Chemical Process Safety: Fundamentals with Applications, Third Edition

Chapter 7. Concepts to Prevent Fires and Explosions

A threefold strategy is used to prevent or limit the potential damage from fires and explosions: prevent flammable mixture, prevent the initiation of the fire or explosion, and minimize the damage after a fire or explosion has occurred. This strategy is presented in this chapter. The specific topics include

• Inerting

• Use of the flammability diagram introduced in Chapter 6

• Static electricity

• Controlling static electricity

• Ventilation

• Explosion-proof equipment and instruments

• Sprinkler systems

• Miscellaneous design features for preventing fires and explosions

For any fire or combustion explosion to occur, three conditions must be met (as shown in the fire triangle of Figure 6-1