Leaks: How much pain and suffering have they brought to those in the chemical industry

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Leaks have taught chemical industry workers so many painful lessons; please understand them and remember them deeply in your hearts. 　　During the production process in chemical enterprises, many materials are corrosive; especially under conditions of high temperature and pressure, long production chains, and prolonged operation of the systems, leaks often occur in various stages such as production and storage and transportation. Leaks not only result in material loss but also pollute the environment; in severe cases, they can cause accidents such as fires, explosions, and poisonings, posing a great threat to corporate production. They are extremely detrimental to the safe and stable operation of enterprises over the long term, and they also endanger the lives of employees. According to industrialization** data statistics, 56% of fires and employee poisoning incidents that occur in chemical plants are caused by delayed detection of material leaks or improper handling of them. How to prevent leaks is one of the key aspects for chemical companies to effectively control accidents. Below, an analysis and discussion are provided on the causes of leaks and the preventive measures that should be taken. 　　I. Causes of leakage 1. Seal failure, resulting in leakage. In chemical production, the pressure and temperature of most equipment and pipelines are important factors affecting their sealing performance. For example, under high temperatures, the viscosity of the process medium decreases and its permeability increases; as a result, the medium’s ability to dissolve and corrode gaskets and flanges intensifies. This raises the requirements for sealing performance. At the same time, large temperature differences exist among the various components of the sealing assembly, and these temperature differences cause uneven thermal expansion of the components. The combined effect of temperature and pressure requires an increased sealing pressure, which in turn leads to relaxation of the sealing surfaces and a decrease in the sealing pressure, resulting in leaks. 　　2. Inherent defects in the equipment cause leakage. On the one hand, as a result of machining, mechanical products inevitably have various defects as well as deviations in shape and dimensions; gaps inevitably form at the joints of mechanical parts, allowing working fluids to leak through those gaps. On the other hand, corrosion, cracks, wear, aging, damage caused by external forces, unreasonable design, poor manufacturing quality, incorrect installation, and changes in processing conditions can all lead to material failure. 　　3. Abnormal operating conditions, resulting in leakage. First, in the event of an emergency during production, sudden rises and falls in the system’s temperature cause uneven expansion of various components, which in turn can lead to seal failure. Second, improper operation violates the specified guidelines, causing the equipment to reach excessive temperatures and pressures, which leads to physical rupture of the equipment itself and resulting in leaks. 　　4. Human factors lead to leaks. First, the quality of the operators is poor, and training is inadequate; the operators are unaware of the rules, regulations, and procedures, resulting in unstable operation or even incorrect operations. Second, there is mental complacency, a weak sense of prevention, illegal operation, reliance on luck, and failure to follow established rules. Third, governance is inadequate – responsibilities are not clear, systems are incomplete, and procedures are not specific. Fourth, there is a lack of responsibility: equipment is not maintained as required, inspections are perfunctory, and issues identified are not addressed in a timely manner. 　　II. Prevention of leaks The key to addressing leaks is to prioritize prevention by taking proactive measures. Devices should be protected, inspected, modified, and upgraded in a planned manner, shifting from trying to fix leaks after they occur to preventing them in advance. This approach can effectively reduce the occurrence of leaks and mitigate their consequences. 　　1. Ensure intrinsic safety and eliminate potential leakage risks at the source. To reduce the occurrence of leaks, it is necessary to focus on intrinsic safety. First, design it in accordance with standards. During design, appropriate design standards must be followed, and materials, structures, connection methods, sealing devices, etc. should be carefully selected based on the process conditions and the characteristics of the medium to be stored, with reliable measures put in place. Secondly, it is essential to ensure the quality of the materials purchased; materials that meet the requirements should be chosen in accordance with the design standards, and quality inspections should be conducted before they enter the facility. For substitute materials, the design team must re-evaluate them, and it is strictly prohibited to use lower-grade materials in place of higher-grade ones. Thirdly, the quality control during the on-site fabrication and installation of equipment must be ensured; qualified construction units should be hired to carry out work in compliance with regulations, and strict oversight should be exercised during the construction process, with any defects promptly corrected to ensure that the quality of the equipment and pipelines meets the required standards. Fourthly, before new pipelines and equipment are put into use, pressure tests, air pressure tests, and flaw detection tests must be carried out strictly in accordance with relevant procedures, to prevent the deployment of faulty facilities in production. 　　2. Ensure proper use and maintenance to improve the safety and reliability of the equipment. After the equipment is delivered and put into use, it must be used and maintained correctly. First, operations must be carried out strictly in accordance with the regulations; it is not allowed to produce under conditions of excessive temperature, pressure, vibration, displacement, or load. The operating conditions for normal production should be controlled to reduce leakage accidents caused by human error. Second, strictly implement the equipment maintenance system, and carry out tasks such as lubrication, turning of the equipment, and regular inspections carefully, to ensure that the vibrating levels of the operating equipment remain within acceptable limits, and that there are no leaks of air or fluid at any sealing points. When a fault occurs, it must be detected promptly, repaired in accordance with the maintenance and inspection procedures, and the defects eliminated as soon as possible to prevent the problem, fault, and their consequences from worsening. Third is to strengthen governance. Strengthen the awareness of full employee participation, foster the mindset that preventing leaks contributes to improved economic efficiency, and improve various management systems and operating procedures; enhance professional training for employees to improve their operational skills. 　　3. Ensure proper monitoring of equipment to achieve proactive prevention of leaks. Leakage incidents are often directly related to poor condition of production equipment. Regular and on-line inspections of the production equipment are carried out using relevant instruments; trends are analyzed and predicted, issues are identified in advance, and the equipment and pipelines are repaired before leaks occur. This allows for the timely elimination of potential accident risks, enables targeted inspections, avoids under-maintenance or excessive maintenance, reduces the occurrence of sudden leaks, and improves economic efficiency. By combining conventional non-destructive testing techniques with monitoring methods such as ultrasound, eddy current, penetrant, magnetic particle, radiographic, infrared thermal imaging, acoustic emission, and holography, condition monitoring and fault diagnosis can be made more accurate and rapid. 　　4. Improve protective monitoring facilities to ensure safe production. Install complete and reliable safety devices such as safety valves, breather valves, pressure gauges, level gauges, rupture discs, and vent pipes. In the event of abnormal conditions such as excessive pressure, these devices allow for the immediate release of material, thereby preventing damage to equipment caused by sudden overpressure and avoiding the risk of explosions. Appropriate protective measures should be taken for sealing surfaces, valves, traps, safety valves, etc., to prevent the entry of impurities and foreign objects that could damage the facilities and equipment and lead to leaks. Advanced information technologies such as control systems, video surveillance systems, and alarm systems should be employed so that operators can monitor parameters such as flow rate, pressure, temperature, and liquid level from within the control room, while also having a clear real-time view of the situation in the plant area. Alarm functions and automatic control mechanisms should also be in place. It is necessary to maintain these safety protection facilities to ensure their reliability and effectiveness. 　　III. Detection of leaks To effectively address leaks during the production process, it is necessary to detect them promptly, accurately identify the location where the leaks occur, and locate the exact points of leakage. Especially in areas and locations where leaks occur easily, by detecting early signs of leaks, control measures can be taken to nip them in the bud. 　　The first is the empirical method. This method is mainly aimed at more obvious leaks, which can be detected directly through sight, sound, smell, and touch; it relies primarily on a person’s sensitivity, experience, and sense of responsibility. Second is the leak detection method using instruments and equipment. In more hazardous environments, the use of leak detection instruments enables the diagnosis of equipment performance without interrupting production operations. It allows for the identification of the location of faults, the extent of damage, and the presence of leaks, as well as for the accurate analysis of the causes behind these leaks. For example, thermal cameras can detect leaks clearly even at night; ultrasonic, acoustic pulse, and acoustic emission technologies use highly sensitive sensors to capture leak sounds that are inaudible to the human ear, which are then processed and converted into sounds audible to humans, allowing for the detection of leaks and their location determination. Substances that are easy to detect can be added to the medium as tracers (such as helium, hydrogen, odorants, fuel, etc.), enabling rapid detection in the event of a leak. Fiber optic sensor methods involve continuous monitoring of pipelines based on changes in environmental temperature caused by the leaking substance, thereby determining whether a leak has occurred. 　　Currently, new methods and advancements in pipeline leak detection technology are emerging one after another. In particular, the advancement of technologies such as sensor technology, computer technology, control technology, and artificial intelligence has driven leak detection technology toward greater intelligence, diversity, and systematization. This has improved the detection capabilities, sensitivity, and accuracy, providing strong technical support for chemical companies to prevent leaks in a timely manner. 　　IV. Emergency response to leaks Once a leak occurs, if it can be detected in a timely manner and rapid and effective emergency measures are taken, the incident can be contained at its earliest stage. The key to dealing with leaks lies in three steps: first, identifying the leak location promptly to control the source of danger. Hazard source control can be carried out from two main aspects, namely process emergency control and engineering emergency control. The main emergency measures for processes include: shutting off the feed to relevant equipment (facilities) or units, regulating the utility systems, relieving pressure and transferring materials, using spraying for cooling, initiating an emergency shutdown, providing inert gas protection, and neutralizing or diluting hazardous substances that have leaked. The main emergency measures in engineering include: urgent repair of equipment and facilities, plugging leaks while the system is under pressure, as well as diverting and shutting off hazardous substances that are leaking. Second is to rescue employees who are poisoned, injured, or trapped. This step is an important task in the emergency rescue process. The main tasks are to transfer poisoned, injured, and trapped employees from dangerous areas to safe locations, provide first aid on site, and transport them to hospitals for further treatment. Third is the disposal of the leaks. In the event of a material leak at the site, it is necessary to promptly cover the area, contain the spill, and dilute the material in order to prevent secondary accidents. Based on experience from numerous accident resolutions, failure to carry out these actions effectively can lead to an **increased impact of the accident. If leaks are not controlled or handled properly, the best opportunity to address the incident may be lost, turning the leak into more serious accidents such as fires, explosions, and poisonings. Chemical companies must develop effective emergency response plans; in the event of a leak, they should carry out timely rescue operations based on the specific circumstances, control the leak, and strive to prevent casualties or poisoning incidents during the handling process, thereby minimizing losses.