The Possibilities of Simultaneous Operation (SIMOPs) and Practicality of Positive Pressure Habitat in a Hazardous Industry: Where Process Safety Meets Occupational Hygiene

High risk industrial facilities require operational shutdowns to undertake maintenance activities when the interaction between maintenance activities and facility processes are potentially explosive. This study presents a model that circumvents this interaction thereby enabling simultaneous operations flammable hydrocarbon facility while hot work progresses. A mixed study in which qualitative data on Simultaneous Operation (SIMOPs) of a hydrocarbon facility, hot work and deployment of Positive Pressure Habitat were generated through a walk-through survey. Quantitative data on the exposures within and around the hot work activities were generated using air quality monitor to measure the concentration of welding particulates, portable ozone meter used to measure the ozone level, sound level meter to measure ambient noise level, personal noise dosimeter to measure personal noise level, Multi-gas Meter. While concentrations of chemical parameter, temperature, relative humidity, habitat pressure were not in exceedance of exposure limits; the average noise level and particulate matter (PM) 2.5 within the habitat were 87 – dB(A) and 65 µg/m3 respectively. The exceedances in noise and PM2.5 level was mitigated using hearing protection, respirator and local exhaust ventilation (LEV). A simultaneous operation involving live hydrocarbon facility and hot works was achieved using the Positive Pressure Habitat (PPH) as a buffer between flammable work environment and thermal energy emitted from hot work activities. Chemical pollutants were introduced by maintenance activities within the habitat but was however mitigated through occupational hygiene measures. This study validates the possibility of simultaneous operation in the event of two mutually explosive scenarios with the aid of process safety equipment’s and occupational hygiene measurements and control measures. Globally, downtimes in high risk industries occasioned by maintenance activities could be prevented by deploying process safety and occupational hygiene control strategies concurrently.