Things you should know and ask your plant designer/builder/supplier:

 

Was your plant designed by licensed professional engineers?

Is your plant design compliant with the latest version of the National Electric Code and all of the National Fire Protection Association codes for flammable liquids and vapors?

Does your plant designer understand why you must use explosion-proof motors, explosion-proof wiring and explosion-proof field instruments when using flammable liquids such as methanol?

Is your lighting in the building explosion-proof, or could it be an ignition source?

Is your plant design compliant with the state pressure vessel code for all vessels operating at pressures above 14.9 pounds per square inch gauge?

Are you, as the owner, compliant with local construction codes?

Does your city require civil/structural drawings and load calculations to be prepared by a licensed civil engineer, with final approval by the city prior to starting construction?

Does your city require electrical drawings and electrical load calculations to be prepared by a licensed electrical engineer, with final approval by the city prior to starting construction?

Have you performed a Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) study prior to beginning construction, as required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and most likely your state equivalent?

Have you obtained all necessary air permits?

Have you obtained all necessary water permits to discharge water, which would include either a Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) permit or a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit to discharge to a local body of water?

Are you meeting all of OSHA’s federal industrial hygiene requirements and your state’s industrial hygiene requirements regarding worker exposure to methanol vapors?

Does your plant have vessel entry procedures?

Does your plant have lock-out/tag-out procedures?

Do you have written start-up and shutdown procedures?

Are pressure vessels properly protected by safety relief valves? Do these relief valves discharge to a safe location?

Are storage tanks designed and laid out in accordance with American Petroleum Institute guidelines? Are the tanks located within containment berms designed for the event of a tank failure?

Do you have written operating procedures that include instructions for fire and explosion handling?

Source: Rocky C. Costello, R.C. Costello & Associates Inc.