Open Journal of Safety Science and Technology, 2015, 5, 21-26
Published Online June 2015 in SciRes. http://www.scirp.org/journal/ojsst
http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ojsst.2015.52003
How to cite this paper: Ebrahemzadih, M., et al. (2015) The Analysis of Process Accidents Due to Risks in the Petrochemical
Industries—The Case Study of Radiation Intensity Determination Proportional to Distance from Tank Level. Open Journal of
Safety Science and Technology, 5, 21-26. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ojsst.2015.52003
The Analysis of Process Accidents Due to
Risks in the Petrochemical Industries—
The Case Study of Radiation Intensity
Determination Proportional to
Distance from Tank Level
Mehrzad Ebrahemzadih
1,2
, Afshin Maleki
1
, Ebrahim Darvishi
1,2
, Mehdi Meimanat Abadi
3*
,
Saeed Dehestaniathar
1
1
Kurdistan Environmental Health Research Center, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
2
Department of Occupational Safety & Health, School of Health, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences,
Sanandaj, Iran
3
Children’s Cancer Charity, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
Email:
*
mehdi_meimanat@yahoo.com
Received 17 March 2015; accepted 13 May 2015; published 15 May 2015
Copyright © 2015 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY).
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Abstract
Today, one of the basic methods in engaging the decision making of senior managers for securing
the organizations regarding assessing risks that the industries face, is the analysis of outcomes of
processing accidents. The development of process industries is always associated with an in-
creased risk of accidents. Therefore, paying attention to this case is a priority for the safety units
in the oil refineries and petrochemical plants. The aim of this study was to investigate safe dis-
tance between the storage tanks of gasoline tanks in the petrochemicals of South Pars Region;
comparisons to the American petroleum institute were studied. The maximum of length of flame
and the ratio of length to radius of flame were measured 20 m and 2.6 m respectively. If occur-
rence of leakage and pool fire in one of these tanks, the maximum intensity of thermal radiation
was equal to 13.7kw/m
2
. Hence, there is a possibility to control of fire at a distance of 15 meters
from the tanks to heat radiation due to a pool fire, thereby, domino effect does not occur in the
event of fire.. The fire is controllable but in case of leakages aggregation and creation of flammable
ponds around these tanks, the gathered radiator intensities have immediate explosion potential in
the tanks. So, it is proposed, besides increasing the distance between the storage tanks, other
measures like quality and safety inspection planning of the connections and controlling instru-
ments of the tanks, inspection of the fire lighting equipment like hydrants, monitors, fire hose
reels are done and performance of reaction maneuvers in emergency conditions can take place
*
Corresponding author.