Conference Papers
One of the most difficult hazards to manage in petrochemical operations is explosions that lead to impacts on building populations. Unlike fire and toxic hazards, explosion hazards do not provide any time to react to the event. Therefore, many traditional alternatives to minimize process hazards may still not provide a high-enough level of risk reduction. Reviewers often need to provide structural upgrading of existing buildings or design of new buildings to minimize the impact of blast events and bring overall risks to a tolerable level. Unfortunately, providing blast resistant structural design is often a high cost alternative, and therefore should be considered only when lower cost risk reduction measures fail to obtain the desired results.
As the biofuels industry continues to expand in support of global decarbonization mandates and objectives, facility owners and developers are being challenged to balance production efficiency, operational reliability, and personnel safety.
As high hazard facilities, biofuels sites should focus on developing a fire protections strategy informed by performance-based analysis so strategies implemented meet the unique challenges found at each facility.
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