Emergency response measures for fires caused by leaks in mechanical pumps
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Hello, fellow workers and masters. I have a question to ask. In a chemical manufacturing plant, what is the correct procedure for handling an emergency when the seal of a pump that is in operation starts leaking and catching fire? The medium transported by the pump is flammable and explosive, such as gasoline. The inlet pressure is around 0.15, while the outlet pressure is around 3–4 MPA. I would appreciate some guidance from those who are more experienced. Not very grateful.
Remote power shutdown. Cut off the material according to the actual situation; if the fire at the site is severe and it’s not possible to close the inlet and outlet valves of the pump, then close the valves upstream and downstream of the pump as per the procedure. Generally, there is a control valve at the pump outlet that can be closed immediately, while there are valves at the base of the tank connected to the pump’s inlet, which need to be closed on-site. In modern designs, it is standard practice to install cut-off valves between tanks larger than 30 cubic meters and the pumps, so that these valves can be closed remotely to prevent large-scale leaks. After cutting off the material, use a fire extinguisher to control or put out the fire; generally, the fire goes out quickly after the material is cut off.
As an additional point, if the fire gets out of control, it is necessary to call the police immediately, activate the emergency shutdown system, prepare to welcome fire trucks, and use firefighting equipment to protect the surrounding equipment.
The person in charge of the facility should initiate an emergency shutdown of the unit, call the fire department to report the fire situation, stop the pumps and close the inlet and outlet valves. Isolation barriers should be set up around the facility, and the sewage discharge outlets of the unit should be opened. Once the fire trucks arrive, they should use foam to extinguish the fire (to ensure that the burning material is completely eliminated), and water guns should be used to cool down the surrounding area (for small fires, steam can be used for suppression)