Egress Facilities of Fuel Oil Tank & Bund

[Kinemenematics]

Does anyone know which standard is pertinent to the design of an access staircases exiting a fuel oil tank's bund? This is a fuel oil storage tank located in an electricity generating plant. Capacity is 3,300,000 litres. Bund is 40m x 40m with a 3m wall.

Just cant seem to find a specific clause in either NFPA 850, NFPA30, or NFPA101 on the number of staircases that should be provided. It's such a wide area, I would assume it's only reasonable to base the number of staircases on a maximum distance any person can be from it.

I'm getting really lazy. Would anyone know where else I should look?

 

[Kinemenematics]

the design engineer recommends 4 of them, yet in practice, only 2 are provided. Problem is, i need some kind of code to justify selecting only 2 and not 4 (which is added cost)

 

[Duwe6]

"Two means of egress". Extra is extra - I would be confortable with 2 stairs/stiles on opposite corners; the slab [floor] needs to slope away from both stairs. With 4 stairs, which way would you slope the slab? Me, I'd like a dry, non-flaming corner to run to when it is TIME TO LEAVE!

 

[chicopee]

I would use OSHA 1910 regulations about the construction features of a staircase. In so far as the number of means of egress, two may be sufficient depending on the distances between the exists, the path of travel since tanks and piping may impede the exit ways and lastly, tanks could obscure the exits when someone is looking for them in time of emergency. Don't forget that codes represent a minimum requirement.

 

[cdafd]

Maybe follow building code criteria???


Travel distance to a stair???
H-1 75 feet
H-2 100 feet
H-3 150 feet
H-4 175 feet
H-5 200 feet


H-2 and 3 deal with flammable storage in a building

 

[stookeyfpe]

Interesting question. I would focus on areas where personnel will operate on a common basis such as pump platforms, commonly operated valves and areas where access to roofs is required.

I also would consider areas where firefighters would need to safely operate from.

 

[Kinemenematics]

I found the answer in the same standard.. NFPA 101:

Basically the number of accesses staircases where flammable storage is located. A minimum of two means of egress is complied with already in this case so no debate here. As Chicopee mentioned, it is based on a maximum distance. In the case of a fuel tank in a power plant, the max dist. is 46m from any point within the tank bund. It's more stringent in the case of fired pressure vessels and other industrial hazards though (23m).


stookeyfpe, there will be no operators there on a common basis, just the routine inspection.


Thanks all!