EMERGENCY KIT FOR CHLORINE CONTAINERS (TONNER/ CYLINDER)

SAFETY IN STORAGE & HANDLING OF CHLORINEEr. BK Panda

OHS ProfessionalUSES

Chlorine is used extensively to purify water, treat domestic and industrial wastes, and to control odor, corrosion and biological fouling. It is an intermediate in the production of many products: vitamins, medicines, plastics, refrigerants, solvents, synthetic rubbers, gasoline, insecticides and herbicides. Chlorine and hypochlorites are also widely used as bleaching agents in the textile and paper industries.

PROPERTIES

Chorine exists in either gaseous or liquefied form.

It is neither an explosives nor flammable but is capable of supporting combustion of certain substances.

Gaseous chlorine has a characteristic (pungent and irritating) odour and a greenish yellow colour.

As it is about 2 times as heavy as air, it settles lowest level in the area where it is leaked.

Liquefied chlorine is clear, amber in colour and about 1 times as heavy as water.

At atmospheric pressure, it boils at 340C (-290F) and freezes at 1000C (-1490F).

One volume of liquefied chlorine expands to about 460 volumes of chlorine gas.

Dry chlorine is not corrosive to metals but highly corrosive when moisture or organic substances are present.

HAZARDS

Health:

Chlorine is corrosive and inhalation of chlorine can cause serious respiratory injury or death. Always wear skin and breathing protection if there is any risk of exposure. Chlorine reacts with moisture in the body or environment to form corrosive acids.

Fire:

Chlorine will support combustion, though it is neither explosive nor flammable.

Chemical Action:

Chlorine reacts with many substances.

Corrosive Action:

In the presence of moisture, will form hydrochloric acids, which are highly corrosive and will attack metals. Thus it is essential that chlorine and all associated equipment be kept free of moisture.

STORAGE

If chlorine is to be used, it is necessary to provide adequate unloading and storage facilities. All storage, handling and use areas should be designed so that personnel can quickly escape in emergencies. It is essential to provide at least two means of exit. Doors should open out, with crash bars and lead to outside galleries, platforms, fire escapes or other unobstructed areas.

1. Storage location must be cool, dry, well ventilated and away from heat and weather.

2. Chlorine must always be stored above ground; chlorine gas is heavier than air, making below grade storage extremely hazardous, because leaking gas will collect if there are no ground level escape routes.

3. Store chlorine cylinders upright and secure them with chain so they cannot fall.

4. Ton containers should be stored lying on trundles or wedged with rails or blocks so that they cannot roll freely. It is important, however, that ton containers can be easily freed and rolled in the event of an emergency.

5. Keep enough room between containers so that all are accessible in case of a leak.

6. Do not store chlorine containers with explosives, finely divided metals (e.g. iron filings or aluminium particles or other flammable materials).

7. Full and empty cylinders should be stored separately to avoid confusion that may lead to an accident.

8. Protective covers for valves should always be secured in place, even when the cylinders are empty.

TRANSPORTATION OF CHLORINE

Owners, suppliers and operating personnel have a responsibility to protect human health and the environment during transporting of hazardous chemicals such as chlorine. For safe transportation the following are suggested:

Cylinders and ton containers should be loaded and unloaded with care. They must be restrained in place and must never be dropped or banged against one another.

Transport vehicles should be well marked and placarded to warn people that hazardous material is being transported. It can cause death if leakage occurs.

Avoid transporting chlorine through congested roads or city streets. Where this is not possible, arrange to transport chlorine early in the morning or late at night when traffic is at a minimum. Travel routes should be planned in advance and not left to the drivers discretion. This will also facilitate vehicle location in an emergency situation.

Escort vehicle should be used ahead and behind the chlorine carrying truck.

Protective equipment and other emergency gear should accompany personnel involved in the transportation of chlorine. This equipment must include, among other items, respirators, personal protective equipments and an alkali absorption substance (Caustic soda or soda ash).

If a leak develops in transit the shipment should immediately proceed to its destination or return to the supplier, whichever is nearer. Keeping the vehicle moving will prevent accumulation of high concentration of gas. At the earliest opportunity, the emergency, the emergency response team must be contacted.

HANDLING CONTAINERS

Employee training should emphasize safe handling of chlorine containers.

Handle all containers as though they are full.

Cylinders should be transported on a properly balanced hand truck having a clamp or support at least two thirds of the way up the cylinder.

When it is necessary to raise a cylinder, use a crane or hoist equipped with a cradle or carrier. Rope slings, chains or magnetic devices should never be used to lift a cylinder.

Never lift a cylinder by its valve protection hood.

Ton containers should be handled with a suitable lifting bar and hoist or crane having at least two metric ton capacity.

Cylinder should never be used as rollers to move other objects.

Never temper or apply heat to fusible plugs.

Dont force badly fitting connections. Correct valve wrench should always be used for opening and closing valves.

Always close the container valve when the container empties to prevent liquid from being back into the container.

Block off the open end of the transfer line before changing containers to prevent moisture from entering the system.

Never use oil or lubricant on container valve.

Ton containers should be positioned in special trunions (or otherwise restrained from moving) while being unloaded to process.

Connections for unloading should be made to the upper valve of a ton container if gas withdrawal is desired and to the lower valve if liquefied chlorine is called for.

A properly balanced hand truck with safety strap and preferably with rubber tires is the ideal way to move chlorine cylinders.

A beam equipped with hooks to grip the edges of the tank is one recommended method for safely moving a container.

A proper chlorine wrench is the only tool which should be used on valves. Using a pipe wrench or hammer on valve will often result in an accident.

USEFUL GUIDELINES FOR EMERGENCY KIT FOR CHLORINE CONTAINERS (TONNER/ CYLINDER)

1. Minimum two trained persons should attend the leak.

2. Trained personnel must wear safety appliances like canister gas mask or airline respirator before attending the leakages.

3. To detect the leak, use ammonia torch, hold it near suspected area, white clould will be formed near the leakage.

4. Always stand in the opposite direction of the wind for attending the leakages.

5. Process personnel handling chlorine tonners/ cylinders should be familiar with spanners and other tools, so that in emergency, time is not wasted in finding correct spanners and tools.

6. Always keep the emergency kit at a fixed place.

7. After every use, make sure that parts are placed again in the emergency box after cleaning.

8. Check periodically the tools kept in the kit from the list attached and a responsible person must sign the same. Missing tools must be replaced immediately.

9. All chlorine consumers, irrespective of quantity consumed, should have emergency kit handy and in proper working condition at all times.

10. Last but not least, chlorine is a god friend if handle properly but worst enemy if handle badly.

DISPOSAL OF CHLORINE

After stopping the leak, important task is to dispose off the chlorine remaining in the cylinder/ tonner. If possible the remaining chlorine should be immediately used in consumers process.

If consumers process doesnt permit more consumption of remaining chlorine, it may be passed in the solution of dilute caustic soda or soda ash. For your ready reference each 100kg of chlorine to be absorbed require 125kg of caustic soda dissolved in 360ltr of water or 300kg of soda ash dissolved in 850ltrs of water. The absorption of chlorine gas depends upon the concentration of the liquid and mass contact. As a guideline the rate of chlorine should be kept in such a way that no unabsorbed chlorine comes out from the neutralization system.

USE OF SAFETY EQUIPMENTS

Kit is provided with some personal safety equipment which should be used in normal course of handling chlorine as well as in emergency.

PVC apron can protect against splash in case of liquid chlorine and keeps the clothes clean.

PVC hand gloves protect naked hands.

Gas tight rubber goggles seal the eyes of persons in chlorine atmosphere.

Canister Gas Mask

Self contained breathing apparatus

This is one of important parts of kit. It can within its limits help to attend chlorine atmosphere by providing fresh chlorine free air to attendant. Persons attending the leak should wear rubber mask securely on face. Chlorine canister provided with belt to be worn as shown Fig. No. 8 and the mask to be connected to canister by corrugated rubber tube.

When ready with canister and gas mask on face remove the sticker type seal at the bottom of canister. This arrangement will provide fresh air with chlorine absorbed in canister to the attendant.

Please note canister has limitation depending upon concentration of chlorine.

Fresh Airline Respirator

This equipment is very ideal to work for long time in chlorine atmosphere because it provides fresh air to attend from remote supply of air.

ONCE AGAIN MENTIONED THAT REGULAR DRILLS OF USING THE KIT WILL HELP THE ATTENDANT TO STOP THE LEAKAGE IN VERY SHORT TIME WHICH IS VERY ESSENTIAL.