API recently published an updated standard to address fire prevention and improve safety across the downstream segment of the industry.
RP 2001, Fire Protection in Refineries, includes important revisions on hazard analysis, new ways to improve the design of refineries to help prevent fires, and new information on managing the potential environmental impact of firefighting foams and marine firefighting. API convened experts across the natural gas and oil industry and collaborated with important stakeholders, including the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the U.S. Coast Guard, on important updates made to this safety standard.
"API experts used state-of-the-art information and key recommendations from NFPA, EPA, OSHA and the U.S. Coast Guard to develop the new edition of Fire Protection in Refineries. Implementation of RP 2001 will advance the safety of downstream facilities' operations and safeguard the environment and surrounding communities," said Debra Phillips, vice president of API's Global Industry Services.
"API RP 2001, Fire Protection in Refineries, is consistent with Chevron's approach, which gives considerable attention to fire prevention practices and is not just about fire extinguishment," said Tim Blackford, team lead -- Process Safety Engineering at Chevron Energy Technology Co. "Implementation of the concepts within this document by corporate and field personnel will make their facilities safer for their workforce and neighbors, as well as help protect their assets."
Highlights of the revision for the 10th edition include:
- The use of hazard analysis throughout all states of designing, upgrading or expanding a refinery to help prevent hazards (Section 5.2).
- Improvements to the layout of a refinery to prevent incidents related to drainage processes, site exits for egress, layout and spacing of process units, and the location of offsite facilities (Section 5.6).
- Consultation of fire protection experts prior to the use and/or disposal of firefighting foam, remediation of contaminated sites and the conversion from existing synthetic firefighting foam concentrate to alternative chemistries in consideration of EPA's PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) Stewardship Program (Section 6.3.2).
- An informative Annex D on marine firefighting, which provides background information and references to documents developed by NFPA and the International Fire Service Training Association to help protect land-based firefighters who could be called to fight a fire on a marine vessel.
API standards are developed under API's American National Standards Institute accredited process, ensuring the API standards are recognized not only for their technical rigor but also their third-party accreditation, which facilitates acceptance by state, federal and -- increasingly -- international regulators. API's Global Industry Services division is responsible for standards-setting, certification, training, events, publications and safety programs for industry operations.
For more information, visit www.api.org or call (202) 682-8000.
