Health and Safety

Executive

Over-pressure protection:
HSE’s position
Managing over-pressure protection

HSE’s job is to prevent people being killed,

injured or made ill by work.

“Those who create the risk are best placed

to manage it.”
Managing over-pressure protection

Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974

• ‘the duty of every employer to ensure … the
health, safety and welfare at work of all his
employees’
• ‘the provision and maintenance of plant and
systems of work that are … safe and without
risks to health’
Managing over-pressure protection

Pressure relief devices are the last line of

defence.
• PSV
– inadequate sizing (Grangemouth, 1987)
– recent survey 4% failed to lift
• Bursting disc
– Gas releases through unrevealed
rupture
Managing over-pressure protection

Heat Exch. HP Flare

Drum

gas
seawater
Managing over-pressure protection

Multiple failures observed

pressure
4 barg liquid @+40m
disc failure

tell-tail blocked no level indication

PAH no alarm
above LSH
LSH ESD
Heat Exch. HP Flare does not
Drum trip
seawater
gas ESDV not tight pumps
shut-off
seawater
Managing over-pressure protection

Relevant regulations:
• ‘identify hazards and assess risks’
(Management of Health and Safety at Work Regs,
1999)

• ‘maintained in an efficient state, in efficient

working order and in good repair’
(Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regs, 1998)
Managing over-pressure protection

Offshore regulations:
• ‘prevent the uncontrolled release of flammable
substances’ (Prevention of Fire and Explosion, and
Emergency Response Regs, 1995)

• ‘identification of safety critical elements and a

verification scheme’ (Safety Case Regs, 2005)
Managing over-pressure protection

Onshore regulations:
• ‘pressure system… shall be properly designed
and constructed… so as to prevent danger’
(Pressure Systems Safety Regs, 2000)

• ‘a written scheme for periodic examination’

including ‘all protective devices’ (PSSR, 2000)
Managing over-pressure protection

Summary, over-pressure systems:

• responsibility of ‘risk creator’;
• identify hazards & assess risks;
• appropriate design & construction;
• maintain in working order and good repair;
• examination or verification scheme to address
condition.
Health and Safety
Executive

Managing over-pressure
protection: HSE’s view