SIS IN A PETROCHEMICAL PLANT

[tmc1]

I work in a petrochemical plant producing HDPE. Ethylene is polymerised in the reactor and its product is further extruded into HDPE pellet.
My new assignment is to implement Safety Instrumented System (SIS) in the plant. We use HAZOP as a PHA tool
to identify the potential hazards and actions taken from there to prevent possible safety incidents or accidents from happening.
To further improve our safety standard, SIS is chosen. But, SIS is very new to me and to the plant.
Help, guidance and advice are therefore needed from experienced and helpful professionals like you guys. How to go about implementing it in the plant? Any website that provide such information. Or is there any textbook for reference?
Assistance in whatever form is greatly appreciated.
Thks and rgds,
tm

 

[FrancisL]

You need to find out about IEC61508
There are some papers here

http://www.tony-s.co.uk/articles/

There is a good overview of IEC61508 here

http://www.tony-s.co.uk/articles/Downloa...

 

[Guidoo]

You can also find help on:

http://www.exida.com

 

[owg]

Check out

http://www.dyadem.com

HAZOP at

http://www.curryhydrocarbons.ca

 

[dcguffey]

Non specific to the question re SIS, but to the point of arriving at the scope of what to put into the SIS is the method selected for hazard mitigation.

The HAZOP method is good at determining the bulk of what goes wrong, but I submit that a Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is more appropriate in this circumstance as it is more quantitative. The HAZOP can still be used as the screening study or to identify the "how things go wrong" part of the study.

The FMEA will give you a risk ranking score and will also be a good check of your SIS once "complete on paper" to see if redundancy is needed.

 

[tmc1]

Thanks for all the inputs. A good start for my new assignment. Thanks again.

 

[JOM]

tmc1,

You might like to read about a polyethylene reactor that fractured through cold embrittlement in Belgium.

There is a good report about the incident (no injuries)published by the Belgian Welding Institute. Good photos and good analysis of the incident.

Cheers,
John.

 

[tmc1]

John, do you know the wedsite address for Belgian Welding Institute? How to get a copy of the report?
Thanks.
tm

 

[JOM]

tmc1,

The Belgian Welding Institute is at:-

http://www.bil-ibs.be/

Their English version does not seem to be working. Never mind. The report is at:-

http://mahbsrv.jrc.it/downloads-pdf/forum.pdf

I would be very interested to hear from you if the report contributes anything to your safety project.



Cheers,
John.