WASHINGTON, DC — A new Safety and Health Information statement was issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), in connection with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), aims to avoid chemical accidents by alerting personnel about the hazards linked with Delayed Coker Unit (DCU) operations — a procedure used in refining crude oil.
“It is vital that staff, employers, and emergency responders comprehend the basic hazards and risks related with Delayed Coker Units,” said OSHA Administrator John Henshaw. “This press release provides useful guidance on how to recognize common hazards and how to lessen risk when working with this equipment.”
In current years, DCU operations have resulted in a numerous serious accidents in spite of efforts among many refiners to contribute to best practices on safety and dependability. Dissimilar to other types of petroleum refinery operations, the DCU involves both batch and continuous operations. The batch phase of the operation, which involves drum switching and coke cutting, is associated with distinctive hazards and is responsible for the majority of the serious accidents credited to DCUs.
The new information was put forth together by OSHA and EPA to raise awareness of potential hazards due to the growing significance of DCUs in meeting energy demands and the regularity and severity of severe accidents involving DCUs.
The bulletin also focuses on OSHA Training and OSHA Certification required for such operations especially 40 Hazwoper training.
The bulletin targets the majority of important hazards concerning the coke drums — big cylindrical metal vessels that can measure 120 feet tall and 29 feet in diameter. It also includes training learned and examples of events that can be taken to help decrease risks connected with the situations and environment that are most likely to cause accidents.
The bulletin also includes guidelines on controlling hazards, including evaluating hazardous conditions, modifying operations to control hazards, vigorously maintaining an efficient emergency response program, and familiarizing staff about risks and crisis procedures to assist reduce grave incidents associated with DCU operations.
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