suffocation. Is this a serious hazard? If one feels suffocated, it should be possible to move away immediately, right? The company considers this to be a significant hazard related to the job, but I don’t think it’s that serious; as long as proper protective equipment is worn, it should be fine. What do everyone think? Let’s discuss it
There are serious hidden dangers; it feels suffocating, and there’s no time to evacuate
There are significant risks; can the solid material be converted into a liquid fluid for transport via pump?
Nitrogen displacement is the right choice! When feeding solids, it is necessary to activate both the nitrogen supply and the exhaust valve at the same time; the feeding should be carried out under a slight negative pressure ； Otherwise, it’s not a nitrogen asphyxiation issue, but rather a problem with dust from solid materials flying around.
Don’t take your life safety lightly; it’s better to be cautious just in case
It’s very dangerous; generally, when handling powdered materials, a slight negative pressure is required, otherwise there will be too much dust. Moreover, the N seal can easily lead to the death of operators.
What is putting safety first? It’s not about shouting slogans; it’s about putting them into action. Why use a human life for experiments? Isn’t there a better way? From what you describe, feeding the material seems quite easy; why take the risk of losing one’s life?
The last edit to this post was made by lyhh9024 on 2010-4-21 at 13:19. A recommended method: use double slide valves for feeding. When feeding, close the lower slide valve to prevent nitrogen from escaping; after feeding is complete, close the second slide valve and then open the first one
Since it is required to first purge with nitrogen and then maintain a slight positive pressure, wouldn’t opening the manhole cover result in pressure release? And air will also get in; is displacement and slight positive pressure still meaningful? The material that was poured in will also be blown out! Is that how the operating procedures specify it? It just doesn’t seem reasonable from a technical standpoint! Moreover, it’s nitrogen being used – it can easily cause suffocation!
Agreed, is there something wrong with this process design?