Safety health and environment aspects in thermal power plants

Occupational Health Hazards, Safety
&Environmental management in
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
Presented By
V.KODANDA PANI
ADE/TMD/STAGE III
ANDHRAPRADESH POWER GENERATION CORPORATION LIMITED
RAYALASEEMA THERMAL POWER PROJECT

Health, Safety & Environment
WHAT IS HSE
H Health (Occupational)
Prevention of occupational sickness
S Safety
Prevention of Accidents / Injuries
E Environment
Protection of Environment
Every minute there are:
2 Occupational Fatalities
475 Occupational Injuries
300 Occupational Diseases

H S E OBJECTIVES
Continuous reduction in the incidence of work
, , ,related injuries fatalities diseases disasters and
.loss of national assets
Continuous enhancement of community awareness
,regarding safety health and environment at
.workplace related areas
 ,Improving safety health and environment at
“ ”workplace by creation of green jobs contributing to
sustainable enterprise development

OCCUPATIONAL
HAZARDSIN
THERMAL
POWER PLANTS

HAZARD
HAZARD – Condition with the potential
to cause personal injury, death and property
damage

Occupational health
 refers to the potential risks to health and
safety for those who work outside the home
Hazard
 something that can cause harm if not
controlled.
Occupational disease
 Disease directly caused by a person’s
occupation.

Types Of Occupational Hazards
Depending upon occupation of an employee may be exposed to five types of
hazards
Physical hazards
Heat
NOISE
VIBRATION
ILLUMINATION
RADIATION
Chemical
Biological
Mechanical-electrical
Psychosocial

Disorders Clinical features
Prickly Heat (Miliaria rubra) Pruritic rash
Heat cramps Cramps in the body,
usually legs
Heat exhaustion Dizziness, blurring of
vision, cold and
sweaty skin
Heat stroke Cyanosis, muscle
twitchings
Heat Syncope (fainting) Falling unconscious
because of too much
exposure to high
temperatures
Health Effects of Heat Stress

HEAT EXHAUSTION
At high temperatures body
circulates great amounts
of blood to the skin to
eliminate heat through
perspiration. Less blood to
vital organs including
brain.

HEAT STORKE
Body stops sweating and
making it impossible to
dissipate heat.
Body temperature may
rise to dangerous level in
short time.

Increasing air changes
Reducing radiated heat by
insulation
Reflection of heat
Drinking plenty of water and
intake of salt
Use of personal protective
equipments
Effective temperature and heat effect in
an environment can be controlled by:

NOISE
Industrial noise can give rise to deafness
Non auditory effects are irritation, nervousness,
annoyance, fatigue, inefficiency etc
Hearing loss in most cases is not sudden but increases
with the length of the work time in the noisy zone.
Types of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
 Temporary Threshold Shift (auditory fatigue)
 temporary loss of hearing acuity after
exposure to loud noise
 recovery within 16-48 hrs
 Permanent Threshold Shift
 irreversible loss of hearing

Other Harmful Effects of
Noise
• Hypertension
• Hyperacidity
• Palpitations
• Disturbs relaxation and
sleep

Threshold Limit Value for noisy working conditions:
(An 8 hour shift in all following cases)
8 hours work – 90 dBA
4 hours working – 95 dBA
2 hours working – 100 dBA
1 hour working – 105 dBA
half hour work – 110 dBA
 Threshold of hearing – 125 dBA
 Sudden deafness/rupture of ear drum can occur at 140 dBA
NOISE

Noise can be controlled by;
1. Reducing vibrations
2. Enclosing the noise
producing equipment
3. Enclosing the operator
4. Moving away from the
noisy area
5. Use of personal protective
equipments
NOISE CONTROL

Segmental Vibration:
Vibration especially 10 to 500 Hz, can affect hand and
arm after years of exposure
• Health Effects:
— Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS)
The fine blood vessel of finger becomes increasingly sensitive to spasm
(white fingers).
— Tingling, numbness, blanching of fingers pain

Whole Body Vibration:
Health effects:
Fatigue
Irritability
Headache
Disorders of the spine

Continuous working should be avoided
Using Anti vibration tools
 using Anti vibration gloves
Safe working practices
Employee education
VIBRATION CONTROL TECHNIQUES

Inadequate Illumination
Health Effects
POOR ILLUMINATION EXCESSIVE BRIGHTNESS
Visual Fatigue Blurring Vision
Eye pain Discomfort annoyance
Headaches
Painful irritation
Lacrimation(flow of tears)

CONTROL
Insufficient Light as a hazard in working
condition can be controlled by
 Providing Sufficient lighting at working areas
&
increasing Light requirements with age of a
person to see and work on the object.

RADIATION
A. Non ionizing (Ultraviolet) Radiation hazard-
Seen in work with arc welding and mainly affects the eyes.
Exposure to such radiation may lead to Conjunctivitis and Keratitis
(Welder’ s flash)
B. Ionizing radiation hazards[X room/ CT]
Anemia
Leukemia
Cancer
Ulceration
In extreme cases death can take place

Chemical Hazards
Chemical hazards –
1. Dust
2. Smoke
3. Fumes
4. Poisonous gases
5. Acids
6. Alkalis

Chemical Hazards
They enter our body through
 Skin
 Inhalation
 Mouth
EFFECTS
 Skin diseases
 Lung diseases
 Internal blood and other diseases

DUST
These dusts enter our body through inhalation
Respirable dust particles can enter our lung sacks and reduce our breathing
capacity since this dust settles there,
Normally dust particle less than 2.5 micron only can enter in our lung
sacks.
Bigger dust particles either remain in our nose or get stuck in throat. Then
they go into stomach and get removed from our body system in natural
way.
Disease which can occur due to inhalation of coal dust is known as
“pneumoconiosis” and is irreversible till person is shifted from job

Prevention of Pneumoconiosis
1.Dust control-
Reduction of dust emission by suppression by wetting coal in
wagons, at the time of tippling, water spray in coal conveyors
· Proper Ventilation
· Exhaust
· Enclosed apparatus
· Good house keeping
2.Personnel protection
· Mask, clothing, apron, boots barrier cream etc
3.Personal hygiene
4.Health education about respiratory evolvement
and personal protection
5.Medical control
Periodic medical check up for early detection

Chemical Hazards
Smoke: inhalation of smoke which can contain poisonous
gaseous fumes also and can have effects on our health;
Fumes: fumes emanating from liquid chemicals can cause ill
effects on our health when inhaled;
Vapor: vapors of chemicals liquids are also dangerous to our
health when inhaled. Vapours of hydrazine hydrate can cause
unconsciousness when inhaled.
Poisonous gases
leads to suffocation and asphyxia(Reduction oxygen).
Asphyxiating gases are – CO, Cyanide, SO2, Chlorine etc

Chemical Hazards
 Hazardous chemicals used in thermal power stations:
 Chlorine
 Hydrochloric acid
 Euphoric acid
 Hydrazine hydrate
 Liquor ammonia
 Sodium hydroxide

Chemical Hazards
It is the most hazardous chemical used
It is used in water treatment plant
It is procured in toners for use in chlorinationation
When more than 10 tons of chlorine is stored/
handled/used in any industry, a Disaster Management
Plan (DMP) is required to be prepared and submitted to
statutory authorities.
This DMP is required to be practiced through mock
drills periodically and review meeting are to be
conducted for checking discrepancies.
Chlorine

Chemical Hazards
Chlorine vapor is poisonous when inhaled
Will cause burn in eyes
Chlorine liquid can cause burn on skin and eyes
Threshold Limit Value (TLV) for chlorine is 1 ppm
At 100 ppm it can be fatal.
EFFECTS OF CHLORINE

PREVENTION
To avoid chemical accidents some points to be kept
in mind.
1. knowledge of chemicals
2. knowledge of processing plant
3. knowledge of operator
Chemical Hazards

• Point of OperationPoint of Operation - where work is performed on material by the
machine
• Cutting
• Shaping
• Drilling
• Stretching
• ging
Belts
Where Mechanical Hazards are present

• Power Transmission ApparatusPower Transmission Apparatus - Part of the machine that
transfers energy to the part of the machine performing the work
• Flywheel
• Pulley
• Cams
• Gears
• Connecting rods
• Couplings
• Chains
• Belts

 Entanglement caused by contact with single rotating surface
Rotation Hazard

ROTORY MOTION HAZARD
Here, the operator is reaching into the machine, which due to the
rotary motion of the drums can force his hand and arm into a
dangerous position that could result in injury.

• Parts rotating in opposite directions while
being parallel to each other Pinch Point
• Between rotating and tangentially moving
parts
Pinch Points
• Between rotating and fixed parts Pinch Point
Rotation Hazard

Hazard Recognition
www.discountppe.com
 Rotary Motion Hazard:Rotary Motion Hazard:
– Hazard is increased when projections are
present on rotating components which can strike
the operator
the rotary motion of the bobine is
grabbing and forcing the operators arm
into the machine, potentially causing
injury to the arm.

– Struck by or caught
between the stationary
part and moving part of
the up-and-down or back-
and-forth motion

 Abrasive / Rubber Surfaces
– Contact with an abrasive or sticky surface in fast motion

Prevention of mechanical hazards

PREVENTION OF INDUSTRIAL HAZARDS
• Maintenance of temperature- 69 to 80 deg. F is the comfortable zone
• Proper ventilation
• Good housekeeping
• Proper illumination
• Personal protection
• Personal hygiene
• Health education
• Job rotation
• Periodic health Check up
• Preventive maintenance
• Adequate job training
• Ensuring safe working environments
• Establishment of safety department with qualified safety engineer
• Periodic survey for finding out hazards
• Application of ergonomics

ACCIDENTS
Unplanned & unexpected event which results
into injury or property damage is known as
accident.
98% accidents were either un safe actions/un
safe conditions or both

Types of Accidents
FALL TO
same level
lower level
CAUGHT
in
Between
RUBBED OR ABRADED
BY
friction
pressure
vibration
CONTACT WITH
chemicals
electricity
heat/cold
Radiation
STRUCK
 Against
 stationary or moving
object
 protruding object
 sharp edge

Policy & Procedures
Environmental Conditions
Equipment/Plant Design
Human Behavior
Slip/Trip Fall
Energy Release
Pinched Between
Indirect Causes
Direct Causes
ACCIDENTACCIDENT
Personal Injury
Property Damage
Potential/Actual
Basic Causes
Unsafe
Acts
Unsafe
Conditions
CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS

Basic Causes
Management
Environment
Equipment
Human Behavior
Systems &
Procedures
Natural & Man-
made
Design &
Equipment

Management
Systems & Procedures
Lack of systems &
procedures
Availability
Lack of Supervision

Environment
Physical
Lighting
Temperature
Chemical
vapors
smoke
• Biological
–Bacteria
–Reptiles

Design and Equipment
Design
Workplace layout
Design of tools &
equipment
Maintenance
Equipment
Suitability
Stability
Guarding
Ergonomic
Accessibility

Human Behavior
Common to
all accidents
Not limited to person
involved in accident

Human Factors
Omissions
Deviations from SOP
Lacking Authority
Short Cuts
Remove guards

Indirect Causes of accidents
Unsafe conditions
Unprotected platforms, openings an un guarded m/c
untidy work area
Using Defective tools
poor lighting in work area
Bad house keeping
Un safe clothing,loose hair,ornaments etc
Unsafe act
using equipment without having proper knowledge
failing to use the appropriate protective equipment
Operating without authority
using tools or equipment incorrectly.

ACCIDENTEE
Pain, worry, No recreation, In capacity to perform
normal work, loss of wages, Medical expenses, Loss of
life
SUPERVISOR
Worry, Loss of prestige, A good man lost, Selecting
and training a substitute, More supervision on
trainee,losss of output, Loss of morale
MANAGEMENT
Production delays ,legal complications, compensation
& medical costs, Damages to equipment
,Repair/replacement cost

1.DISCOVERING THE CAUSES
 INVESTIGATION OF ACCIDENTS
 Inspection of plant, equipment and work conditions
 Maintaining proper records of all activities like O&M, testing and analysing them
2.ELIMINATING by
 Recruiting and placing properly trained personnel
 Safety education and training
 Supervision
 Discipline
 Motivating for safety
 Safe guarding all machines, work space etc
 Adequate suitable illumination and ventilation
 Safe dress and PPE
 Preventive maintenance
 displaying warning notices in vulnerable places

Biological Hazards
• Exposure to infective and parasitic agents like
viruses,fungi,bacteria etc at the place of work
• Insect bite
• Dog bite
• Snake bite
PREVENTION
• Personal Protection
• Post Control

PSYCHOSOCIAL HAZARDS
FACTORS -
• Mal adjustment with work environment
• Lack of job satisfaction
• Insecurity
• Poor human relationships
• Excessive work
• Sexual harassment
• Bullying
Health problems
•Fatigue
•Headache
•Hypertension
•Heart disease
•Peptic ulcer
Behaviors changes
•Anxiety/Depression
•Tension
•Inability to concentrate
•Irritability
•Memory loss

PREVENTION
• Good induction program.
• Management by participation.
• Establishment of Proper communication channel.
• Establishment of Healthy personnel policies
• Establishment of healthy HR relationship.
• Regular stress management program.
Psychosocial Hazards

How to
Control
Hazard ?
3 step
process
Step 1: Hazard Identification Techniques
Step 2. List, rank and set priorities for hazardous jobs
Step 3. Controlling Hazards

Step 1: Hazard Identification Techniques

78
• Safety audit
A systematic & independent examination of all or part of a total operating system to
determine whether safety activities comply with planned arrangements
Safety survey
Safety survey is a detailed & in-depth examination of a narrow field of activity eg...
•Individual plants OR A specific problem.
• Safety inspection
A routine scheduled inspection of a department or unit which may be carried out by
personnel within the unit. During inspection deviations from safety standards, employee’s unsafe
work practices and unsafe conditions are checked.
• Safety tour
Safety tour is an unscheduled examination of a work area, carried out by any personnel from
manager to safety committee members to ensure that company’s safety standards and
procedures are being observed.
• Safety sampling
A specific application of safety inspection / tour designed for random sampling of any activity
posing serious accident potential. During safety sampling number of defects Are observing for
immediate corrective actions.
Hazard Identification Techniques

Steps to Control
Hazard
Step 2. List, rank and set priorities
for hazardous jobs -
List jobs with hazards that present
unacceptable risks, based on those most
likely to occur and with the most severe
consequences. These jobs should be
your first priority for analysis.

Steps to Control Hazard
Step 3. Controlling Hazards
finding Solutions to Control Hazards and
execution of measures
Hazard can be eliminated
(i) At the Source
(ii) Along the path from hazard to the Worker
(iii) At the level of the worker

Hazard Removal at the Source
Elimination –
Getting rid of a hazardous job, tool,machine or substance is
perhaps the best way of protecting workers.
Substitution –
Sometimes doing the same work in a less hazardous way is
possible.
Redesign –
Jobs and processes can be reworked to make them safer.
Automation –
Dangerous processes can be automated or mechanized.

Hazard Removal
along the path from Hazard to Worker
1. Barriers - A hazard can be blocked before it
reaches workers. Proper equipment
guarding will protect workers from
contacting moving parts.
2. Absorption - Enclosures can block or
absorb noise.
3. Dilution - Some hazards can be diluted or
dissipated. For example, ventilation systems
can dilute toxic gasses before they reach
operators.

Hazard Removal at the Level of Worker
 Work procedures, supervision and training
 Job rotations and other procedures can reduce
the time that workers are exposed to a hazard
 Housekeeping, repair and maintenance
programs
 Personal protective equipment (PPE)

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF EMISSIONS
OF
THERMAL POWER PLANTS

Material Flow Diagram for
Thermal Power plant

Summary Table of Electric Power
Generation
Source India Japan U.S.
Coal 59.2% 21.2% 51.8%
Oil 13.9% 16.6% 03.1%
Gas 06.3% 22.1% 15.7%
Nuclear 02.5% 30.0% 19.9%
Hydro 17.8% 08.2% 07.4%
Others 00.3% 01.9% 02.2%

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN COAL BASED
POWER GENERATION
Air Pollution :- High particulate matter emission levels due to
burning of inferior grade coal which
leads to generation of large quantity of fly ash.
Emissions of SO2, NOx & Green house gas
(CO2) are also matter of concern.
Water Pollution :- Mainly caused by the effluent discharge from ash
ponds, condenser cooling /cooling tower, DM
plant and Boiler blow down.
Noise Pollution :- High noise levels due to release of high pressure
steam and running of fans and motors
Land Degradation :- The disposal of large quantity of ash has occupied
thousands hectares of land which includes
agricultural and forest land too.

The major pollutants are
Particulate matter(fly ash)
CO2 Emission
Sulfur oxides (SOX)
Oxides of nitrogen(NOX)
Probability of emission of CO and
unburnt carbon.

SPM Emission Estimates
Thermal
Power
Plants
82%
Sugar
10%
Cement
7%
Others
1%
Share of Suspended Particulate Matter Load
(tonnes/day) by Different Categories of
Industries (With Control Device), Total Load =
5365 tonnes/day

Others
1%
Oil Refineries
3%
Sulphuric Acid
Plants
2%
Thermal Power
Plants
89%
Steel
5%
Share of Sulphur Dioxide Load (Tonnes / day)Share of Sulphur Dioxide Load (Tonnes / day)
By different categories of IndustriesBy different categories of Industries
(Total Load = 3715 Tonnes / day)(Total Load = 3715 Tonnes / day)

Fly ash contains a toxic brew of dangerous chemicals and
is the largest contributor to mercury pollution
 Composition of Fly ash
It contains as main chemical components SiO2 (51.4 wt%),
Al2O3 (22.1 wt%) and Fe2O3 (17.2 wt%)
Considerable amounts of toxic elements and heavy metals
Be (16.4 ppm), Cu (106 ppm), Zn (578 ppm), As (40.4
ppm),
Cd (2.6 ppm), Hg (18 ppm), Pb (71 ppm), and U (21.8 ppm)
is found in Fly ash.

Elemental (metallic) mercury ,exposure to excessive
levels can permanently damage or fatally injure the
brain and kidneys.
It can be absorbed through the skin and cause allergic
reactions..
Exposures to Organic compounds of mercury can
result in neurological damage and death.

Pollutants Effects (On Man)
SOX Suffocation, irritation of throat
and eyes, respiratory, asthma,
lung cancer
NOX Irritation, bronchitis, oedema of
lungs
H2S Irritation, disease of bone,
mottling of teeth, respiratory
disease
CO Poisoning, cardiovascular
diseases
Particulates (Dust fume mist
and soot)
Respiratory diseases like
sillcosis, asbetosis

Pollutant Effects on environment
SO2/NO2 On Vegetation: Acidic rains
destruction of sensitive crops
and reduced yields
On Materials: Corrosion
CO2(Green house gas) GLOBAL WARMING
Particulate (Dust fume mist and
soot)
On Material: Soiling and
corrosion

An electrostatic precipitator (ESP), or electrostatic air cleaner is a
particulate collection device that removes particles from a flowing gas (such
as air) using the force of an induced electrostatic charge.

SOX CONTROL
FGD – Flue Gas Desulfurization
Flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) is a set of technologies used to
remove sulfur dioxide (SO2) from
exhaust flue gases of fossil-fuel power plants if sulfuer content
exceed 1% in the coal
Limestone slurry is sprayed on
the incoming flue gas. The sulfur
dioxide gets absorbed The
limestone and the sulfur dioxide
react as follows :
CaCO3 + H2O + 2SO2 ----> Ca+2
+ 2HSO3
-
+ CO2
CaCO3 + 2HSO3
-
+ Ca+2
----> 2CaSO4 + CO2 + H2O

Control Of Nox Emissions
NOx control can be achieved by:
• Reduce Oxygen concentration in the
flame one. This can be accomplished
by:
• decreasing the excess air
• controlled mixing of fuel and air
• Using high quality coal

NATURAL GREEN HOUSE EFFECT
precipitation of water, formation of clouds, rainfall etc. life
in the biosphere depend on these resources.
The warm atmosphere helps in the growth of vegetation
and forest etc. These are sources of food, shelter etc.
This effect helps in rapid bio-degradation of dead plants
and animals.
HUMAN ENHANCED GREEN HOUSE EFFECT
 Rising sea levels
 Change in climate
 Heat stress in Humans
 Alteration of habitats and ecosystems

For the proper dispersion of SO2 emission from thermal
power plant, stack height criteria have been adopted in
country. However, for larger capacities boilers (500MW
and above) space provision for installing FGD system has
been recommended.
Power generation
capacity
Stack Height (mts.)
Less than 200/210 MW H = 14 (Q) 0.3
, where Q is
emission rate of SO2 in kg/hr,
H= Stack Height
200/210 or less than 500
MW
220
500 MW and above 275
STACK HEIGHT REQUIREMENTS

Pre-combustion Technologies:
Ash, sulphur and other impurities (coal beneficiation) can be
reduced from the coal before it is burned
Combustion technologies : (FBC , AFBC,PFBC, IGCC)
Generation of emissions of SO2, NOx and CO2 can be
minimised by adopting improved combustion technologies
Post combustion technologies :
End of pipe treatment (installation pollution control equipments
such as ESP, De NOx & De SOx systems)

Emission Standards for PM
Pollutants
Older Units Older New Future
before December 31, 2003 After 2003 to 2006
from January,
2017
<500 MW ≥ 500 MW <500 MW ≥ 500 MW
PM 100 mg/ Nm3
50 mg/ Nm3
30 mg/ Nm3

Emission Standards for SOX
Pollutants
from January,
2017
<500 MW ≥ 500 MW <500 MW ≥ 500 MW
SO2 600 mg/ Nm3
200 mg/ Nm3
- 200 mg/ Nm3
100 mg/ Nm3
Emission Standards for NOX
Pollutants
from January,
2017
<500 MW ≥ 500 MW <500 MW ≥ 500 MW
NOx 600 mg/ Nm3
300 mg/ Nm3
100 mg/ Nm3

EMISSION STANDARDS AS PER MOEFCC

• Communication: Must be a loop system
• Dedication: From everyone
•Partnership: Between Management
and Employees
•Participation: .An important part of team working

Safety health and environment aspects in thermal power plants

Safety health and environment aspects in thermal power plants

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