Health & Safety | tonwei-refinery

HEALTH & SAFETY

TONWEI GROUP

Prefaced by:

Dr.Tom Thaddaeus Thompson, USA

HEALTH & SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

The information below is researched from accredited world health and safety standard boards including the Organizational Safety & Health Association OSHA, USA. Workplace Safety & Health division heads and personnel are requested to enforce its implementation. The Director of Workplace Safety & Health is responsible for the effective implementation of the act through educating the entire workforce on the subject in accordance with its necessity. Research for information on this topic can be found online and on health and safety bulletins. Company will hire an independent inspection team to monitor compliance.

Here are some information on oil refinery workplace health and safety considerations:

A. CRUDE OIL PRETREATMENT (DESALTING)

1. Health and Safety Considerations.

a. Fire Prevention and Protection. Even though these are closed processes, heaters and exchangers in the atmospheric and vacuum distillation units could provide a source of ignition, and the potential for a fire exists should a leak or release occur.

b. Safety. An excursion in pressure, temperature, or liquid levels may occur if automatic control devices fail. Control of temperature, pressure, and reflux within operating parameters is needed to prevent thermal cracking within the distillation towers. Relief systems should be provided for overpressure and operations monitored to prevent crude from entering the reformer charge.

The sections of the process susceptible to corrosion include (but may not be limited to) preheat exchanger (HCl and H2S), preheat furnace and bottoms exchanger (H2S and sulfur compounds), atmospheric tower and vacuum furnace (H2S, sulfur compounds, and organic acids), vacuum tower (H2S and organic acids), and overhead (H2S, HCl, and water). Where sour crudes are processed, severe corrosion can occur in furnace tubing and in both atmospheric and vacuum towers where metal temperatures exceed 450° F. Wet H2S also will cause cracks in steel. When processing high-nitrogen crudes, nitrogen oxides can form in the flue gases of furnaces. Nitrogen oxides are corrosive to steel when cooled to low temperatures in the presence of water.

Chemicals are used to control corrosion by hydrochloric acid produced in distillation units. Ammonia may be injected into the overhead stream prior to initial condensation and/or an alkaline solution may be carefully injected into the hot crude-oil feed. If sufficient wash-water is not injected, deposits of ammonium chloride can form and cause serious corrosion. Crude feedstock may contain appreciable amounts of water in suspension which can separate during startup and, along with water remaining in the tower from steam purging, settle in the bottom of the tower. This water can be heated to the boiling point and create an instantaneous vaporization explosion upon contact with the oil in the unit.

Health. Atmospheric and vacuum distillation are closed processes and exposures are expected to be minimal. When sour (high-sulfur) crudes are processed, there is potential for exposure to hydrogen sulfide in the preheat exchanger and furnace, tower flash zone and overhead system, vacuum furnace and tower, and bottoms exchanger. Hydrogen chloride may be present in the preheat exchanger, tower top zones, and overheads. Wastewater may contain water-soluble sulfides in high concentrations and other water-soluble compounds such as ammonia, chlorides, phenol, mercaptans, etc., depending upon the crude feedstock and the treatment chemicals. Safe work practices and/or the use of appropriate personal protective equipment may be needed for exposures to chemicals and other hazards such as heat and noise, and during sampling, inspection, maintenance, and turnaround activities.

B. HEAT EXCHANGERS, COOLERS, AND PROCESS HEATERS.

1. Health and Safety Considerations.

a. Fire Protection and Prevention. A means of providing adequate draft or steam purging is required to reduce the chance of explosions when lighting fires in heater furnaces. Specific start-up and emergency procedures are required for each type of unit. If fire impinges on fin fans, failure could occur due to overheating. If flammable product escapes from a heat exchanger or cooler due to a leak, fire could occur.

b. Safety. Care must be taken to ensure that all pressure is removed from heater tubes before removing header or fitting plugs. Consideration should be given to providing for pressure relief in heat-exchanger piping systems in the event they are blocked off while full of liquid. If controls fail, variations of temperature and pressure could occur on either side of the heat exchanger. If heat exchanger tubes fail and process pressure is greater than heater pressure, product could enter the heater with downstream consequences. If the process pressure is less than heater pressure, the heater stream could enter into the process fluid. If loss of circulation occurs in liquid or gas coolers, increased product temperature could affect downstream operations and require pressure relief.

c. Health. Because these are closed systems, exposures under normal operating conditions are expected to be minimal. Depending on the fuel, process operation, and unit design, there is a potential for exposure to hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, steam boiler feed-water sludge, and water-treatment chemicals. Skin contact should be avoided with boiler blowdown, which may contain phenolic compounds. Safe work practices and/or appropriate personal protective equipment against hazards may be needed during process maintenance, inspection, and turnaround activities and for protection from radiant heat, superheated steam, hot hydrocarbon, and noise exposures.

TONWEI INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) SAFETY POLICY

A workplace safety policy for IT

Towei Group Internet Technology (IT) Department implements a safety policy that specifically addresses the dangers associated with IT. The policy covers a wide range of safety issues (see Figure A).

NO LEAN OVERS

IT personnel must sit down at the workstation they are fixing. The staff is not permitted to lean over computer users because over time, the constant bending may cause back problems.

NO TIES

Wearing ties is not allowed because the garment can get caught in equipment that’s opened or get in the way of someone lifting, carrying, or setting something down.

NO REACHING DOWN INTO OPENED EQUIPMENT

Employees are trained on where the potential dangers are when opening equipment, such as a server, printer, or router. The sharp edges in these items can cause major cuts.

NO REACHING AROUND ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS

The IT staff is encouraged to take items apart when working with electrical connections instead of reaching into an area that could cause an electrical shock. Reaching is especially tempting in tight quarters like data centers.

NO ONE CAN OPEN A MONITOR

Since monitors carry a large number of electric volts, even when they’re not plugged in, IT personnel are not permitted to open a monitor for any reason.

FAMILIARITY WITH GENERAL FACILITIES

Often, IT equipment is placed in odd locations—for instance, in power closets next to elevators. Employees must be educated on the non-IT systems and equipment that can pose electrical dangers in those areas. IT staff is also warned not to follow wires in these areas because the wires could cause an electrical shock or lead to something that will be dangerous. Asbestos in old buildings is another possible threat.

LIFTING

This is an increasing problem because equipment is getting heavier and larger. Employees are educated on the proper ways to lift and carry items. They are also advised not to carry heavy items (anything over 60 pounds) by themselves. Monitors should be carried with the tube, the heaviest area, toward the body, so the weight doesn’t put added stress on the back.

STACKING

The IT staff is trained to place heavier equipment at the bottom of racks so there’s not a top-heavy tipping problem.

WEAR A MOUTH MASK

If employees are opening equipment that has been in service for a long time, they should wear a mask over their nose and mouth to limit the exposure to large amounts of dust. Since many people are allergic to dust, it can cause sickness, which is a safety hazard.

Education is the foundation for safety

Safety experts said that education is the most important step in implementing a safety policy. “A company can spend the most money on expensive equipment, but if they never train their employees on how to use it correctly or at all, it’s a waste of money.”

For example, employees complaining of back discomfort while sitting at a workstation don’t need a new chair.

They need to learn how to properly adjust their chair.

Here are some education topics that may improve safety in your department:

How to properly use the equipment and tools
How to self-treat an ache
How to identify when an ache is significant and needs to be reported
Appropriate body mechanics

There are several principles of good body mechanics specific to the IT department. We are considering including these principles in our safety program:

Lifting: Always use a good squat type of lift, bending with your legs, keeping your back in a neutral position. The same position should be used when lowering an item. Also, there is no set weight limit that is safe for everyone.
Weight: Once you lift something, the bulk of the weight needs to be close to the body. The farther away the weight, the more stress on your back.
Adding support: Many times, IT personnel have to get in awkward positions to connect cables in workstations or data centers. The forward bent position adds stress to the back. By simply putting one hand down on the work surface, while connecting cables, you help support the weight of your upper body.

Preventing repetitive-motion injuries

Making sure workstations are ergonomically correct for individual workers is the first step to controlling these injuries. A workstation checklist can help evaluate our staff’s workspace and make recommendations for improvement.

Key responsibilities for the IT manager

According to experts, the IT manager plays a key role in keeping employees safe and, as a result, limiting the expense of workers’ comp claims. It is highly recommended to focus on finding a solution for each individual.

Here’s a list of key responsibilities for managers tackling IT safety:

Empower employees to take breaks. OSHA generally requires a minimum of a 15-minute rest break at least every two hours.
Encourage employees to report any discomfort or injuries. Make sure employees know that they are a greater resource to the company if they are healthy than if they’re hurting or missing days of work. Also, make it known the pain could turn into something permanent if a change is not made in the environment or the injury is not treated.
Know when to report an injury. Your company should have a policy on reporting injuries guided by OSHA recordables.
Find individual solutions. Do not look for a quick fix. Each solution must be tailored to each individual based on physical attributes and job function.
Get involved in the investigative process. Find out why an employee is hurting or injured and use the knowledge to build a personal database for solving similar problems in the future.
Focus on buying electrical tools that limit a lot of repetitive wrist action. Furnish your staff with roller carts and tool belts.
Encourage telecommuters to report discomfort and make sure their home workstations are ergonomically correct.
Source: Organizational Safety & Health Association OSHA, USA..