The Offshore Market Needs to Wake Up To The Regulatory Limitations of Blast and Fire Post Blast Resistant Walls, Doors and Windows, Warns InterDam
InterDam, supplier of fire and blast resistant walls, doors and windows, is warning the Upstream and Downstream market that the current regulations covering these two areas while adequate, if viewed in isolation, do not consider the possible consequences of a blast followed by fire which recent studies have revealed happens in over 50% of cases.
"Currently there are no regulations covering a fire outbreak in a post blast situation so manufacturers tend to supply products that can either withstand a blast or are resistant to fire but not both consecutively," said Berend Groeneveld, MD of InterDam.
"We are the first company to test our products to withstand not only the impact of a blast but also an immediate fire outbreak as it is important that employees are kept safe and have time to implement appropriate fire procedures like switching off vulnerable equipment."
"It is no good surviving a blast only to be burned alive in a fire caused by the explosion," he added.
InterDam knows the major operators like Shell, BP and Chevron take safety extremely seriously and so is working hard to educate other operators, regulators and certification bodies about the importance of having architectural products capable of withstanding a blast and fire post an explosion.
The company has already tested its G21 blast panel Generation V's fire resistance following a 0.25 bar overpressure blast test. The panel achieved a fire post blast rating of H120 and EI240 (H240) following exposure to a hydrocarbon fire for 240 minutes without showing signs of deterioration in performance.
Similarly, its G21 Blast Door is now officially tested following a blast of up to 0.56 bar, followed by a fire, achieving a fire post blast rating of A60, EI60 and E240.
Its G21 blast window can withstand a 0.3 bar blast followed by a post blast fire achieving a fire post blast rating of A60, EI60.
So InterDam is leading the market by setting these new best practises and Mr Groeneveld will be presenting a technical paper on the subject during the Gastech exhibition on 6th April in Japan showing his commitment towards pushing the industry towards raising standards in this area, by introducing an upgraded categorization matrix for blast and fire resistant doors.
InterDam's operating philosophy is 'How Safe Can you be.' and it uses this mantra when developing and designing its products showing its commitment to safeguarding people and equipment used in hazardous environments.Posted On:8-Mar-2017
Credits: www.hellenicshippingnews.com |
