1、 Human Factors in New Facility Design Tool API Human Factors Task Force Regulatory Analysis however, the Institute makes no representation, warranty, or guarantee in connection with this publication and hereby expressly disclaims any liability or responsibility for loss or damage resulting from its
2、use or for the violation of any authorities having jurisdiction with which this publication may conflict. API publications are published to facilitate the broad availability of proven, sound engineering and operating practices. These publications are not intended to obviate the need for applying sou
3、nd engineering judgment regarding when and where these publications should be utilized. The formulation and publication of API publications is not intended in any way to inhibit anyone from using any other practices. Any manufacturer marking equipment or materials in conformance with the marking req
4、uirements of an API standard is solely responsible for complying with all the applicable requirements of that standard. API does not represent, warrant, or guarantee that such products do in fact conform to the applicable API standard. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced, sto
5、red in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Contact the Publisher, API Publishing Services, 1220 L Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005. Copyright 2005 American Petroleum I
6、nstitute FOREWORD Nothing contained in any API publication is to be construed as granting any right, by implication or otherwise, for the manufacture, sale, or use of any method, apparatus, or product covered by letters patent. Neither should anything contained in the publication be construed as ins
7、uring anyone against liability for infringement of letters patent. Suggested revisions are invited and should be submitted to the Director of Regulatory Analysis and Scientific Affairs, API, 1220 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005. TABLE OF CONTENTS Purpose. 1 Scope 1 Applicability. 1 Structure of T
8、ool . 1 How to Use the Tool . 1 Economic Discussion 3 Application of Tool in Existing Facilities 4 1. Alarm Management . 5 2. Blinds and Blanks 9 3. Control House Ergonomics 11 4. Electrical Substations and Field Housing for Instruments . 19 5. Emergency Equipment 23 6. Field Analyzer Buildings 25 7
9、. Field Display Panels 27 8. Filters. 29 9. Furnaces and Fired Heaters 31 10. Instrumentation Systems . 33 11. Labeling / Signage of Process Equipment. 34 12. Loading / Unloading Facilities 36 13. Pumps and Compressors 38 14. Reactors / Dryers. 40 15. Sample Points . 41 16. Structural: Ladders, Stai
10、rs, Guards, and Handrails . 42 17. Tanks. 44 18. Valves 46 19. Vessels (including Heat Exchangers) 48 20. Work Environment: Lighting, Noise, Heating/Cooling 49 Glossary 67 References 70 Figures 1 Location of Controls and Displays on Local Control Panels 52 2 Recommended Layout of Equipment and Pipin
11、g at Pumps 53 3 Location of Valve Handwheels 54 4 Force as Function of Valve Wheel Height however, many ideas provided in this Tool may be used to improve the operation of existing plants, where feasible. Applicability This Tool is applicable to equipment that is operated and maintained by people wo
12、rking in manufacturing plants. It is for use whenever one is trying to assess hazards associated with the equipment design process. The human factors principles described here are intended to complement proper equipment designs, effective operating procedures and appropriate plant management systems
13、 to help eliminate unwanted incidents. This Tool is not a complete design standard for applying human factors in plant equipment designs. Companies are expected to use this Tool as a starting point in developing their own specific human factors design standards. Structure of Tool The Tool consists o
14、f three columns: Human Factor Issue, Example Situation, and Potential Solution. The topics addressed in each column are intended to be a representative sample of key issues and are by no means all-inclusive. The “Human Factors Issue” column addresses key human factors issues, or problems, related to
15、 various types of equipment. The “Example Situation” column provides examples of situations where the human factors issue in the first column may manifest itself. The purpose of this column is only to provide clarification of the specific human factors issue described in the first column and to aid
16、the user in understanding that issue. The “Potential Solution” column provides ideas for actions that may be taken to address the human factors issue mentioned in the first column. Operating plants are encouraged to identify their own best solution(s) for their individual situations. How to Use the
17、Tool The way this Tool will be applied in operating plants will depend on the specific project management systems used by each company. The expectation is that operating plants will use the Tool as the basis for creating their own human factors design standards for plant equipment and/or for incorpo
18、rating the Tool contents into their existing design standards. Operating plants are encouraged to enhance their specific standards with HUMAN FACTORS IN NEW FACILITY DESIGN TOOL 2 additional site-specific and/or different human factors issues and/or potential solutions that are not presently include
19、d in the Tool. The Tool is best applied during the early design phases of projects where early hazard identification and risk assessments are utilized in the overall risk management support of the project. Depending on a specific companys project management system, this could include the planning ph
20、ase, the equipment design phase, and possibly through the construction and startup phases, since safety personnel are always trying to identify potential hazards during all stages of a project. Different parts of the Tool will be more applicable during one phase than another. Companies are encourage
21、d to apply the different parts of the Tool to their specific project management systems. Following are some examples of how the Tool may be applied during the various phases of a project: 1. Planning / Design Considerations / Front End Loading Phase: In the initial phases of a project the human fact
22、ors design standards and requirements for equipment are agreed upon and a plan is prepared on how the human factors considerations will be incorporated into the project equipment designs. During this phase the Tool may be used to help determine spacing requirements, especially around the larger equi
23、pment. For example, paragraph 14B (p. 40) of the Tool points out that for reactors containing toxic catalyst enough space should be provided to allow for proper catalyst removal. Similar spacing/accessing requirements are provided throughout the Tool as in paragraph 13E (p. 39) for machinery and 18E
24、 (p. 47) for exchanger valves. All these considerations need to be made in the early phases of the project to ensure that adequate plot plan spacing is provided. 2. Detailed Design Phase: Application of human factors principles is most prevalent during the detailed design phase of projects, usually
25、during preliminary hazard identification and risk assessment studies. Essentially all equipment addressed in the Tool has at least one paragraph with requirements that need to be specified during the detailed design phase of the project. For example, Tool paragraph 9A (p. 31) may be used to appropri
26、ately locate the furnace pilot fuel valve and the igniter. Similarly, paragraph 17A (p. 44) addresses the human needs for accessing tank instrumentation. Paragraphs 1A (p. 5) on alarm management and 4A (p. 19) on emergency egress from substations are two more examples of how the Tool may be used to
27、apply human factors in plant designs. During the model review phase of the project the design specifications made during the detailed design phase can be confirmed and/or altered/corrected. Technological advances are making it increasingly possible and financially acceptable to use 3-Dimensional (3-
28、D) computer models in projects of all sizes. 3-D visualization of plant layouts during model reviews is making it easier to apply human factors principles during plant designs, particularly in the area of equipment access for both operations and maintenance. 3-D models may be used to confirm or corr
29、ect the designs specified during the detailed design phase and may also be used to apply many of the human factors potential solutions provided in the Tool. For example, a 3-D model review may be the most appropriate way to determine whether a fire monitor has a clear line of sight to a fire-prone p
30、iece of equipment, as described in the Tool paragraph 5A (p. 23). Similarly, paragraph 9E (p. 31) may be more appropriately applied during the model review phase to identify access to specific equipment for both operations and maintenance personnel. Other examples HUMAN FACTORS IN NEW FACILITY DESIG
31、N TOOL 3 where the Tool may be best applied during model reviews is paragraph 15A (p. 41), where access to safety showers is discussed; paragraph 4H (p. 20), where access to electrical equipment is mentioned; and paragraph 16F (p. 43), where the extension bars to ladder safety gauges on elevated pla
32、tforms are discussed. 3. Construction/Startup Phase: The Tool may also be utilized during the construction and/or startup phases of projects. At this stage, most of the human factors principles covered in the planning and design phases will be confirmed and evaluated against the completed design par
33、ameters, detailed equipment locations, and general operating/maintenance environment. For example, as described in paragraph 5F (p. 24), on field alarms, the actual noise level surrounding a certain piece of equipment or unit during startup may make it necessary to increase the alarm sound level to
34、ensure that personnel working nearby can hear it and evacuate the unit in an emergency. Similarly, paragraph 7C (p. 28) that addresses glare on field control panels and consoles may be applicable during the final project phases. Other examples include the application of Tool paragraph 10F (p. 33) on
35、 proper labeling of pipes and paragraph, and 4M (p. 22) on labeling and signage of electrical controls and displays. Other examples may be found in the Tool Section 11 (p. 34), on labeling / signage of process equipment, and in Section 20 (p. 49), on work environment. Economic Discussion A key compo
36、nent for the successful application of human factors principles in plant equipment designs depends on support and understanding from management on the need for, and benefits of, human factors application in plant equipment designs. The early application of human factors principles during a project d
37、esign actually costs less than if human factors principles are not applied at all, or are applied after the equipment has been constructed and started-up. One API member company recently estimated that the net cost of applying human factors to the design of an entire chemical plant unit was only 0.0
38、25 percent of the total project cost. This is considerably less than the project savings resulting from the absence of construction rework that is often necessary in many projects. In the particular chemical plant unit studied, most of the human factors principles were applied without any cost at al
39、l by arranging the equipment correctly as it was being built. Another API member company performed a study in the mid-1990s and found that around 6-6.5 percent of the construction cost was saved in eliminating rework. This particular company implemented a process in the design phase to address human
40、 factors issues and then followed-up by working with the contractors for training, auditing, etc. In cases where human factors principles are applied to an existing plant there is a cost associated with the retrofit. If human factors principles are applied early in a project, however, then the overa
41、ll project cost is actually reduced because everything is done correctly the first time and there is no need for any rework. In addition to reduced project cost, application of human factors can result in more efficient operations and reduced accidents. Understanding these cost/benefit issues is key
42、 to successful implementation of this Tool and application of human factors principles in general. HUMAN FACTORS IN NEW FACILITY DESIGN TOOL 4 Application of Tool in Existing Facilities The Tool is primarily intended, and is more effective, for new facilities that are designed with human factors pri
43、nciples in mind; however, many of the issues identified in this Tool may also be used to improve the operation of existing plants where desired. For example, Tool paragraph 2C (p. 9) on the presence of bleed and drain valves around pipeline blind locations, and paragraph 9D (p. 31) on provisions of
44、motor operated valves (MOVs) for frequently decoked furnaces are two instances where the Tool can be useful during HAZOP reviews. Additional examples may be found in paragraph 10Ba (p. 33) on instrument isolation and paragraph 1D (p. 5) on determining alarm priority. In the case of valves, using the
45、 Tool promotes development of a qualitatively ranked list of all the valves that need attention from a human factors perspective. The list can be compiled with the help of operators who have been using the valves. A plan can thus be developed to replace or modify valves, as appropriate, using the gu
46、idelines provided in the Tools “Potential Solution“ column, or by taking other appropriate actions to resolve any specific issues that may not by addressed by the Tool. The following scenarios are merely examples for illustration purposes only. (Each company should develop its own approach.) They ar
47、e not to be considered exclusive or exhaustive in nature. API makes no warranties, express or implied for reliance on or any omissions from the information HUMAN FACTORS IN NEW FACILITY DESIGN TOOL 5 Human Factors Issue Example Situation Comment / Potential Solution 1. Alarm Management 1A. Alarm lim
48、its do not provide early warning to the operator to enable a response before unit failure or shutdown. 1. A high-high alarm on a storage tank tripped the pump supplying product to the tank and sent the product to flare. a. Design alarm system to: (1) Detect the process problem (2) Clearly indicate t
49、he severity of the problem to the operator (3) Guide the operator to diagnose the process condition (4) Allow sufficient time for the operator to correct the problem 1B. High priority alarms are ganged or grouped. 1. The operator assumed that the group alarm was referring to a problem fin fan, when in fact it was telling him that the uninterrupted power supply for the control system computer had malfunctioned. Several hours later, the control system failed and fires started. a. Do NOT design the alarm system so it: (1) Annoys the operator with irrelevant process conditions (2) Repeti
