Analysis of Process Safety and Occupational Health in Leather Process Industry: A Holistic Approach

Process Safety and Occupational health (PSOH) aspects in process industries are essential and need more consideration along with development in manufacturing and processing. In this regard, PSOH aspects are essential for the leather industry in order to prevent health hazards associated with it and improve upon adequate measures. Better safeguards and practices are necessary in PSOH for the benefit of not only for people working in the industry but for the environment at large. The situation is significant wherever hazardous chemicals or chemicals which could lead to compromise on safety in the workplace are involved. The degree of toxicity or hazard and exposure limit associated for some of them, inside factory premises are of major concern. In addition to the chemicals, other aspects such as dusts, noise levels, lighting, ergonomics, ventilation, personal safety and hygiene are worth considering. As mentioned above, the present paper analyzes various aspects of PSOH in leather process industries as a holistic approach.

Simulation Model of Fragmentation Risk

In this chapter, a simulation model for fragmentation risk assessment due to a cylindrical tank explosion is presented. The proposed fragmentation methodology is based on the application of Monte Carlo simulation and probabilistic mass method. The probabilities of generating fragments during the explosion of the tank were estimated regardless of the available accident data. Aleatoric and epistemic uncertainty due to tank fragmentation has been identified. Generating only one fragment is accompanied by aleatoric uncertainty. The maximum fragmentation probability corresponds to the generation of two fragments with a total mass between 1200 kg and 2400 kg and is 17%. The fragment shape was assessed on the basis of these data and fracture lines. Fragmentation mechanics has shown that kinematic parameters are accompanied by epistemic uncertainty. The range of the fragments in the explosion of the tank has a Weibull distribution with an average value of 638 m. It is not justified to assume the initial launch angle with a uniform distribution, since its direction is defined by the shape of the fragment. The presented methodology is generally applicable to fragmentation problems in the process industry.

Evaluating the Preparedness of a Process Industry to Deal with an Imminent Fire

Introduction: Due to occurrence of fires in process industries, it is vital to implement crisis management systems in these industries and keep the readiness of these systems high. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the readiness of emergency response teams to deal with a possible fire in a process industry. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed in 2019 in a gas refinery with a statistical population of 200 people. A questionnaire with Likert scale was designed through library and field studies for all teams participating in the firefighting process. Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and Content Validity Index (CVI) were used to measure validity and Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to measure the reliability of the questionnaires. The collected data were entered into SPSS software version 24 and statistical analysis was performed at 95% significance level using One Way ANOWA test. Results: The results showed that the readiness of this refinery to deal with a possible fire was 68.3%, which among the 11 teams participating in this process, the security team with 53.48% had the lowest and the logistics team with 77.5% had the highest preparedness (P-value = 0.028). The highest CVR was for the safety team questionnaire (0.77) and the highest Cronbach's alpha coefficient was for the liaison team (0.92). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the readiness of this gas refinery in the firefighting process is satisfactory, although some teams, including the security team, are less prepared than other teams. Therefore, it is better to take intervention measures as soon as possible, including providing the necessary equipment and providing various trainings and maneuvers in order to increase the readiness of the teams.