Instrumentation Reference Book, 4th Edition

43.10. Process and Plant Control

43.10.1. Additional Hazards in Chemical Plants

Although the equipment mentioned in previous sections is often required to operate in hostile environments involving salt spray, dust, humidity, etc., the atmosphere which envelopes it is generally inert. In contrast, many chemical plants handle corrosive, toxic, flammable, or explosive substances, and any design for reliability must tackle these extra hazards. This affects two system areas, first, the major plant activity which usually involves transporting liquid or gaseous materials around the plant while it undergoes various processes. The probability of various modes of failure must be examined and appropriate methods devised to counteract them. This often involves ...