Besides its obvious destructive potential, military R&D also serves to protect human lives, equipment and facilities against the effects of weapons. Concepts have therefore been developed that improve safety of stationary and mobile facilities against pressure waves, thermal radiation and fire. Effective, fast fire extinguishing equipment has been designed for tank compartments and motors. Closed buildings are demolished and landmines are removed with gas and dust explosions. Stringent safety requirements have been developed for the production of ammunition and explosives. Military and related industries have accumulated a vast knowledge and sophisticated experience that are very valuable in a variety of civil applications. The knowledge is based on theoretical and experimental research work, the origin of which sometimes dates back many centuries. It has often been classified and therefore has remained unknown to the civilian population, until now.

Written by an engineer for engineers, this book is both training manual and on-going reference, bringing together all the different facets of the complex processes that must be in place to minimize the risk to people, plant and the environment from fires, explosions, vapour releases and oil spills. Fully compliant with international regulatory requirements, relatively compact but comprehensive in its coverage, engineers, safety professionals and concerned company management will buy this book to capitalize on the author’s life-long expertise. This is the only book focusing specifically on oil and gas and related chemical facilities. This new edition includes updates on management practices, lessons learned from recent incidents, and new material on chemical processes, hazards and risk reviews (e.g. CHAZOP). Latest technology on fireproofing, fire and gas detection systems and applications is also covered. An introductory chapter on the philosophy of protection principles along with fundamental background material on the properties of the chemicals concerned and their behaviours under industrial conditions, combined with a detailed section on modern risk analysis techniques makes this book essential reading for students and professionals following Industrial Safety, Chemical Process Safety and Fire Protection Engineering courses. A practical, results-oriented manual for practicing engineers, bringing protection principles and chemistry together with modern risk analysis techniques Specific focus on oil and gas and related chemical facilities, making it comprehensive and compact Includes the latest best practice guidance, as well as lessons learned from recent incidents

The handbook provides ready information on the fire and chemical reactivity of commonly used chemicals. Its purpose is to provide basic information important to the safe handling of chemicals and to help provide guidance in responding to a hazardous materials incident, in particular, incidents involving reactive chemicals and materials posing fire and explosion hazards. The volume has been written for chemical handling specialists, first responders to hazardous materials incidents, and firefighters. The basic definition used for a hazard materials incident is any situation that may potentially lead to catastrophic fire or explosion, and or human exposed to a toxic chemical. This situation may result from a spill of a hazardous material, a leak from a storage vessel or shipping container, or the mixing of incompatible chemicals whereby a chemical reaction could occur resulting in the release of energy and generation of toxic and perhaps flammable by-products. The volume provides chemical specific information, providing the reader with rigorous information on the chemical of interest. This book is a compendium of chemical specific fire and chemical reactivity data and information. More than 1,000 chemicals have been researched and organized into a reference handbook for fire specialists, chemical handling specialists, and plant safety engineers. The specific information provided for chemicals includes the flammability characteristics, recommended fire extinguishing practices, fire extinguishing agents not to be used, behavior in fires, burning characteristics, chemical reactivity with regard to water and common materials, incompatible chemical mixtures, containment and neutralization methods for spills. This reference book has been designed as a data bank for the hazardous materials handling specialist and industrial safety managers dealing with large chemical inventories. It is intended to be used by fire and loss prevention specialists and as a basis for developing procedures for safe storing and handling of chemicals. The authors have included an extensive physical properties section on chemicals, with information most pertinent to fire response situations.

Fire and Explosion Protection for the Combustible Dust Processing Industries. A spark by itself is not dangerous. For a fire or explosion to occur, there must be three essential ingredients - a combustible material, oxygen, and an ignition source. If one of these three is eliminated, then so is the potential for fire or explosion.In today's production plants, we often have to cope with all of the components that lead to a fire or cause an explosion. Dust/fume extraction systems and pneumatic conveyors increase the danger of fire. Once sparks or glowing embers are created, the pneumatic extraction system conveys these hazards to other areas. At this point, two of the three ingredients for the creation of fires and/or explosions are transported. When this conveyed danger meets a supply of combustible materials (filter cloth, deposited dust or the material in the separator or silo) it becomes more likely that the feared reaction will occur. Increased environmental protection measures regarding dust emissions and tightened regulations for air pollution have lead to the increased use of filter systems, and has increased the danger of dust explosions and fires due to the concentration of the combustible material at the filter. Because of the high cost of heating and cooling plant buildings, many air systems return the clean air directly back into the production facility. This practice, although energy efficient, presents an additional hazard if the collector catches fire. This fire will be propagated via the return air duct into the plant structure with devastating consequences.

Today's complex industrial plants can pose many risks of fire, explosions, and other hazardous incidents if proper safety mechanisms are not in place. Of particular concern are accidental gaseous emissions that jeopardize the health of workers and the facility itself. This guide explains the latest engineering and administrative options available for avoiding and controlling accidents, including how to set up reliable systems for preventing and mitigating accidental releases as well as how to evaluate the performance of these systems.