Liquefied Gas Fire Hazard Management

The book provides an insight into the design and operation of liquefied gas installations and the equipment that is essential to their safe and efficient functioning. All liquefied hydrocarbon gases are highly flammable. In the case of “fuel gases”, such as methane, propane and butane, their flammability establishes them as a major energy source. Their combustibility is what makes them so hazardous and precautions must be taken to reduce this hazard to an acceptable level. This book does not provide prescriptive guidance to designers of liquefied gas installations, but its contents should provide a considerable amount of background information, particularly from the case histories of well known incidents and also from the bibliography. Many of the most commonly encountered codes, standards and guidelines in use throughout the world are considered here, as well as the differences between prescriptive and risk-based approaches to drafting these documents. This information is given as examples and it is important to remember that many countries have their own guidelines and national standards which are mandatory. The book provides an overview of the properties of flammable liquids and gases that are most commonly encountered. How these gases are stored and transported, either under pressure or in a refrigerated state or both, are also explained. Emergency response strategies are covered in depth, from the contingency planning stage to firefighting media and procedures as well as personal protective equipment.