Recommended Practice 753

Management of Hazards Associated With Location of Process Plant Portable Buildings

RP 753 provides guidance for reducing the risk to personnel located in portable buildings from potential explosion, fire and toxic release hazards. While occupied permanent buildings (e.g. control rooms, operator shelters) located near covered process area are typically constructed to be blast and fire resistant, conventional portable buildings (i.e. light wood trailers) are typically not constructed to be blast and fire resistant. Past explosion accidents have demonstrated that occupants of conventional portable buildings are susceptible to injuries from structural failures, building collapse, and building debris and projectiles.

Guidance is provided based on the following principles:

• Locate personnel away from covered process areas consistent with safe and effective operations.
• Minimize the use of occupied portable buildings in close proximity to covered process areas.
• Manage the occupancy of portable building especially during periods of increased risk including unit start up or planned shutdown operations.
• Design, construct, install, and maintain occupied portable buildings to protect occupants against potential hazards.
• Manage the use of portable buildings as an integral part of the design, construction and maintenance operation of a facility. Pages: 22

1st Edition | June 2007

RP 753, 1st edition is available for purchase at the API Publications Store.

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