work permit conditions and firewatch duties

8/11/2019 Work Permit Conditions and Firewatch Duties

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2.4

Inspect Work Permit Conditionsand Perform Firewatch Duties

12 hrs


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INTRODUCTION

Certain safety procedures must be followed to make sure that:

Maintenance work is done safely.

Plant remains safe while the maintenance work is being done.

In this module, you will learn to: Identify work permits

State work permit safety regulations

Identify firewatch duties

To learn more about work permits refer to Loss Prevention e-learning course (http://lp.aramco.com.sa/cbt/main.htm)


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Purpose of A l l Work Perm its

Work Permits describe the hazards of the joband what precautionsto take.

Allmaintenance jobs on plant requirework

permits.

After operations inspectsthe jobsite, it issues

the permit.

The permit is displayedat the jobsite.


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TYPES OF WORK PERMITS

There are four categories of Saudi Aramco maintenance jobs: Release of hazardous liquids or gases

Hot work

Cold work

Entry into confined spaces

Different jobs need a different work permit. The color tells you themaintenance job being done.


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Release Work Perm it

Job has a potential ofreleasing flammableliquids or gases (130For below flash point), orInjurious liquids andgases (chemicals),obtain Release WorkPermit, (yellow).


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Hot Work Perm it

Job has an ignitionsource (including

vehicles) or involvesenergized electricalequipment, then a HotWork Permit, (whitewith red edges) must

be obtained.


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Cold Work Perm it

Jobs that do notcreate a source ofignition and requireonly hand tools,obtain Cold WorkPermit, (blue).


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Entry Work Perm it

Job requires entry intoenclosed spaces where

hazardous liquids orgases might be presentor where there isinsufficient oxygen,obtain an Entry Work

Permit, (green).


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Mult ip le Work Perm its

Some jobs may require more than one type

of work permit.


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WORK PERMIT CERTIFICATES

Men who issue or receive work permits take

special safety courses from Loss Preventionto gets a certificate valid for 2years.

Operations personnel issue work permits.

Maintenance personnel receive work permits.


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EXERCISE A


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Work Perm it Safety Regu lat ions

Each work permit is a safety checklist.

The actions required on the front side of the workpermits are the absolute minimum safety regulations

should met.

As an outside operator, you must check that all thesafety regulations are followed for work that is done in

your area.

You must stop the work if the worksite conditions areunsafe.


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JOINT INSPECTION REGULATIONS

Before a work permit is issued for a job, the jobsite isinspected by operations and maintenance personnel

doing the work, we call this ajoint inspection.

Joint inspection identifies potential hazards andensures that all personnel involved from bothdepartments are aware of the job to be done.


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SAFETY REGULATIONS FOR RELEASE WORK

If a maintenance person opens a pipe or piece of equipment which

contains liquid or gas, he could come into contact with the liquid or gas.

He could be injured. Also, the liquid or gas could ignite or spill. Therefore,the piping or equipment must be free of flammable or injuriousliquids and gases before they are opened.

If possible, nitrogen gas, steam, or water should be used to purge theequipment. If purging is not possible, the equipment must be free ofpressure and liquid, and it must be isolated.All isolation valves mustbe closed, locked, and tagged.

All personnel must stay upwind of the release. All ignition sources mustbe removed or controlled when flammable liquids or gases are released.

The cathodic protection unit could be a source of ignition for freehydrocarbons. Therefore, when opening any line under cathodicprotection, first shut off the cathodic protection unit with a lock andhold tag.


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SAFETY REGULATIONS FOR HOT WORK

Hot work is work that creates a potential ignition source or involves live

electricity, welding, torch cutting, grinding, and blasting.The equipment to be worked on must be completely isolated bydisconnecting or blinding it from all energy sources.

The equipment must be free of hydrocarbon gas. Hot work is not done ifthe combustible gas test results are above 0.0 LEL (lower explosive level).

Firefighting equipment must be kept ready.

A firewatch must be posted for all hot work involving open flames.Sewers and sump pits within 75 feet must be covered. Fire blankets canbe used for this. The blankets should be kept wet.

Precautions must be taken to prevent the release of flammable materialsfrom vents, drains, and relief valves into the hot work area.

Periodic combustible gas tests must be taken to make sure no flammable

materials are present.Hot work must be stopped immediately if unsafe conditions develop duringthe job.

A work permit certified operator is authorized to issue the work permit. Ifhot work must be performed in a critical environment, the foreman or shiftsuperintendent must countersign.


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SAFETY REGULATIONS FOR COLD WORK

Cold work is generally considered to be safe. However,all safety regulations written on the work permit must be

met completely.

Whenever a safety check is not required, it is markedN/A (not applicable) on the work permit.

Personnel must take all general precautions to avoid

injuries or damage to equipment.

A work permit certified operator is authorized to issuethe work permit.


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SAFETY REGULATIONS FOR ENTRY WORK

Entry into tanks, sumps, sewers, deep ditches, and valve pits requires

entry work permits, this requires the authority the shift superintendent,unit foremanor the superintendent.

The equipment must be gas free, purged, isolated by blinding ordisconnecting and must be locked, tagged, and electrically deenergized

before entering.

When a tank to be entered contains sludge or sediment that could releasetoxic vapors, it must first be force-ventilated.

The person entering the tank must wear a lifeline so the standby man cankeep in contact with him to remove the person from the tank in an

emergency.

You must perform periodic or continuous gas tests during the work.

An operator must be assigned by his supervisor to be a standby man.


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Gas Test Information

You must perform periodic or continuous gas tests during the work. Thisinformation is on the back of each work permit.

It is better to be safe than sorry when you work around inert gasessuch as nitrogen and argon.

These asphyxiant gases, as well as carbon dioxide, Freon, steam,and engine exhaust, can dilute the concentration of oxygen in the air.

If the oxygen deficient air is inhaled, death can occur.


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Gas Test Information

Ventilation is usually poor in confined spaces. This increases the chance of anoxygendeficient atmosphere in the confined space.

Nitrogen is a commonly used gas in many Saudi Aramco operations. It is usedto purge and leak-test pipelines and equipment because it is inert and notflammable.

Some people think that nitrogen gas is harmless because fresh air is 79%nitrogen. With that much nitrogen in the air, why should an increase make a

difference? Increasing the concentration of nitrogen (or any other gas) in air results in a

decrease in oxygen levels. Even a slight decrease in oxygen is dangerous.

Deprived of oxygen, permanent brain cell death occurs in four to six minutes.

If you suspect or detect that the oxygen level is dropping in a confined space,you must immediately get out. Get into the fresh air. Keep other persons fromentering and call for help.

If someone has collapsed in the confined space, you must not enter to rescuehim unless you wear a Scott Air-Pak.

The harm is caused by oxygen deprivation. The goal of rescue is to restoreadequate oxygen levels before permanent brain death occurs.


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GENERAL REGULATIONS

At the beginning of each shift, the relieving supervising operatorand craftsman can extend the work permit.

At the beginning of each working day, new work permits must beissued after checking the area.

All information except the signature must be in English, in ink, andprinted legibly on the work permit.

All work must be stopped immediately if an emergency or unsafecondition develops during the work.


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EXERCISE B


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FIREWATCH DUTIES

Firewatchprevents conditions that could cause an accident in an

area where work is being done.He must be present when work requires flammable gases orliquids to be released.

Before an outside operator can be a firewatch, he must:

Attend the firefighting training course at the Fire TrainingUnit.

Be certified to use the LTX-310 multi-gas detector.

Be familiar with work permits and its procedures.

Be certified to use the Scott Air-Pak.

Be familiar with the different sources of ignition in the plantand understand how to control them.

Know how to report hazardous conditions and call forassistance.


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FIREWATCH DUTIES

Firewatch is:

Responsible for the safety of the men doing thework.

Prevent damage to plant equipment that could beexposed to a fire or an explosion.

Stop the work if a hazardous condition developsimmediately.

Perform emergency procedures if an emergencyoccurs.


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EXERCISE C


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INSPECT WORK PERMIT AND JOBSITE CONDITIONS


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THANKS

work permit conditions and firewatch duties

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