Emergency response

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If disaster strikes a well trained and properly equipped rapid response team can make all the difference.

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As the Middle East looks to develop increasingly sour gas, demand for the specialist H2S escape sets that can support workers are on the rise, says John Clark.

Specialist safety companies provide Petrochemicals Middle East with an insight into protecting the lives of workers and industry assets.

Petrochemical companies are well aware of the substantial risks involved in their operations. The lighter refined products of crude oil tend to be highly explosive, as are gas and its chillier sibling LNG.

There are also high concentrations of toxic chemicals found at plants, either used in the refining processes or a direct by-product of them, such as the deadly H₂S (hydrogen sulphide), most commonly associated with production of sour oil and gas.

Consequently, companies have become much more diligent in their approach to HSE over the past twenty years, putting increased effort into ensuring that standards are high at their existing and newly planned facilities.

Providing appropriate training, ensuring strict operating procedures, having early warning systems and delivering rigorous health and safety programmes are all important in maintaining a safe working environment.

Unfortunately, industrial disasters do happen, regardless of how much planning and preparation has been put in. In March 2005 one such incident occurred at a BP refinery in Texas, USA.

One of the worst refinery disasters in over a decade, the explosion of an 'isom' unit resulted in the death of 15 people, and caused many more injuries.

The workers at the refinery were restarting the isomerisation unit after two weeks offline. Unexpectedly, abnormal pressure of gasoline components built up in the vent stack, causing liquid and gas to spew into the air like a geyser.

All that was required then was a small spark to lead to the catastrophic event that took place.

More recently, and locally to the region, a small explosion occurred at a Kuwaiti oil refinery killing one employee and injuring another. Although production at the 200000 bpd refinery was not affected, it was a stark warning to the perilous nature of the business.

One of the most vital responses to an event of this kind is clearly a swift and efficient fire service, not only to save workers lives but also to save the assets and products of the plants in question.

Petrochemical companies will often have an on site fire team, and a close relationship with local fire services to ensure a fast response in the event of a fire.

In an exclusive interview with Petrochemicals Middle East, Jacques Du Plessis, managing director of Special Risks - a company who provides specialist health and safety and fire fighting equipment, training and personnel - says that the standard of fire fighting training facilities in the region, and in particular the UAE, is not currently up to scratch.

"Something that Special Risks has noticed with interest and surprise in the UAE is the lack of international quality oil and gas training facilities, specifically for fire fighting. It is quite astonishing considering that the UAE is the fifth largest oil exporter, yet we still have not found a facility where we can go locally to train, through our partnerships with people like Williams," says Du Plessis.

Due to the shortage, Special Risks and partner Williams - a fire fighting and hazard control firm - have both seen an increase in demand for the provision of trained and experienced fire personnel at all levels.

Du Plessis also points out that although health and safety prevention standards were generally quite high, there is currently no set of established fire fighting standards in the region.

"On the fire fighting side there is no recognised international standards, but there are accepted industry standards, and I think that is one of the main issues - working towards an excepted internationally benchmarked standard that is applicable to the GCC," he says.

"Most of the companies do everything in their power from a prevention point of view, with early warning systems, immediate response, fixed installations etc, but clearly there will be instances when something does go wrong. The main concern is to ensure that there are personnel that respond to such instances, and that they are well trained and experienced so they can make the right strategic and tactical decisions."

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