【Ministry of Emergency Management’s Special Inspection 2022】26 – Work began without the necessary work permits; the combustible gas detectors were installed outside the cofferdam, which rendered them ineffective due to improper installation

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This post was last edited by Desert Fish on 2022-12-11 at 08:39. Recently, Group 5 of the second ministerial inspection team for enterprises with major hazardous sources of hazardous chemicals, under the Ministry of Emergency Management, conducted an inspection in Zhejiang Province. The inspection team went to the Ningbo Petrochemical Economic and Technological Development Zone and randomly selected Ningbo XX Petrochemical Co., Ltd. For after the company presented its measures for managing risks associated with major hazards as well as its efforts to identify and address potential problems, the inspection team divided itself into three groups: one group examined the company’s records related to work safety, while the other two groups went inside the factory premises for inspections. While reviewing the records related to high-risk operations, the experts from the inspection team found serious issues with the work permits: on November 3, prior to the confined space operation on the sphere tank with permit number G904, the team leader checked the permit at 8:14, while the department supervisor signed it at 8:17. “According to the procedure, after approval and signature by the department head, the shift supervisor on duty before starting the work must verify each of the safety requirements listed on the work order before proceeding with the operations. And this work order indicates that the department supervisor has not yet issued the approval to proceed with the work, yet the team leader ‘advanced’ and started working after checking the work order? In addition, on that day, there were 8 hot work permits that were not linked to any other related permits for temporary power usage, plug-and-unplug of blind flanges, etc. “When two or more types of work are involved, in addition to complying with the requirements specific to each type of work, it is necessary to go through the appropriate approval procedures”... The relevant personnel at the company failed to provide a reasonable explanation for these situations. At the site, the experts from the inspection team pointed to a combustible gas alarm located outside the tank farm’s embankment and asked the personnel at the plant, “What is it used to detect?” ”The people at the factory couldn’t answer after half a day. Experts explain: “Gas detectors installed at the inlet and outlet valve assemblies of the toluene storage tank are completely useless when placed just outside the cofferdam.” Once toluene leaks, its vapor has a high density and spreads along the ground; gas detectors installed in such locations are simply unable to detect it in time. ”