June 2016 will witness the celebration of National Safety Month in the USA. It is a tradition that focuses on the importance of pre-emptive and cautionary actions at the workplace so that employees can give their best without falling victim to practices which compromise their security and their well-being. Over four weeks of high-quality free resources are offered to businesses all over the country in an attempt to educate decision makers about the importance of worker safety so that they, in turn, can invest in the right gear, design, and equipment to avoid personal injury—and its consequences.
Fire Safety is a Big Issue:
Every year the National Safety Month (NSM) chooses a specific focus. And even though 2016 is not about fire prevention, in factories that use hot-oil systems for heat transfer the month is a great reminder to review care of the entire system, and revisit the best maintenance practices that can minimize fire risk.
Paratherm has been a market leader in the sector of high-temperature heat transfer fluids for years, and our team of experienced engineers has evaluated hundreds of hot-oil systems and processes to come up with a few suggestions;
• Leaks. High-temperature heat transfer fluids tend to have relatively high flash points, but when they leak from a system—typically from seals, flex hoses, or piping joints—fire can result.
• Proper ventilation is a key advantage, especially if the heater is located inside the factory building. Adequate ventilation prevents build-up of the required volume of fuel vapors to allow ignition and nips the fire problem in the bud.
• Insulation. Porous insulation materials, unless properly specified and installed, can increase the risk of spontaneous combustion.
• System components. For example, in general all valves should be installed with their stems facing side-ways so that bleeds and leaks can drip away from the pipes and the system.
• See below links for detailed coverage of these advisories.
Paratherm Is an Active Advocate of Fire Prevention and National Safety Month:
Paratherm offers fluid selection advice, and system safety consulting to hot-oil heat transfer system operators and also provides intensive training to help hot-oil-system operators in process industries, asphalt batch plants, and industrial laundries turn thermal oil systems into fire-free zones. Visit the below links for more details.
User’s Guide Technical Data Sheets
Preventing Fires in Thermal Oil heat Transfer Systems (Revised May, 2016)
Flash and Fire Points in Hot Oil Systems (Revised October, 2015)
Blogs and Articles
Paratherm’s Blog Series (3-Parts) on Preventing Insulation Fires
How To Build a Reliable, Practically Leak Free Thermal Fluid System (Process Heating Magazine)
Paratherm Thermal Fluid System Training
Services: Hot Oil System Training from Paratherm
NSC