Prevention of accidents to storage tanks for liquid products used in agriculture

journal article in Web of Science

en

The storage of liquid substances like livestock slurry, liquid fertilizer, digested material and many others is an integral part of farms. The storage is realized in tanks with a volume of several cubic meters up to several thousand cubic meters. Various materials such as steel, reinforced concrete, plastics and combinations of these materials are used to construct such containers, less often wood or composite materials. Compared to the chemical industry, the stored substances are not toxic to the human body, and in the event of accidents, only minimal damage to human health is usually caused. Hazardousness of stored substances consist of harmfulness to the environment, mainly due to the high concentration of these substances. In particular, water resources are threatened, both surface water and underground drinking water sources. In general, agriculture is often overlooked sectors. Despite that it is a crucial sector for human existence. As is the case with the safety of operation of technological equipment. In the field of chemical industry hundreds of publications have been written on this subject; in the field of agriculture, these publications are rather an exception. Employees working in the chemical industry are regularly trained to deal with emergencies, with employees in the agricultural sector this is an exception. It is clear from various reports that the accident is not avoided even in this sector. The authors collected a total of 241 records of accidents resulting in leakage of stored material from the tanks. Relative number of accidents causes by human error is 17%, organizational causes 20.7%, external causes 20.7%, and other causes 14.1%. Unknown causes were found in 27.4%. The data were statistically processed and selected emergency scenarios was described in more detail. The output of the work is recommendations for the safe operation of storage tanks.

The storage of liquid substances like livestock slurry, liquid fertilizer, digested material and many others is an integral part of farms. The storage is realized in tanks with a volume of several cubic meters up to several thousand cubic meters. Various materials such as steel, reinforced concrete, plastics and combinations of these materials are used to construct such containers, less often wood or composite materials. Compared to the chemical industry, the stored substances are not toxic to the human body, and in the event of accidents, only minimal damage to human health is usually caused. Hazardousness of stored substances consist of harmfulness to the environment, mainly due to the high concentration of these substances. In particular, water resources are threatened, both surface water and underground drinking water sources. In general, agriculture is often overlooked sectors. Despite that it is a crucial sector for human existence. As is the case with the safety of operation of technological equipment. In the field of chemical industry hundreds of publications have been written on this subject; in the field of agriculture, these publications are rather an exception. Employees working in the chemical industry are regularly trained to deal with emergencies, with employees in the agricultural sector this is an exception. It is clear from various reports that the accident is not avoided even in this sector. The authors collected a total of 241 records of accidents resulting in leakage of stored material from the tanks. Relative number of accidents causes by human error is 17%, organizational causes 20.7%, external causes 20.7%, and other causes 14.1%. Unknown causes were found in 27.4%. The data were statistically processed and selected emergency scenarios was described in more detail. The output of the work is recommendations for the safe operation of storage tanks.

Accident; Agriculture; Environment; Europe; Statistical analysis

31.08.2019

Institution of Chemical Engineers

London

0957-5820

128

August 2019

193–202

10