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1. HSE
2. Guidance
3. Topics
4. COMAH
5. COMAH - Guidance
6. Technical aspects
7. Measures documents
8. Explosion relief
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Seveso III Directive
Explosion relief
This Technical Measures Document refers to the explosion relief measures that can be adopted in plant
design to ensure safe operation.
5.2.1.3(29)b,g
5.2.1.6(38)e
5.2.1.10(53)
Related Technical Measures Documents include:
Inerting
Earthing
Plant layout
Design Codes - plant
Design Codes - pipework
Plant modification / change procedures
Maintenance procedures
General principles
Operators should demonstrate that appropriate measures are in place either to prevent explosions from
taking place, or to protect against/minimise the effects of explosions.
Explosion prevention is always preferable to explosion protection, particularly where an explosion is likely to
result in emission of toxic material.
Operators need to draw a clear distinction between pressure relief designed to protect against an explosion,
and relief designed to protect plant from some other cause of overpressure. Explosions are rapid events and
consequently:
The advent of improved gas control systems means that in many cases explosion relief is not now fitted to
combustion plant. A European harmonised standard for solvent evaporating ovens prefers alternative
precautions for many applications, but in the dust handling industries explosion relief remains a widely used
mitigation measure. This is because it is often impossible to prevent the formation of dense dust clouds inside
the process. The dust itself, or mechanical moving parts in contact with the dust often create ignition risks
that cannot be eliminated completely.
The COMAH Regulations do not apply to a material if the only risk created is that of a dust explosion.
However, many toxic materials are handled in fine powder form, and a serious dust explosion could cause a
major accident. A dust explosion involving a non-toxic dust like polyethylene would not result in a major
accident as defined in the regulations, unless it also led to loss of containment of a COMAH substance. A dust
explosion could then be an initiator of a major accident. Measures to prevent major accidents should address
all potential initiators.
The material released from an explosion relief vent typically includes quantities of the original, unburnt
substance in addition to combustion products. Alternative mitigation measures are available, including
explosion suppression, or building the plant strong enough to withstand the anticipated explosion
pressures. The adoption of measures such as these is likely to be necessary where the process of venting
could itself lead to the release of sufficient toxic material to create a major accident. However, it is worth
noting that even finely powdered solids are significantly less easily dispersed than are gases and volatile
liquids - with shorter hazard ranges as a result.
In assessing the risks from an explosion, Operators should consider flame propagation, pressure effects,
recoil forces and the materials that would be released. An explosion of gas or vapour will release hot
combustion products, but continuing burning is only likely if there is a continuing source of release,
perhaps because nearby pipework has been damaged. A dust explosion, however, will usually release
burning and unburnt dust, and may well disturb dust deposits in the area. A secondary explosion or
continuing fire is much more likely. These factors will have a significant impact on plant layout, design of
plant and supporting structures and explosion relief routes. Relief points from explosion protection
devices should normally be located outside the building containing the plant, but certainly not in the
vicinity of regularly occupied areas or plant that would be easily damaged.
The ACOPs and Guidance to DSEAR discuss the alternatives for explosion prevention and mitigation
measures. In particular they provide a hierarchy of controls. This hierarchy relates to intentional or
unintentional releases, but the precautions to prevent an explosion inside the process plant are not the same.
Normally the following options should be considered to prevent an explosion inside the plant:
Substitution of combustible materials;
Control of concentration, e.g. by excluding air, or purging with air before start up of combustion plant
Inerting, exclusion of oxygen by use of inert gases
Monitoring and detection of smouldering particles with automatic quench systems (specific to dust
explosions);
Elimination of ignition sources;
Having implemented these precautions, risks may remain in the ALARP region. The ALARP demonstration
should then include an assessment of the following options for mitigation:
A harmonised standard for the design and testing of explosion vent panels and doors is under preparation
within CEN TC 305, as EN 14491.
General principles that relate to sizing methods for events that are slower than an explosion are covered in
the Technical Measures Document Relief Systems / Vent Systems.
Sizing of explosion panelsk
Explosion panels for gases and vapours
The size of vent area required for effective control depends upon a number of factors including:
BS EN 1539 20001 recognises the need for explosion relief for some designs of ovens, and recommends
using NFPA 68 as no European standard was available at the time the standard was approved. This remains
the case.
Explosion vent relief sizing panels for dusts and powders
A considerable amount of experimental data has been used to develop empirical design equations. Many
different equations have been published, each with a restricted range of applicability, and plants will be found
which have used all these design equations. More recently, work within CEN has produced a rationalisation
and simplification of the design equations recommended, and this standard should be adopted when it
becomes available. Checking of calculations is best done by the computer expert system DUST EXPERT,
developed by HSE, and available to relevant process safety specialists. Basic input data required is the
strength of the process equipment, the equipment volume, KST and P max figures for the dust itself, and the
opening pressure of the vent panel or door.
Some equipment suppliers use the German VDI 3673 guide as a basis for the design of explosion relief vents.
This is acceptable, and much of the advice is contained in the other sources quoted.
A vent sizing routine for buildings is given in the NFPA 68 code, and repeated in the IChemE Dust
Explosion book, but without the explosibility constant for organic vapours; the missing value of C1 = 0.045 is
given in the NFPA code.
Dust explosions (especially in powder transfer and dryers)
A dust explosion can take place only if a number of conditions are simultaneously satisfied:
Grouping Description
ST0 Not explosible
ST1 KST less than Slow explosion, but these can still be very destructive - 80% of
200 explosible dusts fall in this group
ST2 200<KST=<300 Medium speed explosion
ST3 KST>300 Very high speed explosion, this group includes mainly metal dusts
Exothermic reactions
Overpressurisation of reactors is addressed in the Technical Measures Documents Relief Systems / Vent
Systems and Reaction / Product Testing.
Hazards from exothermic reactions occur in the event of thermal runaway of the reaction mixture in which
the rate of generation of heat is greater than the available cooling capacity of the system. Pressure relief
needs to take into account the nature of the reaction mixture involved, (e.g. viscosity, boiling gas/liquid
mixtures) and sizing routines for gas and dust explosions are not appropriate.
Various testing strategies and experimental methods are commonly available for determination of thermal
decomposition hazards. The operator should have shown due consideration of these hazards and taken
appropriate measures to provide pressure relief. Measures for provision of pressure relief in these cases are
addressed in the Technical Measures Document on Relief Systems / Vent Systems.
Unstable substances
When unstable substances are in use, the operator should demonstrate that at the research stage of the
product a systematic approach to the identification of hazards relating to the nature of the materials has been
followed. These hazards should be identified and documented, with subsequent evidence of implementation
of control measures. Hazards that merit consideration include:
Explosibility;
Thermal and pressure conditions;
Flammability;
Toxicity;
Environmental problems.
If products show properties that indicate they can explode in the solid phase (i.e. the energy release comes
from decomposition not combustion), explosion relief is an inappropriate mitigation measure.
The assessment is specifically concerned with the physical properties of the products, and possible by-
products.
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