EHS DEPARTMENT

From the very nature of crude oil, its refining and the processes relating to its operation provide an extremely hazardous situation. There are hazards that are present and always need to be addressed. All above, of course, is the inherent danger of fire, and the handling of toxic and dangerous chemicals that are used in the refining processes. There is also always present the danger to life of toxic products that are produced in some of the refining processes All these factors necessitate the presence of the EHS department that deals with all these issues. Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) also Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) or HES or HSE The primary goal of the EHS department is to manage risk, eliminating or reducing it to acceptable levels. We were briefed about the working of the EHS department and given a general overview by, Mr. Iftikhar Ahmed Zubair, EHS Engineer at BOPL.

As the name indicates, the EHS department is broken down into three main sections: 1. Environment. 2. Health 3. Safety.

Environment
Environmental issues occurring due to the operations in the refinery or any other industry for that purpose is dealt in three main areas: 1. Air 2. Land 3. Water

Air pollution It is the accumulation of substances in the atmosphere that I sufficient concentration may endanger human health or produced other measured effects on living matter. In a refinery various noxious vapors and gases are constantly being produced, volatile hydrocarbons are ubiquitous in the refinery premises. To deal with this issue there are EPA standards i.e. there are predefined limits of exposure of each chemical that can be released into the environment. BOPLs Environmental management plan for air pollution control Ensure that the emission monitoring complies with NEQS limits. Ensure that generators and boilers are kept well maintained. Land pollution It is defined as the degradation of the earths land surface through misuse of the soil by industrial waste dumping and indiscriminate disposal of urban waste BOPLs Environmental management plan for land pollution control To ensure that soil waste due to the operation of the facility is avoided by cleanup programs and plantation in the area To ensure that lubricants and fuels are properly stored To ensure that spill plans are prepared for the plant area, especially in the parking area. To ensure that disposal of waste is done at proper landfill sites.

Water pollution It is defined as the introduction into fresh or ocean waters of chemicals, physical or biological material that degrades the quality of the water and affects the organisms living in it. BOPLs Environmental management plan for water pollution control To ensure that water used in processing is disposed off in a proper way. To ensure that efficient and low water consumption technology is used in the process. To ensure that oil/fuel leakages from machines/vehicles is prevented. To ensure that sewage is disposed off after providing proper settling in soak pits.

HEALTH
Health monitoring in a plant is done in two ways 1. Proactive monitoring 2. Reactive monitoring

Proactive health monitoring It involves the systematic inspection of the plant. It looks at what is actually happening compared to what is written in plans and standards. It includes: Safety audits Thorough, systematic and critical examination of systems and procedures. Workplace inspections -Physical inspections of premises, plant and equipments undertaken by directors, supervisors, line managers, health and safety advisors etc. Safety surveys -Detailed investigation of one or more aspect of the workplace Safety tours -Brief investigation of one or more aspect of the workplace Safety sampling -Inspection limited to a specific area or aspect of the workplace. Reactive health monitoring It occurs when something has gone wrong; standards have not been maintained or a control measure has failed. It involves monitoring of events that direct us to look again at control measures. Examples include: Accidents Near misses Dangerous occurrences Ill health Complaints by the workforce, etc. Reactive health monitoring includes formulation of action plans that need to be implemented in case of such happenings. The action plan involves the following steps: 1. To access action needed to deal with immediate risk. 2. Assess level and nature of investigation needed. 3. Investigate 4. Results and analysis 5. Review process

Safety
Safety measures in the refinery, or any other industry, can be divided into three broad categories 1. Constructional safety 2. Process safety 3. Occupational health and safety

Constructional safety Workers in a construction site may be exposed to various hazardous substances and hazards. Construction work is featured by high labor turnover, constantly changing work environment and conditions on site, and different types of work being carried out simultaneously by several contractors. These features would further increase the health risks of workers. To prevent health hazards at work, all possible health hazards that may be encountered should be identified before commencement of construction work. The health hazards at a construction site may come from the hazardous substances used or those already present on site. The environmental conditions may also create additional health hazards. These factors should all be identified and accounted for. Falls from working at height, Crush injuries in excavation work, Slips and trips, Being struck by falling objects Bad working positions, often in confined spaces, Being struck or crushed by a workplace vehicle, Receiving injuries from hand tools, Inhalation of dust, Handling of rough materials, Exposure to dangerous substances (chemical and biological) Exposure to radiation, noise Thus, it is very important to undertake the necessary precautions during the constructional phase of the plant. Process safety It refers to the safety measures adopted during the commissioning of the plant. The commissioning period is often the most difficult and potentially hazardous phase in the life of a process plant. Both client and contractor have a moral and legal obligation to ensure the safety and wellbeing of their workplace, the public and the environment. To achieve safe, effective commissioning the following measures should be adopted: A well trained technically strong team roughly twice that for normal operation should be hired. All members of the team should be well aware of the plant design philosophy and the potential hazards. Effective communication is essential for minimizing hazards in process plants Before the final commissioning of the plant, which is usually the introduction of the feed, the plant should be tested as much as possible with as little risk as possible.

Occupational health and safety After the construction and commissioning phases of the plant are safely dealt with, safety measures need to be adopted during the normal routine activities of the plant as well. To ensure of the refinery workers, the public and the environment, refinery workers must be aware of and obey all such measures: PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)- All oil refinery workers must wear protective equipment including fire retardant clothing, work boots, gloves, protective eye wear etc. Permit requirement- Because of the potentially dangerous nature of a job in an oil refinery, many permits are required for daily operations. All rules and regulations should be effectively carried out in this regard. OSHA Requirements- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), is an international safety administration that sets specific requirements for all oil refineries to ensure safety of workers and the public. Workers must be aware of OSHA regulations and should be kept abreast of new regulations.

Integrated Management System (IMS)

An integrated management system (IMS) is a management system which integrates all components of a business into one coherent system so as to enable the achievement of its purpose and mission. Byco Oil Pakistan Limited (BOPL) holds the following IMS certifications: ISO 9001-2008 ISO 14001-2004 OSHAS 18001-2007