Laserfiche WebLink
Use a cleaning method such as "butter Worthing" with hot water, pump out the liquids and then ventilate as <br /> above. <br /> Inert the Tank <br /> Carbon dioxide from dry ice will be used to inert the atmosphere in the tank to below the oxygen <br /> concentration necessary for combustion. Note that flammable vapors will still be present; and once the tank <br /> is cut or opened, the inert gas can be lost. The atmosphere must be diluted to less than 8 percent 02 by <br /> volume to be completely safe for normal petroleum products. 02/LEL meter must be used to monitor the 02 <br /> concentration. Measurements must be made continuously. The quantity of inert gas that must be used <br /> depends on how the gas is presented to the tank. In practice, about 6 to 8 and perhaps as many as 10 tank <br /> volumes must be administered. Approximately 30 pounds of dry ice per 100 cubic feet (30lbs per 1,000 <br /> gallons) of tank volume is required to reduce the oxygen to 8 percent. There are several precautions that <br /> must be observed when using dry ice. The material is extremely cold (-109.3 ❑F). Also, the CO2 produced <br /> will be absorbed into any water present, thus effectively increasing the oxygen concentration. <br /> Foam the Tank <br /> If the product cannot be completely removed, a method, which has been proven successful, is to "foam" the <br /> surface of the remaining liquid with fire fighting or vapor suppression foam. This foam blend should be 3 or <br /> 4 inches thick and will have the effect of suppressing vaporization of the volatile material. <br /> The foam must be applied through a tank opening and thus the tank must be opened. After laying the foam <br /> blanket, the tank may have to be ventilated so that the flammable vapor concentration is reduced to less <br /> than 10 percent of the LEL on the combustible gas indicator. In extreme cases, high expansion foam can be <br /> used to completely fill the tank. Obviously, no ventilation will be necessary in this case. <br /> The general rule of thumb for cutting tanks with a cutting torch is that cutting slag should never be allowed <br /> to fall into free product. Naturally when cutting tanks by any method, appropriate fire protection should be <br /> available. <br /> Physical Hazards: <br /> Heat exhaustion is a possibility due to the climate, high temperature is a possibility inside the tanks <br /> therefore United will set up rotating teams to ensure that employees maintain cool and rotate personnel as <br /> necessary. <br /> Heat Stress: <br /> Due to the California climate, heat stress could be some concern. Drinking water will be available in the <br /> Support Zone. Decontaminate garments prior to consuming water. Heat stress can result when protective <br /> clothing decreases natural body ventilation. If temperatures on-site exceed 75°F while protective coveralls <br /> are being worn, then heat stress monitoring should be employed. Monitoring would include watching the <br /> workers for visible signs of heat stress. <br />