What's New?
Published: 01 September, 2006
Teex opens new 2,300-foot pipeline for emergency response training.
Pipelines have always played an integral role in the petrochemical industry; yet, until recently, pipeline emergency response training programs have not readily been available to responders, Jason Cook, Communications Director for the training school explained to IFJ.
The Texas Engineering Extension Service, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Association of State Fire Marshals, is changing this by offering a new Pipeline Emergencies course beginning at the 28th of August 2006.
TEEX has completed a 2,300-foot below-ground pipeline with multiple above-ground connections to train emergency responders, local officials, command staff and others to manage and mitigate pipeline emergencies. The project, which can leak both liquid and gas, is located at TEEX’s world-renowned Brayton Fire Training Field in College Station and was constructed with input from the world’s leading pipeline industry representatives.
The 40-hour program will be taught using three modules and will address pipeline awareness, operations and emergency response for both gas and liquid pipelines, and transmission and distribution systems.
The first module will concentrate on pipeline awareness, in which regulatory factors, causes of pipeline incidents, prevention of pipeline emergencies will be covered through team-based exercises.
Students will then learn about both gas and liquid pipeline operations during the second module, which includes both transmission and distribution systems and below- and above-ground equipment. Pipeline safety programs, inspection, ageing systems, equipment identification, and pipeline markings will also be covered in this class.
The third class module will teach and exercise pipeline emergency response replicating a real-world scenario.
The Incident Command System will be utilised under the guidelines of the National Incident Management System.
“The flexibility of the training props to leak both liquid and gas is very important when you consider the products you could encounter in any potential emergency,” said TEEX Program Supervisor Gordon Lohmeyer.
“This course is a much-needed emergency response training tool, especially when you consider our ageing pipeline infrastructure that crosses the United States and countries worldwide.”
This is not the only development at the training school in Texas.
“We’re in the midst of a $25 million (US$) infrastructure upgrade to the Brayton Fire Training Field. Included is a new LNG training prop that was constructed inconjunction with BP. Completed this spring, it is one of the largest and most technologically advanced LNG training facilities anywhere. The next scheduled course is in September,” Jason reports.
“We’ve also completely redesigned and reconstructed our Chemical Complex training prop after receiving feedback from many of our industrial clients. The project includes 14 leaks or fire sites, in addition to 56 gate valves that require isolation during training evolutions. We believe that this is one of the most ‘complex’ fire training centres in the world, or at least in the United States,” he concludes.
For more information about the new course, visit www.teex.com/fire and click on Hazmat.
Kidde increases clean agent suppression range
Kidde Fire Protection has expanded its range of clean agent fire suppression systems designed for use with 3M Novec1230 Fire Protection Fluid.
The Novec 1230 fluid systems are designed to protect critical high-value assets from fire with minimal down-time and clean-up costs. Typical applications include telecommunication switch rooms, computer and electronic control rooms, and aboard ships. They are the latest addition to the company’s wide range of clean agent systems that includes FM-200, Argonite and Carbon Dioxide.
The company has invested in the new systems because it believes Novec 1230 fluid represents sustainable, long-term technology that meets both today’s environmental regulations and those in the foreseeable future. It has a low Global Warming Potential (GWP) rating of just one, an Ozone Depleting Potential (ODP) of zero and a low atmospheric lifetime of only five days.
“We offer three different Novec 1230 fluid systems to suit a wide variety of applications. A standard 25 bar system for industrial applications, a specialist 25 bar marine system and a 42 bar system that offers increased design flexibility for larger or more complex facilities,” explains marketing manager Jon Brittain.
All the systems are European TPED (Transportable Pressure Equipment Directive) and PED (Pressure Equipment Directive) compliant and manufactured to ISO 9001:2000 standards. The 25 bar industrial system is approved by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and FM Global, while the 25 bar marine system is Marine Equipment Directive (MED) compliant and approved by ABS, Lloyd’s Register and DNV. The 42 bar system is approved by VdS.
Novec 1230 fluid is stored as a liquid and discharged into the hazard zone by specially designed nozzles as a colourless, non-conductive and non-corrosive gas. It puts fires out quickly by reaching its extinguishing concentration in 10 seconds or less and then absorbing heat from the fire. It has the highest heat capacity of any commercially available chemical suppression agent, giving it the lowest extinguishing concentration of 4 to 6 percent.
“In occupied spaces at normal design concentrations, Novec 1230 fluid presents no risk to personnel. US EPA SNAP has classified it as acceptable for use as a total flooding agent in occupied spaces. It provides a safety margin of nearly 100 percent, which is by far the largest safety margin of any clean fire suppression agent available on the market today,” he concludes.
