r its content.
FACILITY SITING CHECKLIST Page -1-
FACILITY SITING CHECKLIST
I.
Space Between Process Components
No.
Question
Response
Recommendations
1.
Have adequate provisions been made for relieving
explosions in process equipment?
2.
Are operating units and the equipment within units
spaced to minimize potential damage from fires or
explosions in adjacent areas?
3.
Are there safe exit routes from each unit?
4.
Has equipment been adequately spaced and located to
safely permit anticipated maintenance (e.g., pulling heat
exchanger bundles, dumping catalyst, lifting with
cranes) and hot work?
5.
Are vessels containing highly hazardous chemicals
located sufficient far apart? If not, what hazards are
introduced?
6.
Is there adequate access for emergency vehicles (e.g.,
fire trucks)?
7.
Can adjacent equipment or facilities withstand the
overpressure generated by potential explosions?
8.
Can adjacent equipment and facilities (e.g., support
structures) withstand flame impingement? Page -2-
II
Location of Large Inventories
No.
Question
Response
Recommendations
1.
Are large inventories of highly hazardous chemicals
located away from the process area?
2.
Is temporary storage provided for raw materials and for
finished products at appropriate locations?
3.
Are the inventories for highly hazardous chemicals held
to a minimum?
4.
Where applicable, are reflux tanks, surge drums, and
rundown tanks located in a way that avoids the
concentration of large volumes of highly hazardous
chemicals in any one area?
5.
Where applicable, has special consideration been given
to the storage and transportation of explosives?
6.
Have the following been considered in the location of
material handling areas:
fire hazards?
location relative to important buildings?
safety devices (e.g., sprinklers)?
slope of the area (is it level)? Page -3-
III. Location of the Motor Control Center
No.
Question
Response
Recommendations
1.
Is the motor control center (MCC) located so that it is
easily accessible to operators?
2.
Are circuit breakers easy to identify?
3.
Can operators safety open circuit breakers? Have they
been trained?
4.
Is the MCC designed such that it could not be an
ignition source? Are the doors always closed? Is a no-
smoking policy strictly enforced?
5.
Is the MCC designed and meant to be a safe haven? Page -4-
IV
Location and Construction of the Control Room(s)
No.
Question
Response
Recommendations
1.
Is the control room built to satisfy current corporate
overpressure and safe-haven standards?
2.
Does the construction basis for the control room satisfy
acceptable criteria (e.g., the Factor Mutual
recommendations)?
3.
Are the workers in the control room (or escape routes
from the control room) protected from all of the
following?
toxic, corrosive, or flammable sprays, fumes, mists, or
vapors?
thermal radiation from fires (including flares)?
overpressure and projectiles from explosions?
contamination from spills or runoff?
noise?
contamination of utilities (e.g., breathing air)?
transport of hazardous materials from other sites?
possibility of long-term exposure of employees to low
concentrations of process material?
odors?
impacts (e.g., from a forklift)?
flooding (e.g., ruptured storage tanks)? Page -5-
IV
Location and Construction of the Control Room(s) (continued)
No.
Question
Response
Recommendations
4.
Are vessels containing highly hazardous chemicals
located sufficiently far from the control room?
5.
Were the following characteristics considered when the
control room location was determined:
types of construction of the room?
types/quantities of materials?
direction and velocity of prevailing winds?
types of reactions and processes?
operating pressures and temperatures?
ignition sources?
fire protection facilities?
drainage facilities?
6.
If windows are installed, are they of rigid construction
with sturdy panes (e.g., woven-wire reinforced glass)?
7.
Is at least one exit located in a direction away from the
process area? Do exit doors open outward? Are
emergency exits provided for multistory control
buildings?
8.
Are the ends of the horizontal vessels facing away from
the control rooms? Page -6-
IV
Location and Construction of the Control Rooms (s) (continued)
No.
Question
Response
Recommendations
9.
Are critical pieces of equipment in the control room
well protected? Is adequate barricading provided for
the control room?
10.
Are open pits, trenches, or other pockets where inert,
toxic, or flammable vapors could collect located away
from control buildings or equipment handling
flammable fluids?
11.
Where piping, wiring, and conduit enter the building, is
the building sealed at the point of entry? Have other
potential leakage points into the building been
adequately sealed?
12.
Is the control room located a sufficient distance from
sources of excessive vibration?
13.
Is a positive pressure maintained in control rooms
located in hazardous areas?
14.
Could any structures fall on the control room in the
event of an accident?
15.
Is the roof of the control room free from heavy
equipment and machinery? Page -7-
V.
Location of Machine Shops, Welding Shops, Electrical Substations, Roads, Rail Spurs, and Other Likely Ignition
Sources
No.
Question
Response
Recommendations
1.
Are likely ignition sources (e.g., maintenance shops,
roads, rail spurs) located away from release points for
volatile substances (both liquid and vapor)?
2.
Are process sewers located away from likely sources of
ignition?
3.
Are all vessels containing highly hazardous chemicals
or components containing material above its flash point
located away from likely sources of ignition?
4.
Are the flare and fired heater systems located to
minimize hazards to personnel and equipment, with
consideration given to normal wind direction and wind
velocity, as well as heat potential? Page -8-
VI. Location of Engineering, Lab, Administration, or Other Buildings
No.
Question
Response
Recommendations
1.
Are administration buildings located away from
inventories of highly hazardous chemicals?
2.
Are administration buildings located away from release
points for highly hazardous chemicals?
3.
Are workers in administration buildings protected from
all of the following:
toxic, corrosive, of flammable sprays, fumes, mists, or
vapors?
thermal radiation from fires (including flares)?
overpressure and projectiles from explosions?
contamination of utilities (e.g., water)?
contamination from spills or runoff?
noise?
transport of hazard materials from other sites?
flooding (e.g., ruptured storage tanks)? Page -9-
VII. Unit Layout
No.
Question
Response
Recommendations
1.
Are large inventories or release points for highly
hazardous chemical located away from vehicular traffic
within the plant?
2.
Could specific siting hazards be posed to the site from
credible external forces such as high winds, earth
movement, utility failure from outside sources,
flooding, natural fires, and fog?
3.
Is there adequate access for emergency vehicles (e.g.,
fire trucks)? Are access roads free of the possibility of
being blocked by trains, highway congestion, spotting
of rail cars, etc.?
4.
Are access roads well engineered to avoid sharp curves?
Are traffic signs provided?
5.
Is vehicular traffic appropriately restricted from areas
where pedestrians could be injured or equipment
damaged?
6.
Are cooling towers located such that fog that is
generated by them will not be a hazard?
7.
Are the ends of horizontal vessels facing away from
personnel areas?
8.
Is hydrocarbon-handling equipment located outdoors? Page -10-
VII. Unit Layout (continued)
No.
Question
Response
Recommendations
9.
Are pipe bridges located such that they are not over
equipment, including control rooms and administration
buildings?
10.
Is piping design adequate to withstand potential liquid
loads?
VIII. Location of Unit Relative to Onsite and Offsite Surroundings
No.
Question
Response
Recommendations
1.
Is a system in place to notify neighboring units,
facilities, and residents if a release occurs?
2.
Are there detection systems and/or alarms in place to
assist in warning neighboring units, facilities, and
residents if a release occurs?
3.
Do neighbors (including units, facilities, and residents)
know how to respond when notified of a release? Do
they know how to shelter in place and when to
evacuate?
4.
Are large inventories or release points for highly
hazardous chemicals located away from publically
accessible roads?
5.
Is the unit, or can the unit be, located to minimize the
need for offsite or intrasite transportation of hazardous
materials? Page -11-
VIII. Location of the Unit Relative to Onsite and Offsite Surroundings (continued)
No.
Question
Response
Recommendations
6.
Are workers in adjacent units and neighboring plants,
and the public and environmental receptors, protected
from all of the items listed below? In addition, are
workers in this unit protected from the effects of
adjacent units or facilities for all of the items listed
below?
releases of highly hazardous chemicals?
toxic, corrosive, or flammable sprays, fumes, mists, or
vapors?
thermal radiation from fires (including flares)?
overpressure from explosi