OBAIYED

Operational Risk Assessment

Description: Safe use of
Aluminum Ladders and
Aluminum Step ladders in
hazardous area

Location: OBAIYED
Gas plant

Date: 25/07/2013

Description
Requested by: Mostafa Rady

Detailed description
Background/Issue:
According to IP 15 The Impact of a light metal (Aluminum, Titanium, Zirconium) objects
with a rusty surface may cause a reaction known as the thermite reaction which produces
sparks and this is considered ignition sources which shall be considered before using
Aluminum ladders or step ladders in Zone 1 area
The purpose of this This risk assessment was to determine what hazards there are
associated with using aluminum alloy Ladders in OBIAYED Gas plant compared to the
current practice of using steel. or wooden ladders
Hazard:
The main hazards are:
1. Fire due to the ignition source generation (Sparks generated by impact of
Aluminum metal with rusty surface) in one hand and coexisting of flammable
gas in vicinity in the other hand
2. Aluminum degradation due to exposure to mercury
3. Ladders failure, and subsequent human injury
Controls
Concerning Hazard No. 1 :
During erection and dismantling ladders with aluminum parts must be covered by
hot Permit in Zone 1
Remove any source of flammable gases ex: oil soaked rags
Alloys ladders should not be used in Zone 0 classified area unless the plant has
been shut down and hydrocarbon free
Concerning Hazard No. 2 :
Carry out mercury measurement before building scaffold inside an Hydrocarbon
containment ex: vessels and tanks
Concerning Hazard No. 3 :
All Scaffold materials inspected before use
Inspected on arrival and color coded
damaged ladders are quarantined and segregated ( Color Code is Red )
Generic controls
TRA Shall identify the type of Ladders and the area classification where the work is
going to be carried out to decide the appropriate controls
Spot checks to be done by HSE and Production supervisors to check work party
compliance with the approved TRA and Job description
the only Zone 1 area in OBAIYED Gas plant is open drain area according to the
attached document which reflects the likely hood for the hazards to be released

OBAIYED
Operational Risk Assessment
tends to be very small
Recovery:

Firefighting system ( Fire water hydrants , fire water monitors , fire

extinguishers , ..etc)
Emergency response ( firefighting team, medical response )

Attachment:

IP15-Area
classification code for installation-handling flammables.pdf
Check out page 98
Reviewed
by
Initial
Risk
Residual
Risk

Martin Geven
(Field Manager)
Amr Darwish
(Production General manager)
Greg Lewis
(Technical Integrity Manager)
Mostafa Rady
(HSE Advisor)
C2(A) Risk: 6 (Medium)
B2(A) Risk: 4 (Low) ALARP