Regulatory Compliance
Some process heater and other furnace installations still rely for their principal safety control only on manual operator intervention or the plant emergency shutdown (ESD). Companies with these provisions commonly suggest that they have operated with the manual system and absence of flame-monitoring equipment for years without incident; and ask why an investment in a BMS should be required now.
With operator safety, community safety, and environmental protection paramount however, efforts are underway in various countries to standardize requirements for burner management and related safety systems. Most operating companies in North America, for example, are implementing BMS in new and existing heaters in accordance with required guidelines; in most provinces of Canada the code is CSA B149.3, an adaptation of NFPA that is currently legislated as a minimum requirement. Generally, the consensus is to standardize the requirements of a safe and operable BMS for each heater, to ensure a safe light-off and normal operation while reducing the amount of nuisance trips.
We have experience with regulators in many states and provinces and can guarantee compliance and regulatory approval with minimal effort and expense. This is often a major issue in final commissioning and startup of fired-equipment, and in many cases waiting for regulatory approval can result in costly delays.
We provide regulatory-compliant systems for the oil and gas, petrochemical, refining and related industries. We are familiar with applicable gas, electrical and safety codes, standards and regulations. We are well versed in all the codes and standards such as NFPA, CSA, API, SAA, and IEC, and have experience providing systems that meet the requirements of:
- CSA B149.3-00 Code for Field Approval of Fuel-Related Components on Appliances and Equipment
- NFPA 86 Standard for Ovens and Furnaces, 1999 Edition
- NFPA 85 Boiler and Combustion Systems Hazards Code
- SAA 1375 Australian Standard Industrial Fuel-Fired Appliances
- SAA 3814 Australian Standard Industrial & Commercial Gas-Fired Appliances
- IEC 61508 Functional Safety of Electrical/Electronic/Programmable Electronic Safety-Related Systems
We also have a thorough knowledge of the IEC 61508 Standard for Programmable, Electric and Electronic Safety Control Systems. |
