Safe zone around purged vessel 2

[rocketscientist]

I work as a consultant for a pharmaceutical company that regularly allows their operators to access purged vessels. I was wondering if someone had come across an estimate for establishing a rough zone around an open manway. I am thinking of requiring SCBAs for this type of work but they do it so often it worries me.

Any thoughts?

 

[rocketscientist]

TiCl4: good point. Measure first before bothering with the $ for safeguards. That's my plan. Step 1: test the O2 during the production run; keep a 5-ft distance until the maiden product run. Step 2: implement safety requirements. From worst to best: a) SCBA with room, personal monitors, and an attendee who monitors air quality constantly. b) room sensor, personal monitors and attendee. c) personal monitor and room sensor. d) room sensor. e) no sensor but periodic measurement.

 

[pierreick]

Hi,
Equip the nozzles with funnel to transfer solid & liquid, this is a minimum to reduce the exposure to gas released to the face of operator. This will minimize the risk.
Manhole is not the right equipment for this transfer.
Based on my experience with resins process where you need to add catalyst to the mass during reaction.
To me your description of the issue is not clear, are we are talking GMP (inspection of equipment) prior to start a batch for example or production steps where you need to add chemicals (API) to reactors?
I've bad experience with O2 sensor installed on a top of hopper for continuous monitoring the supply of API to reactors for the production of salicylate. Too much alarm kills alarm.
Pierre

 

[MJCronin]

Chemical bypass "shot feeders"? ... They can be custom made for your process ($$$)

https://www.generalfiltration.com/product/chemical-bypass-pot-feeders/

The selfish MBAs will probably veto it .... Because of the cost, of course

MJCronin
Sr. Process Engineer

 

[EdStainless]

the ones that I saw were plastic and portable.
they were not expensive looking.
The operators liked them because they didn't get a 'face blast'.

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P.E. Metallurgy, consulting work welcomed

 

[PersonalProfile]

The following historical information may be of interest:

"breathing zone" means a hemisphere of 300 mm radius extending in front of a
person's face measured from the midpoint of an imaginary line joining the
ears;

Ex:

Occupational Health and Safety (Confined Spaces) Regulations 1996(Victoria), Repealed

http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/repealed_reg/ohassr1996501/s18.html