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In a hydrofluoric acid alkylation unit, a pipe elbow in the discharge line of a standby depropaniser reflux pump ruptured, releasing a mixture of propane, hydrofluoric acid (HF), and other hydrocarbons. The escaping liquid quickly formed a flammable vapor cloud that ignited around 2 minutes later. The operator initiated emergency systems, including a rapid acid deinventory (RAD) system and acid section shutdown, but remote-control circuitry to water pumps was damaged by fire, preventing their activation. Subsequent explosions, including a boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE) from a feed surge drum, occurred, propelling fragments up to 0.64 km away. Fortunately, no fatalities occurred, and the shift supervisor manually activated water pumps for HF mitigation after donning firefighting gear.
Ask yourself and your crew:
- How can something like this happen here (e.g. on our site)?
- What safety measures (i.e. procedures, controls/barriers) do we have in place to mitigate the risk?
- How do we know the risk controls/barriers are working?
- What improvements or changes should we make to the procedures, controls/barriers or the way we work?
Original content courtesy of IChemE Safety Centre
