Safety aspects of operation & Maintenance in the

boiler area & precautions to avoid accident in boiler

area

Prepared by

Er.Naveen Malhotra
Why Health Safety & Environment Essential
in Thermal Plant
World over there are
2 Occupational Fatalities per Minute
475 Occupational Injuries per Minute
300 Occupational Diseases per Minute
What is Occupational health , hazard &
Occupational Diseases
Occupational health
Refers to the potential risks to health and safety
for those who work outside the home.
Hazard
 Something that can cause harm if not
controlled
Occupational disease
Disease directly caused by a person’s occupation
Types Of Occupational Hazards
Physical hazards
Heat
NOISE
VIBRATION
ILLUMINATION
RADIATION
Chemical
Biological
Mechanical-electrical
Psychosocial
 Effects of Heat
Direct Effects of Heat
Burns
Heat Exhaustion
Heat Cramps
Heat Stroke
Indirect Effects of Heat Are
Decreased Efficiency
Increased Accident
Enhanced Accident Rates
Heat Cramps
Heat Exhaustion
 Heat Syncope( Fainting)
Heat Syncope is falling
unconscious because of too much
exposure to high temperatures.
 Safety against Heat
Increasing air changes
Reducing radiated heat by insulation
Reflection of heat
Drinking plenty of water and intake of
salt
Use of personal protective equipments
 Effects of Noise & Vibrations
Heavy Industrial noise & vibration can
result in deafness
Non auditory effects are irritation,
nervousness, annoyance , fatigue,
inefficiency etc.
Hearing loss in most cases is not sudden
but increases with length of work time in
noisy zone
Types of Noise Induced Hear Loss
Temporary Auditory Shift is
temporary loss of hearing after
exposure to loud noise. Recovery
occurs within 16-48 Hrs
Permanent Threshold Shift is
irreversible loss of hearing
 How to Control Noise
Noise Can be controlled by
Reducing Vibrations
Enclosing the Vibration producing
equipment
Enclosing the operator
Moving away from noisy area.
Use of personal protective equipments
Effects of Vibrations on Body
Fatigue
Irritability
Headache
Disorders of Spine
 Vibration Control Techniques
Continuous Working in High
Vibration Area should be avoided.
Anti Vibration Tools should be used.
Anti Vibration Gloves should be used.
Use Safe Working Practices
Educate Employees.
Effects of Inadequate Illumination
Visual Fatigue
Eye Pain
Headaches
Painful Irritations
Lacrimation( Flow of Tears)
Effects of Excessive Illumination
Blurring Vision
Discomfort Annoyance
 Radiation
Radiation is defined as emission &
propagation of Energy through space or
substance in the form of waves or particles.
Radiation are of two types
Non Ionizing Radiation like Ultraviolet
Radiation produced during Arc Welding
Ionizing Radiation like X Rays produced
during Radiography.
 Effects of Radiation
A. Non ionizing (Ultraviolet) Radiation hazard-
Seen in work with arc welding and mainly affects the eyes.
Exposure to such radiation may lead to Conjunctivitis and
Keratitis( Welder’ s flash)
B. Ionizing radiation hazards[X room/ CT]
Anemia
Leukemia
Cancer
Ulceration
In extreme cases death can take place
 Chemicals Hazards
Chemical Hazards
Chemical hazards –
1. Dust
2. Smoke
3. Fumes
4. Poisonous gases
5. Acids
6. Alkalis
 Chemical Hazards
Chemical Hazards
They enter our body through
Skin
Inhalation
Mouth
EFFECTS
Skin diseases
Lung diseases
Internal blood and other diseases
 Effects of Dust on Body
DUST
These dusts enter our body through inhalation
Respirable dust particles can enter our lung sacks and reduce
our breathing capacity since this dust settles there
Normally dust particle less than 2.5 micron only can enter in
our lung Sacks
Bigger dust particles either remain in our nose or get stuck in
throat. Then they go into stomach and get removed from our
body system in natural way.
Disease which can occur due to inhalation of coal dust is
known as pneumoconiosis” and is irreversible till person is
shifted from job.
Prevention of ill Effects of Dust
Dust control-
Reduction of dust emission by suppression by wetting
coal in wagons, at the time of tippling, water spray in
coal conveyor.
· Proper Ventilation
· Exhaust Fans.
· Enclosed apparatus
· Good house keeping
Prevention of ill Effects of Dust
Personnel protection
 Mask, clothing, apron, boots barrier cream etc
Personal hygiene
Health education about respiratory
evolvement and personal protection.
Medical control
Periodic medical check up for early detection of
disease.
 Chemical Hazards
Chemical Hazards
Smoke: inhalation of smoke which can contain
poisonous gases.
Fumes: fumes emanating from liquid chemicals can
cause illness when inhaled
Vapor: vapors of chemicals liquids are also dangerous
to our health when inhaled Vapors of hydrazine
hydrate can cause unconsciousness when inhaled
leads to suffocation and asphyxia(Reduction oxygen)
Asphyxiating gases are – CO, , SO2, Chlorine etc can
result in unconsciousness when inhaled.
 Chemical Hazards
PREVENTION
To avoid chemical accidents some points to
be kept in Mind
1. knowledge of chemicals
2. knowledge of processing plant
3. knowledge of operator
Areas Prone to Accident in Boiler Area
LDO/HFO Tank area ( Fire Due to Oil Leakage)
LDO Pump House( Fire Due to Oil Leakage)
Boiler Furnace( Furnace Blast due to clinker
formation/Cutting in oil gun in disturbed draft condition
or in case of no flame condition/Water Starvation due to
bypassing of Boiler Tripping of Drum Level Low
Air Preheaters( Fire/Rotor Stop)
Aux PRDS System ( Pressurization due to non operation of
Safety valve )
Boiler Drum/CRH/SH(Pressurization due to non operation
of Safety valve)
Areas Prone to Accident in Boiler Area
ID/FD/PA Fans Fire Due to Oil Leakage
.
Return Oil Line fire due to oil leakage
Firing Floor fire due to HFO/LDO Oil
Leakage
CD Elevation fire due to HFO leakage.
Types of Accidents that can take place in
Boiler
Furnace Blast
Fire due to oil Leakage or in APH
Skin Burns due to steam Leakage
Pressurization of
Supeheater/Reheater/Boiler Drum
Electric Shock Due to touching of naked
wires/not wearing of protective
equipments
 Furnace Blast
Furnace Blast Can occur due to sudden cutting in of
Oil Guns when Furnace Draft is in disturbed condition
or when there is no flame inside the boiler or due to
sudden falling of Big Clinker to the bottom of the
Furnace
Furnace Draft Should be maintained between -5 to -
10 mmwcl.
In case of wide fluctuation in furnace Draft Oil Guns
Should not be cut in .
 Furnace Blast
In case of poor flame , condition of Flame should be got
checked from the site & if there is flame visible in the
furnace only then Oil Guns should be cut in.
In order to avoid pressurization of the furnace all the
manholes/Peepholes should be thoroughly checked &
when Unit is running it should be ensured that all
manholes/peepholes are closed.
All points of air ingress like leakage in expansion joints
of Air –Preheater , Air Ingress from Man Hole of ESPs &
Gas Duct should be checked & brought to the notice of
Boiler Maintenance.
 Furnace Blast
Pins of Burner Tilt Mechanism should be properly engaged &
should be checked at regular intervals. Disengagement of
pins of burner tilt mechanism during operation of burner tilt
system can result in wide fluctuations in furnace draft.
It is better to trip the Unit in case there is wide fluctuation in
furnace draft & one is unsure of flame condition rather than
cutting in of oil guns thereby causing explosion in the furnace
which can be dangerous both for the plant as well for the local
staff of boiler.
Calibration of Furnace Draft Signal should be done by IMC
once a week. Further Draft should be thoroughly checked by
Operation staff particularly in 40 M & above portion of Boiler
 Clinker Formation
Clinkers resemble volcanic Ash & lava . They occur in
High Temperature furnace area of the boiler.
Clinker form as a result of interaction of Coal Quality,
boiler design & boiler operation.
Coal Clinkers form when non –combustible elements
contained in coal such as iron , calcium, silicon,
aluminum & sodium interact with sulphur & carbon at
high temperature. These elements melt tougher with
clays & alkalis to form glassy slag that eventfully
hardens into clinkers
 Clinker Formation
Clinker Formation is a complex series of mineralogical
transformation & phase changes that occur as coal
burns . Small clinkers can fuse together to form large
ones that can physically damage boilers.
Bituminous Coal rich in sulphur, iron compounds &
clay minerals tends to produce the most clinkers.
Boiler operating practices that reduce emissions of
oxides of nitrogen tend to increase the formation of
clinkers
 Clinker Formation
Failure to remove soot & other deposits, poorly
pulverized coal & improper adjustment of burner that
results in inefficient mixtures of air & fuel .
A firebox that’s too small for type of coal being fed
burned coupled with infrequent ash removal also
contributes to clinker formation.
Manhole at 8.5 M near Lower Ring Header should be
thoroughly checked at & the at the end of shift for
flame visibility. In case flame is not visible message
should be conveyed by Shift Charge Engineer to Boiler
Mtc cell.
 Clinker Formation
Proper Mixture of Air & Coal helps to reduce the
clinker formation in the furnace. At 210 MW O2 in flue
gases should be 2.8%. CO 210 MW should be
maintained between 50-200 ppm. CO & O2 analyzers
should be calibrated by IMC staff at regular intervals.
Coal Mill fineness should be strictly monitored. In
case Coal Mill Fineness is not optimum message
should be conveyed to RM-1 staff & PA Header should
be optimized.
 Clinker Formation
Soot Blowing should be done on a regular basis to avoid the
clinker formation.
Frequency of Bottom Ash Hopper clearance should be
decided depending upon the bottom ash formation in each
Unit.
Burners should be thoroughly checked & in case they are
improperly adjusted , they should be got adjusted from
Boiler Mtc.
Some additives called catalysts are available in the market
that use the moisture content inherent in the coal to increase
the temperature of combustion & thereby greatly reduce the
amount of unburnt matter that would melt to form clinkers.
 Fires in Boiler area
LDO/HFO Tank area, LDO Pump House , Firing Floor,
CD Elevation , ID/FD/PA Fans , return oil line, Air –
Preheaters are some of areas vulnerable to fires.
Boiler Mtc should replace worn out pipes of Oil during
Shutdown of the Unit
Incase of any oil leakage immediate message should be
conveyed to Boiler Mtc staff.
HFO Tank Temperature should be maintained between
70-80° C. Accordingly PRDS steam flow to Tank
should be maintained so as to maintain HFO Tank
Temperature between 70-80°C
 Fires in Boiler Area
In case of sudden oil leakage in return oil line HORV of all
the Units should be closed & HFO Pumps of all the Units
should be stopped.
Cold End Soot Blowers of Air Pre heaters should be regularly
operated to avoid the formation of soot.
Regular cleaning of Air –Preheaters should be done by Boiler
Mtc Staff to remove soot/ash deposits.
ID/FD/PA Fans should be thoroughly checked for Oil
Leakage
In case of welding in fire prone areas such as on HFO/LDO
Lines , steam Tracing Lines & near Electrical/Control cables,
ensure the presence of Fire Fighting staff & equipment
 Stoppage of Air -Preheater
In case of failure of Main Drive of Air-Preheater , Air
Motor comes into service . Sufficient Service Air
Pressure( > 3 Kgf/cm2) in order to enable smooth
operation of solenoid valve of Air Motor.
Changeover of Main Drive to Air Motors should be
checked at regular intervals during shutdown/ box up
of Units . In case of fault of solenoid valve of air motor,
bypass valve should be used to check the operation of
air Motor & message should be conveyed to C&I-2 staff
for rectifying the fault of solenoid valve.
Stoppage/Fires of Air-Preheater
During checking the operation of Air Motor It should be
got checked from site for its smooth operation , in case
there is coupling/linkage problem message should be given
to Boiler Mtc .
In case of Rotor Stop alarm comes/fire occurs on APH , the
Air Heater should be got checked from site & if it is found
rotor of Air –Preheater has stopped , Boiler should be
tripped manually & all the running Fans ID/FD Fans should
be stopped. Message should be given to Boiler Mtc. In case
of Fire in APH efforts should be made to quench the fire by
operation of system installed at site & inform the fire
fighting staff.
Emergency of Scanner Air Fan
In case of failure of both Scanner air Fan AC
& DC, Should be increased .
In case none of the Scanner Air Fans come
into service for 4 Minutes , Boiler Should be
tripped manually. Message should be
conveyed to C&I-3 Staff , all the flame
scanners should be removed by C&I-3 staff.
Emergency in Case of Coal Mill Area
Check the Hot PA Leakage from Seals of Hot Air Gate &
inform to RM-2 staff.
In case of passing in Hot air Gate/Hot air Damper message
should be conveyed to RM-2/ C&I2 .
Coal Mill Outlet Temperature should be maintained
between 75-80° C to avoid fire in the Coal Mill Area.
During Roller Adjustment of Coal Mill Hot Air Gate
should be kept closed.
During issuing the PTW to Coal Mill it should be ensured
that Hot Air Gate has closed . After stopping the Coal
Mill 6.6 KV Breaker should be raked out from Switch gear.
Miscellaneous Emergencies
In case of Heavy steam Leakage avoid direct contact
with it to avoid skin burns.
In case of Leakage of Chemicals avoid direct contact
with it .
Avoid direct contact with naked wires to avoid Electric
Shock.
While working on any auxiliary , Proper PTW should be
availed, Breaker of the auxiliary should be raked out &
Its Local Push Button should be engaged. In case of
faulty Push Button give message to EM-2 to rectify the
fault.
Dos & Don’t Of working in Boiler Area
Wear Proper Safety Shoes while working in the Boiler area.
Safety helmet should be worn by everyone working in boiler
area.
Avoid Wearing Loose Cloths particularly those working in
ID/FD/PA Fan area.
Those Working On Firing Floor should wear Apron due avoid
dust.
Civil Mtc should regularly clean the boiler .
Chief Safety Officer should regularly organize training sessions
for training in the operation of Fire Fighting Cylinders.
EMC should ensure proper lighting in various areas of the boiler.
Precautions during working in Boiler Area
1. Boiler Should be light up only after Purge over ok
comes on FSSS Desk.
2. All safety systems/Protections of Boiler Should be
kept in service & should not be bypassed.
3. If suction of ID Fans is in Open Position the Worker
should be away from the suction in order to prevent
any accident.
4. Mtc. Staff should work on High Pressure Lines/Valves
unless line/Valve is properly isolated & Pressure/
temperature has come down to safe limit.
Precautions during working in Boiler Area
5. During Light up of Boiler ensure Proper Temperature &
Pressure of HFO/LDO & Pressure of Atomizing
Steam/Service Air in order to avoid falling of unburnt Oil in
the Bottom Ash hopper which can result in fire /explosion.
6. It should be ensured that Control Valves & their bypass
valves of all the oil guns should not pass & there should not
be any oil leakage from them.
7. Whenever any abnormal sound is Coal Mill is observed &
wide fluctuation is observed in its current, it should be
immediately stopped in order to avoid further damage &
message should be conveyed to RM-1 staff
Precautions during working in Boiler Area
8. In case of leakage is observed in
Economizer/Superheater/Reheater Area of the boiler
& is on higher side , Boiler should be immediately
tripped to avoid further damage to adjoining tubes &
message should be conveyed to Boiler Mtc. Staff.
Safety Valves in Boiler Area
Boiler Drum: 2 nos of spring loaded on left side &
one no of spring loaded type on right side.
Superheater: 1 no of spring loaded on right side
one of electrometric side on left side.
Reheater:2 no of spring loaded type on left side & 1
no of spring loaded type on right side.
PRDS : Reheater:2 no of spring loaded type on left
side & 1 no of spring loaded type on right side.
Thanks a lot for being an avid
listener