CHARACTERISTICS
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CLEANING OF CHEMICAL PRODUCTS
- ENSURING THE CORRECT CONDITION OF THE STORAGE TANKS
- REDUCING THE RISK OF LEAKS, LOSS OR FIRES
- PREVENTING ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
RAFIBRA
Inspection of chemical
Inspection of chemical
storage tanks
Society’s concern for the environment placed an enormous amount of pressure on oil companies to improve their environmental, health and safety practices.
When hazardous substances are stored, reducing the risk of leaks is of utmost importance. The corrosion of the storage tank may cause pollution to the environment and losses. For that reason, the storage facilities for petroleum liquids, both tank farm storage and facilities for their consumption on individual premises and to supply vehicles, should be subject to the necessary regulatory inspections to verify their tightness, mechanical resistance and their safety devices.
With our cleaning service for chemical products, you guarantee a correct condition and maintenance of the tanks.
Society’s concern for the environment placed an enormous amount of pressure on oil companies to improve their environmental, health and safety practices.
When hazardous substances are stored, reducing the risk of leaks is of utmost importance. The corrosion of the storage tank may cause pollution to the environment and losses. For that reason, the storage facilities for petroleum liquids, both tank farm storage and facilities for their consumption on the premises itself and to supply vehicles, should be subject to the necessary regulatory inspections to verify their tightness, mechanical resistance and their safety devices.
At Rafibra, we are aware that the early detection of a potential deterioration of equipment prevents any escape of the content from the facilities that may involve a fire hazard or explosion and the emission of discharges that are harmful for the environment.
According to the Regulation on the Storage of Chemical Products approved by the aforementioned Royal Decree, regulatory inspections of the storage of flammable and combustible liquid products (ITC-MIE-APQ 01) can only be carried out by specialist companies that are certified by an Approved Inspection Body.
The facilities intended for the storage of chemical products must be reviewed and inspected periodically to guarantee their safety. This is due to the fact that these stored chemical products are usually highly flammable or hazardous. Incorrect storage could lead to a high risk of accident. Hence, the importance of performing periodic checks.
Transitory provision number three. Royal Decree 656/2017, of 23 June, approving the General Regulation of Storage of Chemical Products and its Complementary Technical Instructions MIE APQ 0 to 10.
Reviews and periodic inspections of the existing facilities.
The storage of chemical products, already existing upon the entry into force of this Royal Decree will be reviewed and inspected in accordance with the technical requirements of the Complementary Technical Instructions according to which they were stored. The frequency and criteria to carry out the reviews and inspections will be stated in the Complementary Technical Instructions (CTI) approved by this Royal Decree. The deadline for carrying out the first review and inspection will be counted from the last periodic inspection carried out, in accordance with the previous CTIs or, in their absence, from the date of authorisation or communication of the release into service of the storage.
WHY USE INSPECTION, AUDITING AND STORAGE TANK CALIBRATION SERVICES?
- To review of all of the documentation for the facility (project, periodic reviews, etc.).
- To prevent accidental leaks and prevent costly decontamination with regular inspections
- Visual inspection of the facility, types of storage, piping systems, distances between containers, distances between facilities, foundations, cavities, effluent treatment, safety facilities, etc.
- To obtain a clear overview of the precise capacity and volume of your tanks with an accurate calibration of them.
- To ensure the integrity of the storage tanks through compliance with local regulations, in addition to the applicable standards and codes.
- Measurement of thicknesses in the tanks, where applicable.
Frequency of regulatory inspections of storage of chemical products in accordance with Royal Decree 656/2017.
The periodic inspection of the Storage of Chemical Products (APQ in Spanish) in different facilities.
The following table contains details of the main types of storage of chemical products, the reviews and inspections required and the frequency of them.
|
Storage of Chemical products |
Inspection frequency |
|
Flammable and combustible liquids |
– Initial inspection – Annual review – Periodic inspection every 5 years. |
|
Ethylene oxide |
– Initial inspection – Annual review – Periodic inspection every 5 years. |
|
Chlorine |
– Initial inspection – Annual review – Periodic inspection every 2 and 5 years. |
|
Anhydrous ammonia |
-Initial inspection -Periodic inspection every 5 and 10 years. |
|
Bottles and 5-gallon bottles |
– Annual review – Periodic inspection every 5 years. |
|
Corrosive liquids |
– Initial inspection – Annual review – Periodic inspection every 5 years. |
|
Toxic liquids |
– Initial inspection – Annual review – Periodic inspection every 5 years. |
|
Fertilisers |
– Initial inspection – Annual review – Periodic inspection every 5 years. |
|
Portable containers |
– Initial inspection – Annual review – Periodic inspection every 5 years. |
WHY IS THE INSPECTION OF THE STORAGE OF CHEMICAL PRODUCTS IMPORTANT?
The inspection of the storage of chemical products is important because, according to legislation, the owner of the facilities with any type of storage of chemical products has the following obligations and rights:
-
-
- Responsibility for compliance with the rules established in the Regulation on the Storage of Chemical Products and its Technical Instructions.
- To carry out regulatory inspections and reviews as often as required
- To have a civil liability insurance policy in relation to the storage
- Responsibility for the correct use and maintenance of the facilities
- Responsibility for the administrative updating of extensions and modifications made to the original authorised facility.
-
THE PURPOSE OF THE SERVICE?
The frequency of the controls is set at 5 years for inspection (conformity of the facility with the requirements of its initial release into service) and yearly for the review (visual inspection of the condition of the facilities and technical checks).
