Email Enquiry

Storage Tank Safety

Initial Email Enquiry –

View / download a very useful Review of Tank Fire Incidents (PPT doc.), produced by SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute and two other authors.

1^st Response –

The SP report is very useful. Just a word of caution (brought about by some recent discussions with one company) on use of the report. As is clearly explained it is built up from articles, web pages, etc. It is not a risk based database, like LASTFIRE, based on tank population. Because of the age of information, a lot of it is anecdotal. Also, unfortunately, in our industry, only the "bad" cases get reported.

One of the issues that has already come up is that none of the fires reported were extinguished with a fixed system. This is sometimes being interpreted incorrectly as "fixed systems don’t work".

The LASTFIRE study did have cases where rimseal fires were extinguished with fixed systems.
A few points to note:

• There is a whole list of tanks of all types out there without foam systems. In fact, if you look at NFPA 30 it suggests you only need to put systems on Class 1 products where there is no floating roof. In reality, of course, nowadays there is virtually always a floating roof internally or open top! It is obviously impossible to put out a fire with a system if you haven’t got one!
• The industry has a very bad record of getting the system design, maintenance, testing and operator knowledge of system operation wrong. Tests that we have done all over the world show something like 80% of the systems do not work according to their original design performance. While filming the LASTFIRE rimseal firefighters video, we released one system at a major critical facility. It didn’t work properly. The on-site engineer responsible couldn’t understand it – he said, “It worked when it was commissioned”. The commissioning was 7 years before and the system had never been tested since!

This situation has been recognised by the industry. The OGP commissioned and published their document Fire System Integrity Assurance to try and overcome it - Resource Protection International were responsible for putting the document together.

Fixed systems only should never be the only response. You should of course always have some mobile back-up. This is good common sense and is encouraged in the standards anyway.

I am a great believer in site specific decisions for provision of responses – all options should be looked at – mobile, fixed, mutual aid etc. etc., and the correct one chosen for the facility. I am not saying that fixed systems are always the answer – just don’t discount them.

Fixed systems, correctly designed, tested, maintained and inspected and operated, do work and may be the most appropriate and cost-effective solution in some cases.

The LASTFIRE study update is now well on its way – view / download Lastfire Press Release. This will extend the scope from open top floaters to fixed and internal floating roof tanks. The subject of internal floaters is very interesting to say the least. The recent fire responded to by WFHC is a case in point. It has raised some very interesting questions about the "conventional" way of providing systems. Fortunately the authors of WFHC and their collaborators are sharing their experience and thoughts on this with the LASTFIRE Group and the industry in general.

2^nd Response –

Once again this weeks safety theme in our weekly communications touches on Tank Safety which may be of use to some of our JOIFF members.

Don't forget if you have internal cascades, briefs, lessons learned that you think would benefit your fellow JOIFF members please pass them to me for sharing.

View / download: Storage Tank Safety Presentation (PPT doc.)

End of email correspondence on Topic to date.

Author’s identities are concealed for privacy and security reasons. Further information on the information contained in this topic can be directed to the JOIFF secretariaty.