Portable Building near Potential Pool Fire area 1

[hammy1554]

Hi,

We have a portable wood container building with metal cladding placed approx 30 meters away from the Dike of the Hydrocarbon tank. This is potential for Pool Fire.

The building is exposed to 37.5 KW/M2 and 20kw/m2 as per the QRA report.

There will be 200 people occupying this building in the future. What kind of mitigation action we can propose.

Is there any thermal shielding that will work along with Evacuating the building in case of fire? or Only evacuation of the building would be sufficient.

If thermal shielding will help to protect the people for the period of 5,6 min of escape time, is it work to install.?

 

[cdafd]

My Questions would be::

1. Why do they want to put 200 people in harms way???

2. Why do 200 people have to be so close??

3. They cannot run that fast.

Good luck to the chosen 200

 

[hammy1554]

They don't have space to put this high number of people. it is project requirement, portable building is available there since the project EPC stage. want to use it.

 

[LittleInch]

A breezeblock wall in front of it?

How big is it?

Key issue is mainly about explosion / shattering glass etc with these sort of facilities.

Fir at that level will take a few minutes to make the building catch fire, but then also some sort of visual protection may be needed for the fire exits, which need to be on the far side of the building.

You may also need to cover all the windows on that side with something solid. Oh and block off ALL doors and openings. Too many get propped open with fire extinguishers....

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[MJCronin]

I sense the presence of evil MBAs .....

MJCronin
Sr. Process Engineer

 

[jgailla]

You're being redundant, MJ. No adjective is needed.

 

[LittleInch]

it is project requirement, portable building is available there since the project EPC stage.

Errr quite. However in EPC stage there was no inventory. So I doubt this building was ever seen as permanently there, just the EPC guys wrote it off and couldn't be bothered to remove it when they left.

doesn't make it low enough risk to use as an office building.

If it doesn't comply with the requirements for a permanent building then tear it down and move it or build one out of materials which don't catch fire.

If you ever did get a fire in the tank, then pretty soon you would have a secondary fire if not a tertiary blaze, plus your operations would be severely impacted for months to come.

You might want to look at and consider this

https://www.api.org/oil-and-natural...rocess-safety/process-safety-standards/rp-753

and remember why this was produced - Texas City where 18 people died in portable buildings too close to process units when they exploded.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[UFT12]

At what distance are these fluxes measured? The seem incredibly high for 30 m distance.

 

[LittleInch]

They look good to me.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[hammy1554]

Guys thanks for the response. Sorry for not providing the detailed information.
The stored material is Ethyl Acetate. Dike is provided around the tank. All active safeguards and passive safeguards are available. Blast waves are not reaching to the building. Hence blast is not a concern. Toxic gas release risk is there and provided gas mask to all number of employee to evacuate.
Ambient temperature is maxed 45 in summer, Ethyle acetate boiling temp is 77.

i know no one will survive above 12 kw/m2, but is there any chance to evacuate the building before fire reach to max. like this is fire not an explosion. Pool fire or dike pool fire doesn't go to peak in seconds. Can we consider 5 min evacuation time for this?
we are not making this building to occupancy during emergency, hence in any gas leak or Tank leak there would be immediate evacuation.

Please guide if i am not in right direction.

 

[LittleInch]

Just build a solid brick wall in front of the building and make it high enough that the roof won't melt or catch fire.

And then make sure you don't work in it.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.