Pressurised & Relief Systems

The UK Health & Safety Executive (HSE) offers guidance on Pressure Systems and Equipment and highlight the following hazards associated with these systems:

  • Impact from the blast of an explosion or release of compressed liquid or gas
  • Impact from parts of equipment that fail or any flying debris
  • Contact with the released liquid or gas, such as steam
  • Fire resulting from the escape of flammable liquids or gases

Guidance on Relief/Vent systems including the following principles is available here:

In all cases, relief devices must be selected and located to minimise disturbance to plant and environment;

Relief devices must not be isolated from equipment they protect while the equipment is in use;

The discharge from a relief device should pass to a safe location which may be:

  • A dump tank;
  • Upstream in the process;
  • A storage tank;
  • A quench vessel or tower;
  • A sewer;
  • The atmosphere;
  • A knockout drum;
  • A scrubber;
  • An incinerator;
  • A flare stack.

This topic relates to the following PSM elements:

Asset Integrity

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