Raising the alarm

As the Assistant Vice President, Fire Protection Applications and Chemical Engineering Department, National Fire Protection Association, Guy Colonna knows about fire risks. CIS therefore asked for his thoughts on fire prevention in the oil and gas sector.

CIS. The NFPA mission is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards. What role do you therefore play in the oil and gas sector?
GC. Though NFPA does not have any single document that specifically addresses all aspects of operations in the oil and gas sector, NFPA has a number that apply to various facets or operations. The first and most comprehensive is NFPA 30, Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code, which contains specific requirements applicable to the construction and operation of aboveground petroleum and petrochemical storage tanks and their appurtenances (like piping).

Another applicable document is NFPA 326, Standard for the Safeguarding of Tanks and Containers for Entry, Cleaning, and Repair. Within these documents are references to a number of other NFPA codes and standards applicable to electrical wiring and equipment, fire protection systems (foam, deluge, and portable extinguishers), hot work safety, and life safety and emergency egress for the living areas and other structures.

Besides the development of the codes and standards, NFPA also provides training on their application and use. NFPA is currently providing training in cooperation with the American Petroleum Institute in confined space safety practices for entering and repairing aboveground storage tanks.

CIS. What safety practices and considerations are there for remote workers and those working around combustible materials?
GC. When you consider working with flammable or combustible materials, you evaluate the hazards according to the fuel sources and ignition sources. This applies whether remote or not.

Again, NFPA 30 addresses the fuel source if it is flammable or combustible liquids, oils, gasoline, paints, coatings, and solvents for example. First, you must recognise or identify the hazards – NFPA 30 provides specific requirements for classifying the materials according to their properties and then implements safeguards for storage, handling and use according to the degree of hazard. The basic approach is to store less quantities of the most hazardous class of material unless additional fire protection measures are implemented.

The other aspect of fire prevention is the recognition and control of ignition sources – the sources can be electrical, open flames related to hot work, or static electricity any time flowing materials are present (a source that generates the static electricity).

In addition to recognising and controlling the fuel and ignition hazards that are stored, handled or used, it is essential when protecting workers in a remote environment to have in place emergency response plans and to practice the implementation of the plan through periodic drills so that everyone knows the proper response and their specific assignments.

Unlike an office building where the primary instruction to all occupants is to evacuate according to the plan, in many industrial settings, it might be necessary for some workers to be tasked with operational duties (such as shutting down key processes before evacuating). In addition, it is important to establish the policy at the facility regarding use of portable extinguishers. NFPA has developed standards on the organisation, function and professional qualifications of industrial fire brigades. The brigades might be part of an effective response for remote locations.

Another issue addressed by NFPA codes and standards is the consideration of having adequate fire fighting water sources, especially for remote locations. If the oil and gas industry facility in question is an offshore rig or platform, then access to water for firefighting becomes less of an issue.

CIS. Why is it essential that fire safety issues be addressed at the conceptual stage of a project? What precautions can be taken if a plant has already been built?
GC. It is essential that any safety consideration be included at the earliest stage of discussion during planning for construction. This provides the best opportunity to engineer out the safety or health hazards and thus reduce the overall risks that might be present without such consideration. Hazard control is described in terms of engineering, administrative and personal protection.

Engineering controls include ventilation (which might ensure that areas where flammable or combustible gases or vapours might collect are designed to promote dissipation or increased ventilation is included in the design), isolation (removing or segregating hazard areas from non-hazard areas; creating separate storage areas for the most hazardous materials or restricting more hazardous activities (like hot work) to certain areas), and substitution (designing from the start processes that use or produce less hazardous materials – such as using fire retardant interior finishes, paints or coatings). Engineering controls become more difficult to implement after the facility is activated because the controls often impact the actual design and there is reluctance to make design changes soon after startup.

Administrative controls relate to policies and procedures. Personal protective controls do not eliminate the hazards; more than likely, they only provide a temporary protection from a hazard that remains present. So, failure of the PPE can result in exposures.

Best practices to safeguard existing facilities should still include the conduct of process hazard analyses (PHA) on operations and to implement safety management strategies that include management of change. Management of change takes effect any time there is change in the process. Accident statistics continue to demonstrate the high frequency of incidents resulting from changes in procedures, personnel, equipment, and work schedules…from any change. Management of change guards against complacency by requiring frequent reviews of safe work practices. Other means include the use of PHA and other safety management techniques.

CIS. Do you find that the sector as a whole works on solutions together, or are companies single minded in their approach to the problem?
GC. From my involvement with the oil and gas industry in the United States, primarily, I have observed that the industry has several forums through which they address mutual safety problems. There is always the need for some independent solution where unique operations are involved, but the majority of the day-to-day problems within the industry find their way to discussions involving all the companies. They have been benchmarking best practices for a number of years and continue to benefit the entire industry through this practice. Often these best practices then find their way back into voluntary codes and standards such as those developed by API or NFPA.

CIS. Has the recent increase in worldwide terrorist activities led to the improvement in fire safety practices? Does terrorism present a different set of challenges to accidental fire hazards?
GC. The attention on emergency preparedness and emergency planning has caused industry in all sectors, not just oil and gas, to focus on the all hazards approach, including fire safety. NFPA 1600, Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs, has been endorsed by the US Federal Government. It offers a strategy for examining hazards, addressing probable events (natural and man-made, including terrorist based), and establishing plans for recovery from such events.

When dealing with the oil and gas industry, the expectation in the event of an emergency (natural or man-made) is that a fire or explosion will result. Therefore, the protections that are in place for the routine events may be effective for the non-routine. The important aspect with the terrorist based event is the security vulnerability assessment. NFPA has also developed a new guide on premises security, NFPA 730.

CIS. Given the pace of change in fire safety, especially in the areas of education and technology, how does the understanding and practice of fire prevention in Russia compare to the rest of the world?
GC. I am not able to provide any specific comments about practices in Russia. I am aware that in past years Russia has maintained active research in fire protection, but I am not aware of any specifically targeted to the oil and gas industry.

CIS. What then are some of the main areas of concern oil and gas companies can improve upon with regard to fire safety in the region?
GC. Maintaining good safety and health management programmes indicates a commitment to safety starting with management. Frequent training on current best practices then translates the safety programme to the working level. An effective programme that keeps management and workers focused on safety is the reporting of near misses. Documentation of incident statistics has long shown that the number of serious incidents and fatal incidents represents a very small percentage of potential incidents. Those potential incidents, if ignored, can eventually become actual incidents if left unchecked. The only way to correct the behaviour that leads to the near miss action by a worker is to raise awareness by having the near miss event documented. Management of change is also essential. The other key feature to protect the installed fire protection systems is to ensure proper maintenance and inspection of the system and components.