10-Hot Work

The Whys ?

Oil installations are extremely vulnerable to fire and explosion risks which might, in the event of accidents, entirely damage the installations and bring about human and material losses, and affect the environment. A minor incident may engender a major accident.

The must do's

Hot interventions that constitute a major fire and explosion risk to the installations likely to result in disasters, necessitate prior obligatory obtaining of a hot work permit. As an indication, these interventions cover hot cutting, welding, grinding and saw cutting.

For this reason, the following requirements are must-do's :

• Obtaining from a habilitated person a daily hot work permit authorization after having :

               -   Conducted a systematic assessment of all risks in the environment,

               -   Dealt with, prior to insulation, cleaning and inerting of the concerned installations,

               -   Checked the aptitudes (training or habilitation) of the intervening parties,

               -   Checked the rescue and intervention means,

               -   Checked the specific PPE wearing ;

               -   Checked the appointment and obligatory and continual presence of a watchman,

               -   Inspected the intervention zone ;

• Forbidding hot works during the OPPS (SIMOPS) ;
• Checking the conformity of fireproof and pressurized dwellings for zone 1 interventions ;
• Checking the conformity of fireproof dwellings for zone 2 interventions ;
• Checking the conformity of fireproof equipment and materials (canvas covers and scaffoldings).