APPLICATION OF FIRE PROTECTION MEASURES TO NEW AND COMPLEX CHEMICAL FACILITIES

摘要

Originally this paper was intended to be a review of fire protection measures and requirements for new and complex facilities. However, on reflection, the assumption that different fire protection and process safety measures were required for new complex facilities than those in other segments of the chemical industry became an obvious false premise. The challenges for fire safety are equally daunting in all segments of the chemical process industry. Some operators have developed loss prevention goals that use performance-based fire protection analysis and design for fire protection and prevention in chemical plants. This paper will review methods commonly used to determine fire protection measures for chemical plants. The use of performance-based fire protection analysis and design to meet loss prevention goals is proposed as an alternate to specification design methods. Loss prevention techniques practiced by the chemical industry have been partially eclipsed by process safety management efforts as a result of the application of OSHA PSM and EPA RMP requirements. Fire protection, prevention and explosion safeguards are vital to successful chemical process plant safety and must be included in plant design and operations to assure overall plant safety.