Safe Distance For manually Operated Fire hydrants Foam/Water Monitors Above ground Fire Water system

[786392]

Dear All,
I have always understood and Considered

a minimum of 15 Meter or 50 Ft distance as mandatory 'Keep away" for

safe operation and accessibility for Fire fighting in Oil refineries, Petrochemical Plants.

Please guide if this is OK, or Incorrect with kind reference please!

Thanks in advance

Best Regards
Qalander(Chem)

 

[stookeyfpe]

786392:

I would rather establish a distance based on the potential for burn injury based on the type of fire that will be encountered. If it is a jet fire or a pool fire, the distance may be completely inadequate not only for the responder but for the water monitor nozzle, if this the primary means of fire fighting.

 

[786392]

Thanks Stookey,

So, it isn't all that important if these equipment have been placed by the design and construction people right in the midst of plant!

Crowded by hydrocarbon containing equipment/pipelines etc???

Can a flag be raised referring any code/standard's clause for needful rectifications;please guide?

thanks in advance.


Best Regards
Qalander(Chem)

 

[DavidCR]

In API RP 2001 Recomended Practice for Fire Protection in Refineries, the minimum of 50feet ditance is mantioned for locating hydrants or hose reels to protected structures, it is not mantioned as a safe distance for fire fighting.
In this RP there is a mention taht further analysis should be considered for particualr risks.

I would give a glance to NFPA30 safety distances, API572, NFPA58

I would consider special considerations for other fixed equipment (water/foam monitors for example), maybe a radiant heat calculation or other more complicated fire heat exposure simulation, or other cirteria, for example NTP 329 (standard from Spain to consider radiant heat from fire) give some calculation rules and allowable radiant heat values. In this, as example on radiant heat allowables:

Wood wall: 10kW/m2
Concrete wall: 200kW/m2
Unprotected human: 4kW/m2
Protected fire fighter: 4.7kW/m2
Human 20sec exposure without burns: 6.5kW/m2

The calculations used in ths standard basically considers the geometry of the fire source, the distance and geometry of the exposed subjet and the type of fuel.

 

[786392]

Hello/Thanks David

It was nice guidance and should lead me better focused on the issue under research/discussion.

Really grateful

Best Regards
Qalander(Chem)