An engineering approach to reducing the risks of fire and explosion hazards and to avoid direct impacts is to have adequate separation distances between hazard sources and vulnerable groups (people, equipment and structure). This requires due consideration be given to process module arrangement, occupied areas, hazardous area classification, fire zones, structural and machinery protection, and offloading operations.
Machinery Safety – 7 Steps that Enable Plant Managers and End Users to Verify Conformity and Reduce Risk
Safe machinery provides a safe workplace for users and legal protection for both manufacturer and user. The safety of machinery starts from the design stage, when machine manufacturer identifies and evaluates all possible hazards and hazardous points by undertaking a risk assessment and applying design principles according to the applicable standards. The process of risk reduction is then applied based on that risk assessment. Risk reduction can be achieved through inherently safe design, installing protective devices, proper training to the user, other good design measures, applying protective measures and hazard notification methods.