nitrogen hazards

8/3/2019 Nitrogen Hazards

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Nitrogen!Discovered in 1772,

nitrogen is non-detectableby any of the human senses

(no smell, no taste, invisible, no sound, nofeeling).

Nitrogen is non-flammableand weighs approximately the same

as air.

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THE QUESTION AGAIN

WHAT IS NITROGEN?

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Composition of Air

Component Symbol Volume

Nitrogen N2 78.084%

99.998%Oxygen O2 20.947%

Argon Ar 0.934%

Carbon Dioxide CO2

0.033%

Neon Ne 18.2 parts per million

Helium He 5.2 parts per million

Krypton Kr 1.1 parts per million

Sulfur dioxide SO2 1.0 parts per million

Methane CH4 2.0 parts per million

Hydrogen H2 0.5 parts per million

Nitrous Oxide N2O 0.5 parts per million

Xenon Xe 0.09 parts per million

Ozone O3 0.07 parts per million

Nitrogen dioxide NO2 0.02 parts per million

Iodine I2 0.01 parts per million

Carbon monoxide CO trace

Ammonia NH3 [email protected] 9


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"While nitrogen is a major component of air webreathe and is not toxic,

we should NEVER assume it's safe"

"Nitrogen does (repeat) not support life,

and when nitrogen displaces the oxygen we breathe,

it can prove very deadly.

Since nitrogen is odorless and colorless, our senses

provide no protection against nitrogen-enriched

atmospheres.Good safety management practices are essential if we

are to avoid nitrogen-related

deaths and injuries."



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78.084%

, .

.

,

. ,



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Nitrogen is an inert gas, which means

that it does not react with other chemicals under

most normal circumstances.Nitrogen is often used in industries to displace other gases that aremainly

fire or explosion hazards, thus

making processes safer.

Using nitrogen to remove oxygen from process

equipment decreases the chances of a fire or explosion,

but

it also can make the atmosphere- in and around the equipmenthazardous for humans to breathe.

If anybody breathes Nitrogen,

he is asphyxiated- RESULT: POSSIBLE DEATH-certain death



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A number of nitrogen asphyxiation

incidents have occurred in the past

decade.Findings from a study done by Chemical Safety Board (CSB), USA,

included the following:

85 incidents occurred in the past decade that

resulted in an average ofeight deaths and five injuries

each year.

Causes of the incidents included personnel not

knowing they were entering an oxygen depletedenvironment or not realizing that the environment had

changed, and also mistaking nitrogen gas for

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Causes Contd.

Almost half the incidents and

more than 60 percent of the

fatalities involved contractors,

including construction workers; A number of deaths were

caused by personnel attemptingrescue without proper training and

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Our concentration, thinking and decision-making

are impaired when the oxygen concentration

falls even slightly below this norm.These effects are not noticeable to the affected

individual.



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If the oxygen concentration in air decreases or,

if the concentration of any other gases increase,

a situation is rapidly reached where the risks of asphyxiation isvery significant.

For this reason any depletion of oxygen below 20.9 % must be

treated with great concern:

( ,

, ) 20.9%

( )



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Oxygen

Content

(Volume %)

Effects ofvarious Oxygen concentration and their Symptoms 23.5 Maximum Safe Level OSHA Occupation Safety & Health Administration, USA - 20.9

Normal O2 level in air- 19.5 Minimum permissible O2 level -- 17

A candle is extinguished. Vision may be impaired. , ( - )

12 16Labored breathing, increased heart rate. Lack of attention and coordination. ,

, ,

11 14Unable to think. No longer perceives danger. Ability to self-rescue is impaired. Fatigue, injury to heart, fainting.

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8 11

Fainting without warning. Nausea, vomiting, unable to stand, walk or crawl. Person is dying but does not care. It's all

quite painless. , , , , () , ,

6 - 88 minutes 100%

fatal, 6 minutes50%probably

fatality rate

Faint almost immediately, heart may continue beating for a few minutes, resuscitation possible if

immediate. , , , , 8 100%. 6

50%

0 - 6

Fainting, coma in 40 second, convulsions, respiratory arrest, death. Brain damage even if

resuscitated., 40 , , , /



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The Real incident -1:

Two workers at a Union Carbide plant inLouisiana were inspecting a flange surface on a48 diameter pipe using a black light to detect

residual organic chemicals. They draped blackplastic over the end of the pipe to create shade

so the black light would illuminate surfacedeposits.

The workers were unaware that some 50mtr.away, N2 was being injected into the system to

protect new catalyst from exposure to [email protected] 24


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When the two men entered the black cover, they quicklylost consciousness from lack of oxygen. A passerbynoticed an arm sticking out from the plastic and

immediately called for help.

The Real incident



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One man died, and the other was seriously injured.

Incidentally, one of the victims had helped start the N2

purge on the system the day before.

The Real incident(continued): :



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In the early morning hours of his shift, a BP refineryemployee was performing a gas test at the topmanhole of a reactor while the equipment wasbeing purged with N2, for catalyst unloading.

The employee was found dead in the bottom of thereactor vessel. The N2 purge had reduced theoxygen concentration near the manhole todangerously low levels.

The Real incident - 2 :



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While it is widely known that exposure to excessive

amounts of N2 inside purged equipment can resultin swift death, the fact that people- can be equallyaffected - while standing near openings of N2purged equipment may be less understood. This

situation must not be underestimated!

Confined Space Fatality:



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NITROGEN - Friend or Foe?

Our success working around Nitrogen will have much todo with the way we treat Nitrogen. It is considered non-hazardous, it is listed as another utilities on some sites,thus we can often be lulled into a false sense of securityand complacency. As a gas, nitrogen is a silent-killer

(as noted by the effects on the body due to a lack ofadequate ventilation).

Because of the many recent Nitrogen exposures incidents

in the chemical industry, we want to ensure that everyoneunderstands the hazards and effects of exposure.



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1. Valero Refinery.

2. Dangers of confined spaces

oxygen deficient atmosphere



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A good Safety Management

can reduce Nitrogen related injuriesand deaths



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What Makes Us Breathe?Breathing is stimulated and controlled by carbon

dioxide (CO2) present in the lungs.

As the CO2 level increases, the brain sends a

message to increase respiration.

When the CO2 level drops, the rate of respiration

will also decrease in order to maintain the properbalance.



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Everyone should understand that

onedeep breath of 100% N2willbe fatal.

100% N2will displace CO2and O2completely.

And, in the absence of a CO2

signal to the brain, the stimulus tobreath no longer exists!

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First-Aid Measures

Nitrogen Inhalation:

Call for help and remove victims to fresh air asquickly as possible. BUT: make sure, YOU areprotected !

Obtain help from trained personnel immediately.

If not breathing, trained personnel should administersupplemental oxygen and/or cardio-pulmonaryresuscitation (CPR), if necessary.



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Good Safety management Includes

(but not limited to):

Identified / color coded lines. Trained manpower where nitrogen is used.

Highest level of alertness

Leak proofing the systems

Immediate corrective action even if smallest leak Periodic preventive Leakage test

Workplace monitoring oxygen level sensors

Concern for others

Emergency preparedness -

No emotional rushing to help exposed person

without proper safety (SCBA)



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Inhalation of a Nitrogen enrichedatmosphere (i.e.: loss of oxygen)

may cause dizziness,drowsiness, nausea, vomiting,excess salivation, diminished mental

alertness, loss of consciousness, andultimately: death



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nitrogen hazards

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