Evaluating the safe disposal of hydrocarbons present in the oil and gas plants prior to the periodic maintenance operation on the occupational safety and health

Abstract

Human intervention and inevitable interaction are substantially associated with the everyday production processes as well as maintenance activities on the platforms of oil and gas, thus immensely influencing the worker's performance in the challenging operational environment. Globally, multi-hazard industrial incidents have gained growing attention as they have much more severe repercussions than single-hazard accidents. Maintenance is a crucial function process in which equipment, units, or whole plants undergo periodic maintenance tasks in safe and reliable conditions to guarantee the specified safety term of safety-critical equipment. Depending on the plant's productivity, it may be classified industrially into five primary types: corrective, predetermined, condition-based, preventive, and predictive, depending on the plant's productivity. Moreover, it may be performed daily, monthly, or annually, considering the mechanical integrity and the unit's operational state to ensure that equipment functions within the design specifications and avoid failure. Indeed, the hazardous gaseous freeing (purging) process is substantially regarded as one of the most pivotal processes in oil and gas plants. It effectively mitigates potentially severe hazards to human health. Therefore, the present work dissects, identifies, and analyzes the potential hazards associated with periodic maintenance works. Moreover, it provides intelligent solutions for safety practitioners to prevent critical hazards during maintenance jobs, which consequently improve the global progress toward inherent safety, as well as future environmental management and industrial planning.