Risk Assessment of Rotating Equipment by Using HIRA Methodology

Abstract

My study focuses on risk assessment of rotating equipment by using HIRA (Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment) methodology at Poly Propylene, High Density Poly Ethylene and Linear Low Density Poly Ethylene plant in Haldia Petrochemicals Limited. In this project, after investigating the different activities and processes of the plant, potential harmful factors are initially identified. These potential harmful factors may be called as a Hazard. Hazard is an inherent property of a substance, agent, a source of energy or a situation having the potential to cause undesirable consequence or accident, property damage. Several types of mechanical hazards exist in rotating parts of the machine like crushed by or drawn into equipment, struck by moving parts or entanglement in rotating parts, noise, vibration and heat. Afterwards, the identified risk factors were assessed and classified regarding the severity and probability of occurrence, by using Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA) methodology. Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment is a systematic method of identifying hazards involved in all work activities and evaluating the magnitude of risk and deciding whether the risk level is an acceptable or tolerable limit as per safety standard in HPL.
To reduce those identified risk level, guarding must be installed on the rotating parts of the machine, point of operation (where work is performed on the material i.e. cutting, boring, shaping), electric power transmission (gears, chain, pulley, cams, shaft), operation control, other parts (feed mechanism, auxiliary moving parts, reverse and transverse moving parts). Basically, four types of guarding are used in industrial purpose i.e.1) Fixed guard 2) Interlocked guard 3) Adjusting guard 4) Self-adjusting guards.