Industries
Explosion protection in the chemical industry
In the chemical industry an explosion hazard is not the exception but an everyday reality. Flammable gases, vapours and solvents run through the entire process, from the reactors through distillation all the way to the tank farm, and in places combustible dust joins them. The greatest challenge is the sheer variety of materials. Every substance has its own gas group, auto-ignition temperature and temperature class, so specialists have to reassess the conditions at every product changeover, project and equipment replacement. EPDS is built for exactly this kind of continuous, material-driven change.
Industry experience
Sound familiar?
A new product or project starts up using a different solvent or gas group. The zone classification and the temperature class, however, are not reassessed.
In the tank farm, where filling and discharge take place, it is not clear how far the vapour zone extends around the discharge point.
A leaking seal or flange is a secondary source of release, yet it does not appear in the documentation.
The SEVESO safety report and the explosion protection documentation are prepared separately, with different substance lists, and neither refers to the other.
Ahead of an audit it takes days to gather the zone drawings, the equipment list and the inspection certificates.
If any of these situations sounds familiar, another document is not what you need. What you need is a dependable system that tracks and documents changing processes precisely.
Hazards
Typical explosion hazards in the chemical industry
What sets the chemical industry apart is that many hazardous substances are present at once, often in continuous, large-scale and sometimes outdoor plant:
| Hazard source | Where typical | Typical zone |
|---|---|---|
| Flammable gases and vapours (solvents, monomers) | reactors, distillation, tank farm, pipework | gas zone (0/1/2) |
| Hydrogen and acetylene (IIC) | hydrogenation, synthesis, gas handling | gas zone (1/2), IIC |
| Substances with a low auto-ignition temperature | hot processes, vapour spaces, hot surfaces | gas zone (1/2) |
| Combustible dust (catalysts, additives, solid products) | dust handling, drying, filling | dust zone (20/21/22) |
| Electrostatic charging | filling non-conductive liquids, high flow rates, discharge | an ignition source in every zone |
The greatest challenge is not managing an individual zone but keeping the link between substance, zone and equipment current. Every substance has a lower and upper explosive limit, an auto-ignition temperature, a gas group and a temperature class. These determine what Ex equipment may be used in a given place. The extent of a zone is set by the sources of release — flanges, seals, pumps and sampling points, for example. Secondary sources are the ones most often left undocumented.
When we help
Typical situations when it’s worth talking
Where SEVESO and ATEX meet
A significant share of chemical plants are SEVESO establishments, so explosion protection does not stand on its own: it has to be consistent with the safety documentation required by the SEVESO III Directive (2012/18/EU) - in Hungary, Government Decree 219/2011. (X. 20.). The typical intersections, to be resolved deliberately:
A shared substance list - the SEVESO safety report and the explosion protection documentation work from the same hazardous substances; a discrepancy is an audit finding in itself.
Consistent scenarios - the zone classification and the major-accident scenarios rest on the same physical reality; they cannot contradict one another.
Management of change - a new substance changes both the SEVESO inventory and the zone classification; the two updates have to happen together.
Large, outdoor plant - because of the tank farm and continuous operation, the extent of the zones and the handling of release sources need particular attention.
The solution
How EPDS helps in the chemical industry
EPDS organises explosion protection documentation into a system that can keep up with the variety of materials in the chemical industry and their constant change:
Substances, zones and equipment on one screen
The system assigns to every zone the substance present, its gas group and its temperature class. Users find and review all the data they need in moments.
Management of change
The effect of a new product, solvent or project can be traced through the zones and the equipment list; explosion protection can be wired into existing process safety procedures.
Zone and equipment register
Clear even with a large equipment count and a tank farm; the inside of a device and its surroundings are handled separately.
Automatic reminders about the inspection schedule.
Specialists never slip on a mandatory inspection, and the work done can be evidenced to the authorities at any time.
Audit-ready reports
Zones, equipment and inspections can be pulled together in a few clicks and reconciled with the SEVESO documentation, per site or across all of them.
Several sites, one piece of software
A single method and a single view of status across the whole production network.
Knowledge hub
Before you decide, get informed.
Our expert knowledge base explains the concepts of explosion protection clearly.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Why do the gas group and the temperature class matter in the chemical industry?
Because many different substances are present and each has its own explosion characteristics. Equipment installed in a zone has to meet the strictest requirement present — the IIC gas group in the case of hydrogen, for example, or the appropriate temperature class for a substance with a low auto-ignition temperature.
How do SEVESO and the explosion protection documentation relate?
They are built on the same hazardous substances and the same scenarios, so they have to agree. The zone classification is also the basis of the major-accident scenarios; there can be no discrepancy between the two sets of documentation.
How far does the vapour zone extend around a discharge point?
It depends on the source of release, the substance and the ventilation, and is determined by a standard assessment (MSZ EN 60079-10-1). In the tank farm and at discharge, managing electrostatic charging (earthing, equipotential bonding, flow rate) is part of the protection as well.
When does the zone classification have to be redone?
At every change that affects the explosion hazard: a new substance, product or campaign, a change of solvent, new equipment, or a modification to the process or the ventilation. In EPDS this is part of management of change, so it does not get missed.
Does a chemical plant need explosion protection documentation?
Yes. Wherever a flammable gas, vapour or dust can create an explosive atmosphere, the documentation is mandatory under decree 3/2003. (III. 11.) - and it has to be kept current.
Let’s talk it through — free consultation
In a short, free conversation we show you the EPDS system mapped onto your processes, and review where your documentation stands today.