With a worldwide experience, including SE Asia, Middle East, Europe and Australia, ExITS has carried out hazardous area work for almost every major oil and gas company, several chemical and fertilizer plants, and, numerous wheat and plastics sites (requiring DIP protection). ExITS has been involved from the hazardous area classification through to providing an engineering construction package.

HAZOP is an abbreviation for "Hazard and Operability" and is a structured, formalised approach to identifying hazards and problems in process plants, which in turn can prevent efficient operation.

Essentially the HAZOPS process involves taking a full description (PID) and systematically questioning every part of it to establish how deviations from the design intent can arise.

HAZAN's and HAZID's are derivatives of the HAZOP, each can be carried out as a separate entity, placing specific importance or credibility upon processes or equipment.

ExITS experience has encompassed all of the major certifying authorities, including NEC, LCIE, DEMKO, SAA, FM, UL, PTB, ATEX, IEC, CSA, ASTMS, APM, IP, NEMA together with all the relevant statutory codes and recommended practices, including SIL, API, IEE, ASTMS, CENELEC etc.

ExITS also provides detailed, hands on, training in the techniques of certified equipment, installation practices and, classification techniques. Our training courses are heavily orientated towards the practicalities of equipment selection, installation and maintenance.

Consider also our expertise in ESD systems, protective instrument systems, SIL requirements and other safety related control techniques.

Hazardous Area Classification - the need for reviews.

ExITS were recently requested to carry out an audit of the installed Ex rated equipment, on a tank farm. This tank farm also consisted of substantial export pumps, nitrogen plant, gas compressors and several other smaller by product plants.

The entire site had been in operation for a number of years, over a period of time several extension and modification projects had taken place, and, a large number of 'minor projects' had been undertaken. The owners had renegotiated a supply contract, whereby if they failed to supply they (the owners) had to source product from elsewhere (at whatever cost) and supply there own customer at the fixed contract price.

The owners felt it was necessary to audit the site to ensure that the existing plant was capable of remaining operational and meeting standards, for the duration of the supply contract. ExITS was called in to carry out this audit.

ExITS engineers, as part of the normal process of carrying out a site audit, requested copies of the hazardous area drawings.
It quickly became very evident that the hazardous area drawings were completely out of date and inadequate.

ExITS engineers brought this to the attention of the owners. It was explained to the owners that this was a particularly dangerous situation for this site, specifically as it was highlighted that the site operational procedures in issuing permits to work, hot work permits etc , were based on the existing hazardous area drawings which were substantially wrong. Hot work permits were being issued in areas identified as safe but which were in fact in the middle of a Zone 2 area.

The owners accepted the error and contracted ExITS to carry out a complete site hazardous area review.

Upon completion the hazardous area drawings looked completely different, although in fact the total area had been reduced.

The process of reviewing the hazardous areas included identifying plant that presented the risk of leakage, the operational procedures for sections of plant, those areas whereby a relatively minor equipment change (eg. sample points) hazardous area requirements could be reduced. Incorrect zoning, eg. boiler faces, were also identified.

The exercise identified that by a relatively inexpensive site audit, major safety problems were overcome (which could have involved substantial consequential losses), several projects had major cost reductions, and, a major upgrade in the level of confidence on the site was achieved.

ExITS engineers had yet again proven their worth.