Document Rp3rM84vM3Z8goQOBOnqxZJRk

Monsanto Chemical Company Texas City, Texas December 9, 1959 To: Plant Manager's Safety Board J. E. Fox E. H. Jones H. M. Keating J. G. McQuarrie W. R. Nisbet J. S. Putnam G. D. Rucker W. H. Slager A. E. Withrow N. F. Wood W. F. Zimmermann Subject: Plant Nitrogen System Survey At the October meeting of the Plant Manager's Safety Board, a special sub-committee consisting of R. L. Browning, C. L. Gilmore, and R. W. Rotzler was formed to review the recommendations of the Plant Engineering Department for improving safety of the plant nitrogen system. After reviewing the recommendations with J. B. Cook, they were essentially retained, with some modification of details. The major safety problem with the nitrogen system is the possibility of cross-contamination. A secondary problem is that demand and/or use at times exceeds the supply, depleting system pressure. The second problem aggravates the first. The philosophy behind these recommendations is: 1) to provide a first line of defense against cross-contamin ation within each area, at each point of use, 2) to provide a second line of defense against contamination of the plant system, at each area boundary, and 3) to improve general control on the use of nitrogen. The recommendations - Control within each area l) Set up installation standards, applicable to all new work, for each of 3 categories: SC 16551 LAM024459 2 a. Hose stations. Each to be equipped with check valve, shutoff valve, bleeder, standard hose connection, and identifying sign or tape. b. Permanent connections to process, normally in use. Each point of use to be equipped with check valve and block valve. c. Permanent connections to process, not normally in use. Each point of use to be equipped with check valve and double block and bleed. Responsibility: Division Engineering Review existing installations, bringing them up to the standards or intent of the standards, dismantling unused or abandoned nitrogen piping, and correcting nitrogen line color coding, as necessary. Target, July 1, I960. Responsibility: each superintendent Battery limit control 3) Revise connections into the plant system as follows (refer to dwg E-ST-143): a. At VCM, tie line l66-lj" into 166-3" instead of 166-4"./ N)J~ In effect, VCM will be supplied by one branch from the , i plant system instead of two. i b. ' For VCM storage area supply, tie line 166-2" into 173-4" instead of 2" G-FE2-59 (area system). ,__ c. At AN, tie line 173-2" (south side of area) into 19-4" Gn 4-9 instead of 173-4". Then AN will be supplied by one branch from the plant system ^instead of two. d. For AN storage area supply, tie line 173-1" into 166-2" (on south center street) instead of 20-1" Gn 4-8 (area system). e. In the south storage area, eliminate the l" line to the pilot plant, no longer in service, and 2 hose connections off the 2" line to 20T46-3. Responsibility: superintendent of area "owning" line involved SC 16552 LAM024460 -3- 4) Provide bakery limit control where the following areas connect into the plant system: a. b. e. f~~Zl e". f. g. Department 18 Department 31 (except rundown tanks and 31T17-2) Department 19-20 ____ Department 21-22-231 Pilot plant -------- * VCM storage AN storage Estimated cost is about $20,000. Responsibility: superintendent (or equivalent) of using area 5) Batter*;,r limit control to be essentially as shown on attached sketch. General Control 6) Replace 3 Pi's in Department 17 on lines 166, 170, and 173 with FR-PR's. Responsibility: superintendent for Department 17 7) Reestablish the practice of informing Department 17 chief operator of any substantial change in N2 usage. Responsir11.tty: all superintendents 8) Require that nc changes in the nitrogen system (including changes within areas) be made without the knowledge and prior approval >f the Plant Engineering Department (through the Superintendent of Plant Engineering Design). This is necessary as a control on installation standards and as a means of keeping drawings up-to-date. Responsibility: all superintendents /njm Attach. SC 16553 R. L. Browning / C. L. Gilmore /f. lAc R. W. Roxzler LAIVI024461 ( SC 16555 1 LAM024463