24/2/2014

Element 4
Fire Protection and
Emergency Response

NEBOSH
International
Technical
Certificate in
Oil and Gas
Operational Safety

RRC Training

Fire and Explosion in The Oil and Gas

Industries
Leak and Fire Detection Systems: general considerations
Adequate number of detectors and location (vapour
density, air flow, etc.)
Maintenance and testing
Uninterruptible power supply
Manual backup
Minimisation of spurious alarms (voting systems)
Zoning (just like with alarms)
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Fire and Explosion in the Oil and Gas

Industries
Emergency Response

RRC Training

Fire and Explosion in The Oil and Gas

Industries
Leak Detection, e.g. gas/vapour from pump seal or from
storage tank into bund
Select/Calibrate for specific substance (s) in use
Mostly for gas/vapour leaks - some instruments can detect
liquid HC leaks
CCTV with auto-sensing software - for visually spotting
liquid leaks
Optical beam oil mist detectors (pinhole leaks of
pressurised HCs)
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24/2/2014

Fire and Explosion in The Oil and Gas

Industries

Fire and Explosion in The Oil and Gas

Industries

Fire Detection

Smoke Detectors

3 basic types, for:

Ionisation detectors use a

radioactive compound to ionise
the air in a chamber.

Smoke
Heat
Flame

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Fire and Explosion in The Oil and Gas

Industries

Optical detectors types

Light scattering or
obscuration

Smoke detector

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Fire and Explosion in The Oil and Gas

Industries

Heat Detectors

Flame Detectors

Operating principles: fusible links or expansion

Sensitive to UV, visible or IR radiation

Can activate at pre-set temperature or sensitive to rate

of rise of temperature (or both)

Must maintain line of sight

Configurations:
Spot (or point) vs. Line

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RRC Training

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Fire and Explosion in The Oil and Gas

Industries

Fire and Explosion in The Oil and Gas

Industries
Passive fire protection
coating or cladding arrangement or free-standing system
which, in the event of fire, will provide thermal protection
to resist the rate at which heat is transmitted to the object
or area being protected.
Active fire protection
equipment, systems and methods which, following
initiation, may be used to control, mitigate and extinguish
fires.

RRC Training

Fire and Explosion in The Oil and Gas

Industries
PFP temporarily provides and maintains 3 things:
Integrity should not allow flames or smoke through
Stability maintain structural strength of what it is
protecting
Insulation prevent significant heat transmission
Protection is short-term typically 30 mins 2hours

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Fire and Explosion in The Oil and Gas

Industries
Passive Fire Protection (PFP) comes in many forms,
including:
Preformed, e.g. boards, cladding, linings, pipe shells
Prefabricated, e.g. fire barriers, walls and partitions
Spray coatings, e.g. epoxy resin-based intumescents,
cement based plasters and endothermic coatings.
Enclosures, e.g. around ESD valves
Seals/sealants, e.g. intumescent door seals, fire-stopping
Flexible jackets, etc.

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RRC Training

24/2/2014

Fire and Explosion in The Oil and Gas

Industries

Fire and Explosion in The Oil and Gas

Industries
Fixed Water and Foam-Based Fire Protection Systems
comprise:

Active Fire Protection (AFP), e.g.

A fire-water source
Fixed sprinkler or deluge systems, using water,
foam

A fire-water pump

Portable fire extinguishers

Fire-water mains (dry or wet)

Discharge point sprinkler heads, open heads (deluge)
monitors, hoses
Fixed foam-based installations basically same as water
except a foam concentrate is injected into the water system

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Fire and Explosion in The Oil and Gas

Industries
Water systems
Work by cooling a fire

Foam systems
work by smothering a fire

Can be dangerous used on

HC fires

Can be effective with HC

pool fires but not jet fires

Fire and Explosion in The Oil and Gas

Industries
Deluge systems are used for:
General protection of an area
Specific protection (cooling) of, e.g. critical vessels
Water curtains, e.g. protecting an escape route

Common types of water and foam based AFPs are:

NB Use large amounts of water !
Sprinkler systems
Deluge systems
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RRC Training

24/2/2014

Fire and Explosion in The Oil and Gas

Industries
Water-Mist Systems used as alternative to gaseous
inerting systems. Very fine mists effective on most types
of fire, including flammable liquids

Fire and Explosion in The Oil and Gas

Industries
Dry Chemical-Based Fire Protection Systems
Fixed or portable

Monitors (fixed or portable)

like a water/foam cannon
Hoses (fixed or portable)
connect to fire water mains

Can be used on most fires, including HCs

Work by smothering the fire
Danger of re-ignition

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RRC Training

Fire and Explosion in The Oil and Gas

Industries
Gaseous Inerting Extinguishing Systems
CO2 and Argonite used for, e.g. electrical, comms, machine
rooms.
Less mess/damage than water, foam and dry powder

Fire and Explosion in The Oil and Gas

Industries
Mobile/Portable Equipment
Portable extinguishers:

Foam
Water
Carbon dioxide
Dry powder

Work by smothering fire

Danger of suffocation of personnel if not evacuated
Portable hoses and monitors (attach to fire water mains)

Used where water based systems unsuitable (risk of

electrocution)
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24/2/2014

Fire and Explosion in The Oil and Gas

Industries

Fire and Explosion in The Oil and Gas

Industries
Specific examples of fire protection measures that might be applied:

Look at some examples of protection systems

Example

Fire Protection Measures

NB, use in addition to good design features such as:

Fixed roof tanks

foam injection (overhead or

sub-surface); water deluge
sprays for cooling.
Fixed foam installations
(around rim seal). Monitors
and water cooling sprays also
used
Gas leak detection; overhead
foam deluge; foam monitors
and water hoses/hydrants

bunding around tanks

pressure relief systems

Floating roof tanks

over-filling alarms
siting (separation and spacing)

Process modules

emergency shut-off devices

control of ignition sources
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RRC Training

Fire and Explosion in The Oil and Gas

Industries

Emergency Response
A 3-part strategy to prevent major accidents:

Example
Spheres

Fire Protection Measures

Gas leak detection; spray-on
passive protection on
structures and supports; water
deluge and monitors for
cooling
Gas turbines and compressors Gas leak detection; enclosure
in fire-resisting shell; fixed
water mist or CO2 sprinkler
installations

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Identification of an installation as a major

hazard installation

Prevention and control

Mitigation emergency planning

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24/2/2014

Emergency Response
Emergency Response

The ERP will consider:

Role and Importance of Emergency Response Plan (ERP)

Specific foreseeable emergency situations

Communicates to all parties what action to take,

responsibilities, resources, etc.

The organisational roles, authority, responsibilities and expertise

Demonstrates forward thinking

The emergency response actions / procedures may need to

coordinate with other connected installations)

Documentary evidence or preparedness for regulator (may

be a legal requirement too!)

Sufficient resource provision (including external services)

Evacuation procedures

Prompt action separates incidents from catastrophes

Communications (may have to consult with regulators, etc.)

Needs to be specific to the installation

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Training for personnel and drills to test the emergency plan

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Emergency Response
Emergency Response
Fire and Explosion Strategy (FES)
(the record of a specific fire and explosion risk assessment, which
feeds into ERP)

Alarms

FES would consider, e.g. :

Automatic vs. manually operated (call points)

Foreseeable fires/explosions

Can be incorporated into fixed fire-water installations

Likelihood of occurrence and likely severity (depends on e.g.

location, nature of fuel, handling, complexity)

Fire and gas detection systems can also initiate alarms

and control actions

Human factors (behaviour in a fire)

Audible and/or visual warning

Installation remoteness, etc.

Most appropriate fire prevention/control/mitigation measures
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Emergency Response

Emergency Response

ALARMS
Alarm type

Primary

Supplementary

Muster

Intermittent signal of
constant frequency

Flashing yellow

Prepare to
abandon

Continuous signal of
variable frequency

Flashing yellow

Toxic

Continuous signal of
variable frequency

Flashing red in
affected area

Offshore installations also commonly have

status lights:
Green - normal operation
Yellow - indicates low level alert gas
Red - indicates high level alert gas
Blue - indicates abandon platform

Primary alarm is audible, supplementary (in very noisy areas) is visual

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RRC Training

Emergency Response

Emergency Response

Medical Emergency Planning should consider:

Levels 1 & 2 First-aid

The range of likely medical emergencies

An adequate number of trained first-aiders.

The personnel level of training, numbers needed

First aid equipment

First-aid kits, specialist treatments; recovery room; (AEDs)

The need to transport/evacuate to off-site medical facilities

Proportionate, tiered response for on-site provision:
Level
1
2
3

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Description
Basic first-aid provision
Advanced first-aid provision
Medics/paramedics with remote support from other
medical professionals

Level 3 typically
Medics/paramedics capable of administering drugs,
advanced wound treatments, etc.
Some equipped with extensive facilities such as X-ray, and
staffed by nurses and medics

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24/2/2014

Emergency Response
Emergency Response

Principles of Escape, Evacuation and Rescue (EER)

Medical Evacuation and Back-up

Escape routes should be:

Procedures need to consider:

Wide enough (at least 1 metre wide)

Health risk to the patient urgency of transfer and

risks associated with this. Needs medical assessment.

Sufficient in number (including alternative routes)

Scale of the emergency single vs. multiple

casualties
Resources needed and available vehicles and
accompanying personnel (first aiders)

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Emergency Response

Emergency Response

Protected against the effects of

fire/explosion

Evacuation Off Site (in case of off-shore installation)

Clearly designated and illuminated

Primary method normal non-emergency method, e.g. ship

Maintained clear of obstructions.

All doors should open in the direction
of travel

Secondary method backup if primary not available, e.g.

lifeboat, situated close to temporary refuge. Allow at least
50% spare lifeboat capacity

Lead to muster points or temporary

refuges

Tertiary methods final options; personal equipment

lifejackets, life rafts and survival suits

Evacuation off-site if incident

escalates
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24/2/2014

Emergency Response

Emergency Response

Recovery and Rescue

Roles and Operation of Fire Teams

Recovery from the sea will be required when, for example:

Have specific responsibilities to fight fire and respond in

emergencies (search & rescue, first aid, etc.)

A tertiary evacuation method has been used

Also called Emergency Response Team (ERT)
A helicopter has had to ditch into the sea
Someone has fallen into the sea (overboard) from the
installation

On-shore Major hazard installations tend to adopt

command structure similar to the fire brigade with IC
and MC

Certain secondary evacuation methods have been used,

such as assistance for survival craft

Off-shore OIM is in charge

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Emergency Response
Typical onshore installation roles in emergencies:
Incident controller (IC) will:
Determine if an incident (of which they have been notified)
is serious (or likely to be)
If serious, will initiate emergency plan
Assume some main controller (MC) responsibilities, if MC
absent, e.g. ensure alert external emergency services

Emergency Response
Main controller (MC) has overall responsibility.
Reviews incident continually as it develops (keeps records
of events and decisions made, and preserves evidence)
Ensures injured people treated quickly and welfare needs
addressed
Liaises with external agencies
Traffic control

Co-ordinate incident response activities, e.g. search &

rescue, fire fighting

Deal with the media

Establish and maintain comms (with MC in ECC, etc.)

Post incident recovery and clean-up

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24/2/2014

Emergency Response
Offshore command structure
OIM is in overall charge, assisted by:

2 on-scene commanders (one from drilling; one from

process)
A permit controller
A radio operator
An offshore installation supervisor (OIS)

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Emergency Response
This team will have direct contact with onshore and the
coastguard, especially important offshore are:
Monitoring the weather conditions
Monitoring the position of the standby boat
Maintaining communications with the fire teams in
action

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Emergency Response

Emergency Response

Training and Drills

Examples of specialist training, depending on role:

Basic instruction (all personnel):

Role
Fire team

Raising the alarm

Evacuation routes

MCs, ICs, OIMs, OISs

Where to muster

Control room operators

Use of life-saving equipment and basic first-aid

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Helideck crews

Training to cover e.g.

fire behaviour, fire fighting
techniques, BA, search &
rescue, comms
accident analysis, decision
making, evidence recording etc
Radio operation in emergencies
(mayday calls, etc.)
Specialist helideck emergency
training

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24/2/2014

Emergency Response

Emergency Response

Refresher training needed to maintain competence

Liaison with External Support Agencies, e.g.

Drills needed to check people WILL respond as trained

Table-top drills help with problem solving

Practical exercises involve personnel in mock incident
Drills carried out every 7 days

Fire brigade
Ambulance and air ambulance
Coast guard
Police
Local authorities
Health authorities
EHS regulatory authorities
Utility services (gas, water, electricity, telephone)

Major exercise every 2 3 months

Some resources may be pooled (shared) among sites.

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