Overfill Prevention Programs are not just selecting a device to initiate an alarm when a storage tank nears its overfill level, and Overfill Prevention Programs consist of many other entities within the daily operations of a tank fam or distribution terminal. Whether the tank farm resides in a refinery or a petrochemical plant, and consist of 1 tank or 500 tanks, the preparation, development, implementation, testing and verification, and continuous developing through periodic audits, the Overfill Prevention Programs are created the same. Here is a list to consider integrating into your overfill prevention program:
- Site Risk Assessment
- Risk Matrix and Categories
- Storage Tank Reliability Program
- Storage Tank Architecture
- Tank Farm Operations
- Overfill Protection Device Selection
- Functional Testing and Maintenance program
- Open Communications with Pipeline/Transport
- Process Safety Management Program
- Program Documentation
- Onsite Safety Program
- Operations and Maintenance Training Program
- Continuous Program Evaluation
The images below are from the Buncefield Incident that occurred December 11, 2005. The Buncefield fire was a major fire and explosion that occurred at an oil storage facility, Hertfordshire Oil Storage Terminal, located near the M1 motorway, Hemel Hempstead, in Hertfordshire, England. The terminal was the fifth largest oil-products storage depot in the United Kingdom, with a capacity of about 60 million Imperial gallons of fuel.
Robert Arias Jr., President of Process Instrumentation and Measurement Services, was a hired expert to provide expert witness testimony on how overfill protection devices should work in an overfill prevention program to the High Court of England. During the commercial proceedings of the case, Robert presented facts on good engineering practices and industry standards of how to equip a facility for overfill protection. This included the device selection process and the importance of integrating a program into the operations of a liquid bulk storage facility. This incident could have been avoided had the policies and procedures included a more integrated overfill prevention program.
To avoid and incident like Buncefield call us and schedule an audit of your facility to see if your risks are minimized. Contact us through our Contact US page on our website: https://promeasurementservices.com/contact-us/ .