Fire Protection Systems Used in Oil & Gas Process

Facilities

The best way to eliminate costly losses and unsafe conditions due to fire in oil and gas process
facilities is to prevent the fires from occurring. Fire protection systems can be costly and require
continual maintenance and training, but the payoff is worth it: minimized risk of damage to
property and danger to personnel.

Let’s look at the importance of fire protection in oil and gas process facilities and the four
components that make up this essential system.

The Importance of Fire Protection Systems in Oil & Gas Process Facilities

Due to the nature of the work, oil and gas process facilities are surrounded by
fire risks. Highly flammable liquids and gases can lead to intense fires which can be
difficult to manage — threatening property damage, pollution, and risk to human life.

The American Petroleum Institute (API) and the National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA) developed fire codes specifically for petrochemical facilities designed to minimize
risks and ensure that the facility is protected against damage in case of a fire. The API
offers a number of resources that identify the fire safety hazards associated with oil &
gas process facilities, and provide solutions for protection and prevention.

Let’s take a brief look at a few of the biggest fire hazards facing petrochemical facilities.

Biggest Fire Risks in Oil & Gas Process Facilities

The biggest risks occur when oil escapes from its containment where a stray spark can
ignite and start a dangerous fire. Here are six of the most common petrochemical fire
and explosion hazards that can occur at an oil process facility:

 BLEVE (boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion): Occurs when the contents are above
boiling point and the container fails.
 Explosions: One of the most dangerous scenarios in any petrochemical facility, explosions
are caused by the ignition of a flammable vapor within a confined space.
 Flammable liquid pool fires: Result from the loss of product containment in any kind of
storage tank, paired with a common ignition source, like nearby electrical equipment.
Combustible or flammable liquid storage tank fires are also a type of large pool fires.
 Flash fires: The ignition of flammable vapors in an unconfined area which most often
happens during normal transfer operations of flammable liquid tanks, spills, or leaks from
flammable liquid vessels.
 Jet fire: Ignited liquid or gas that escapes under pressure from a process vessel or pipe.
 Normal combustible fire: Class A fires are equally as plausible as flammable liquid fires in
any oil and gas facility, and should be considered, especially in any offices or
outbuildings.

To protect the facility and personnel from fire, petrochemical fire protection
systems must be designed to address the specific fire risks of the industry.
Four Components of Fire Protection Systems in Oil & Gas Process
Facilities

Four main components of the robust fire protection system are: water and foam fire
suppression systems, fire extinguishers, fire alarms, and fire safety training.

#1 Fire Suppression Systems

Foam fire suppression is especially desirable in petrochemical fire protection systems.

When the system’s sensors detect a fire, they smother flammable liquid with a viscous,
bubbly liquid that extinguishes any active flames while also preventing other areas from
catching fire.

Water mist systems are also effective in oil and gas process facilities because they spray
fine water droplets (less than 1,000 microns across). The mist minimizes water damage
while still extinguishing the fire.

Large Dry Chemical systems are an effective means to extinguish flammable liquid fires
especially where water supplies are not readily accessible.

#2 Fire Extinguishers

Oil process facilities should primarily use BC fire extinguishers, as they are
appropriate for the classes of fire the industry is prone to. This type of extinguisher is
adept at handling fires of ordinary combustibles, electrical equipment and wiring, and
flammable liquids and gases. Make sure all employees know where fire extinguishers are
located and how to use them.

#3 Fire Alarm Systems

Oil & gas process facilities are required to include a fire alarm system that includes heat,
flame, and gas detectors for automatic activation, pull stations for manual activation,
and strobe lights and sirens to alert personnel of danger. Fire alarms must be regularly
inspected to make sure they comply with NFPA and API code and can effectively function
in any conditions.

#4 Fire Safety Training

Even with the best technology in fire prevention and suppression, nothing can
replace fire safety training. A safety-first approach to fire preparedness in
petrochemical facilities comes down to the training of personnel who will use fire
extinguishing tools and respond appropriately to a fire threat, notifying authorities
quickly.

A few ways to prioritize personnel training include:

 Specific hazards at your facility and a detailed explanation on how the fire protection
system works to prevent and extinguish fires.
 How to use fire-fighting equipment including fire extinguishers, fire alarms, sprinkler
systems, and any other technology utilized by your facility.
  Your facility’s evacuation plan. Run regular but varied drills to practice evacuation routes
and response times.

Additional training to consider is first aid, so employees can assist fellow workers if an
emergency arises, evacuating people from danger and addressing minor injuries.

Oil & Gas Fire Protection System Maintenance

Finally, the fire protection system used in oil and gas process facilities is only effective if
it is well-maintained. Regular inspections and maintenance are not only required by fire
codes, but ensure that the equipment remains in optimal condition, which will save
companies money on repairs or replacement down the road.

The best way to keep up with maintenance is to commit to a regular service schedule.
Keep in mind that different types of equipment may need to be checked more
frequently. Work with fire safety professionals who are familiar with the fire risks of oil
and gas process facilities to ensure that your fire protection system is working as it
should.

Petrochemical facilities require the highest-quality fire protection systems, paired with
top-of-the-line testing and maintenance. An industry leader in oil and gas fire protection,

What is an Emergency Response Plan in the Oil and Gas

Industry?
In any emergency, the actions taken in the first seconds of response are critical.
Especially in the oil and gas industry, where fires can quickly consume entire facilities,
it’s essential that your facility has a plan for response.

What is an Emergency Response Plan for an Oil & Gas Facility?

An emergency response plan is your oil and gas facility’s established plan for what will
happen in the event that there is any kind of emergency in your facility. An oil & gas
emergency response plan should take into account all of the potential hazards present in
the facility, and define exactly how the facility will respond to each. This emergency
response plan should account for any hazard that could affect your facility, from fire-
related hazards to emergencies caused by severe weather.

Depending on what your facility does, and where, you may have to submit this plan to a
number of federal regulatory agencies.

How to Ensure The Effectiveness of Your Oil & Gas Facility’s Emergency Response
Plan Against a Fire Emergency

Any oil & gas facility in operation today must have an existing emergency response plan.
In most locations, federal regulatory agencies require you submit this plan before your
facility is allowed to operate. One of the most important steps of submitting an
emergency response plan is ensuring that yours is updated and tested to verify that it is
useful in keeping your people and your products safe.

If your facility has made any changes recently, or if it’s been some time since anyone
verified your facility’s existing emergency response plan, here are 5 steps to ensure your
emergency response plan will actually protect your facility in the event of a fire.

Step 1: Review Your Oil & Gas Facility’s Emergency Response Plan

Your facility should already have an emergency response plan in place. If you are
establishing a presence at a new facility, developing this emergency response plan
should be one of your top priorities. Once it’s created, review the emergency response
plan, and make sure every employee and operator in your facility has thoroughly read
and understands it as well.

Simply reading an older emergency response plan can highlight discrepancies in your
facility’s protection equipment. If you notice any errors in your emergency response plan
— especially those regarding the types of fire protection systems — update the
emergency response plan and redistribute it to the rest of the facility as soon as
possible.

Step 2: Evaluate Resources Based on your Facility’s Worst-Case Scenario

Once you understand your oil and gas facility’s emergency response plan, it’s important
to evaluate your available resources based on the worst-case scenarios outlined in the
plan.

For example, based on NFPA minimum guidelines, do you have adequate amounts of
firefighting foam and water supply to effectively suppress or contain a worst-case
scenario fire in your facility?

Do you have enough pumps, hoses, and delivery devices to complete the emergency
response plan as outlined?

If your oil and gas facility relies on mutual aid resources, have those resources been
included in your trainings? Have you diagramed your tank layout so a mutual aid
resource knows exactly how and where to respond in the event of a fire?

No one likes to consider the worst-case scenario. But taking the time to evaluate the
resources you’re supposed to have against what your facility actually has can mean the
difference between safety and a severe facility fire.

Step 3: Evaluate Equipment

It’s one thing to have an emergency response plan. It’s another to ensure that plan
actually works in a real-life situation.
To ensure your emergency response plan would be effective in the event of a fire,
evaluate your equipment with a training scenario.

Set up a training event that utilizes all of your emergency response and fire suppression
equipment. As you run through the scenario, assess:

 Do you have enough pumps and pumping capacity?

 Is your foam delivery equipment functional and sufficient?
 Are all of your delivery devices connected with compatible adapters?
 Do portable and fixed monitors, cannons, and guns cover the area adequately?

As your facility grows and changes, you’re often upgrading your oil and gas facility’s fire
suppression system as needed. When that happens, small things like adapters are easy
to forget. But, when a fire happens, and your hoses are too small to hook up to your
foam tank, that can have a catastrophic impact on your facility’s ability to respond to an
emergency.

Step 4: Train As If It Were a Real Incident

As you complete training scenarios, make sure you’re training as if there was a real fire
in your oil and gas facility.

That means inviting your neighbors, and any mutual aid partners.

Completing training with all responsible parties means that everyone is on the same
page in the event of an emergency. When everyone has completed the same training at
your facility, everyone will know exactly what’s expected of each party to successfully
evacuate the facility and suppress the fire.

Work to make your training as realistic as possible. The better your team’s training, the
more effective their emergency response will be in the event of a real hazard.

Step 5: Schedule Ongoing Training To Keep Everyone Safe

Don’t stop after just one training scenario.

Your emergency response plan should be evaluated and practiced often. Not only does
regular fire protection training ensure that everyone clearly understands their
responsibilities, but it also guarantees that everyone has training.

In any facility, people leave, new people start, and your mutual aid support likely
experiences turnover as well. Regular training solidifies your emergency response plan in
the minds of every participant and ensures that even new hires have the training they
need to stay safe in the event of a fire.

Ongoing training can also help identify any changes in your oil and gas fire protection
system or any discrepancies between what’s written in your emergency response plan,
and what equipment actually functions in your facility.

Your oil and gas facility’s emergency response plan is essential to the safety of your
facility and your team. It’s important to read, evaluate, and test your emergency
response plan often, so you know it works, and so your team knows how to protect
themselves in the event of a fire.

Fires are one of the most devastating hazards for any oil and gas facility. Without an
emergency response plan, and without proper training, your facility is at great risk. If it’s
been some time since your facility evaluated your emergency response plan or ran a
training scenario, the Vanguard team is here to help.

Our oil & gas facility training specialist, Randy Jones, has responded to over 1,000
industrial fires, spills, and explosions. In addition to this, he trains firefighters and
facilities like yours to effectively suppress or contain industrial fires. Schedule a
consultation with Randy below to see how you can improve your emergency response
plan and keep your team safe.

Process Safety
API member companies are committed to conducting business in a manner that protects
the safety and health of their employees, others involved in their operations, customers,
and the public. Process safety is part of safety management and focuses on the concerns
of major hazards impacting, safety, environmental damage and business losses. The goal
of process safety management is to develop plant systems and procedures to prevent
unwanted releases that may ignite and cause toxic impacts, local fires or explosions.

While petroleum operations involve risks, they can be effectively managed and/or
eliminated when appropriate measures are taken. Operating safely is the most basic
feature of business efficiency and has proven to improve productivity.

Process Safety Standards

Process safety is part of safety management and focuses on the concerns of major
hazards impacting, safety, environmental damage and business losses.

Mechanical Integrity Standards

Mechanical Integrity (MI) can be defined as the management of critical process

equipment to ensure it is designed and installed correctly and that it is operated and
maintained properly. MI is 1 of the 14 elements included in the OSHA Process Safety
Management standard. MI includes equipment/assets such as pressure vessels, storage
tanks, piping systems, and associated hardware (valves, fittings, etc.), relief devices, and
emergency shutdown/control systems. MI encompasses the activities necessary to
ensure that equipment/assets are designed, fabricated, installed, operated and
maintained in a way that provides the desired performance in a safe, environmentally
protected, and reliable fashion. This site provides a history of the field of MI and access
to MI-related API Standards, Recommended Practices and other resources.

Recommended Practice 751

RP 751: Safe Operation of Hydrofluoric Acid Alkylation Units

Recommended Practice 752

RP 752: Management of Hazards Associated With Location of Process Plant Permanent

Buildings

Recommended Practice 754

RP-754: Process Safety Performance Indicators for the Refining and Petrochemical
Industries

Recommended Practice 755

RP 755: Fatigue Risk Management Systems for Personnel in the Refining and
Petrochemical Industries