Order of the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service (Rostechnadzor) No. 512 of 9 December 2020
Unofficial translation. Only the Russian original published in the official sources of the Russian Federation has legal force. This translation is provided for reference and does not replace the official document.
1. These Federal Norms and Rules in the field of industrial safety "Safety Rules for Processes of Producing or Using Metals" (hereinafter - the Rules) establish requirements for carrying out activities in the field of industrial safety at hazardous production facilities of the metallurgical industry at which work is carried out to produce, transport and use melts of ferrous and non-ferrous metals and alloys based on these melts, and at which hazardous substances are produced, used, processed, formed, stored, transported and destroyed, stationarily installed lifting mechanisms are used, and equipment operating under excess pressure is used (hereinafter - metallurgical facilities), aimed at ensuring industrial safety and preventing accidents and cases of industrial injury.
2. These Rules apply to all technological processes of metallurgical facilities of metallurgical production (metallurgical complexes) and of metallurgical facilities of other production with a technological component of the metallurgical process. Depending on the completeness of the technological cycles, the technological process includes: storage, preparation of the charge and materials; ladle facilities; production, use, processing, formation, storage and transport of hazardous substances, hazardous chemical and coke-chemical products, combustible, inert and oxidising gases and their mixtures; the direct production of metal (solid, liquid, melt, powder); transport and treatment of melt and slag; casting, treatment and primary storage of metal and slag; storage of materials; removal and purification of process waste and gases, including discharge into discharge and flue stacks; and the process also includes the means ensuring this technology.
3. The list of abbreviations is set out in Appendix No. 1 to the Rules.
4. Accidents and incidents that have occurred at metallurgical facilities shall be subject to investigation and recording. The state of the location where the accident or incident occurred, if this does not endanger the life and health of people, shall be preserved unchanged until the start of the investigation. In this case, the technological process or equipment affecting the preservation of physical and other evidence for the purposes of the investigation shall be stopped. Where a threat to the life and health of people exists at this location, the organisation shall take safety measures that eliminate the hazardous factors affecting the health of people.
5. At organisations of the metallurgical industry, the technical manager of the organisation, the heads of metallurgical structural production subdivisions (shops) and their deputies, and the chief specialist-technologist shall hold higher education in the relevant professional field and (or) higher education in the field of study "Metallurgy". At organisations of other industries operating hazardous production facilities to which the Rules apply, the heads of metallurgical structural production subdivisions (shops) and their deputies shall hold higher education in the relevant professional field and (or) higher education in the field of study "Metallurgy".
6. The operating organisation shall establish requirements (a procedure) for carrying out work in accordance with the production documentation, including for the development, approval, entry into force and revision of instructions containing industrial safety requirements, for conducting technological processes, and for the technical maintenance and repair of equipment. The requirements for the naming of documents in the form of instructions used by the organisation for the purpose of complying with the Rules are determined by the organisational and administrative documentation of the organisation. The substantive part of these documents shall comply with the requirements of the Rules. Instructions are divided into technological instructions, production instructions, operating instructions, and instructions on the procedure for starting up and shutting down units. A technological instruction is a document describing the operations of the technological process (technological method) for manufacturing a specific type of product. A production instruction is a document describing the work process (method) for specific types of work or operations, containing requirements for the technological or auxiliary processes. An operating instruction is a document containing information on the application, use and safe operation of a unit (line, technical device). The safety requirements established by the Rules are mandatory for inclusion in technological or production instructions. Technological and production instructions are developed taking into account the qualification requirements or professional standards for the relevant occupations of workers, the equipment operating manual, and also the features of the technological or auxiliary process established by the design and/or technical documentation. An instruction on the procedure for starting up and shutting down units establishes in documentary form the algorithm for starting the technological process or units (lines, equipment, technical devices). An instruction on the procedure for starting up and shutting down units shall include: start-up, normal operation, shutdown and emergency situations. The sequence of operations in the instruction shall correspond to the schematic electrical diagrams and take into account the requirements of the production documentation. Instructions on the procedure for starting up and shutting down units are mandatory in the case of a complex, multi-stage procedure for starting and stopping the production process carried out under the visual control of the operator. Sub-paragraph repealed from 1 September 2025. - Order of the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service (Rostechnadzor) No. 5 of 14 January 2025. Instructions shall be developed taking into account the production documentation.
7. When mastering new production, technological processes and technical devices, temporary instructions shall be developed containing measures aimed at the safe conduct of technological processes and the safe operation of equipment. The period of validity of a temporary instruction shall be no more than one year from the start of mastering the new production.
8. The maintenance of organisational and administrative documentation and records of various forms (permits, acts, logbooks, forms, certificates, tables, reports) at the organisation may be in electronic form. The need to use an electronic signature or other markings allowing the identification (determination) of the signing person when maintaining organisational and administrative documentation and records is determined by the operating organisation. The requirements for the retention time of documents and records, including in electronic form, are established in accordance with the requirements established by the administrative documents of the operating organisation, taking into account the List of Standard Managerial Archival Documents Generated in the Course of the Activities of State Bodies, Local Self-Government Bodies and Organisations, with an Indication of Their Retention Periods, approved by Order of the Russian Federal Archival Agency No. 236 of 20 December 2019 (registered by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on 6 February 2020, registration No. 57449).
9. The conduct of technological processes at workplaces is monitored by means of entries in the shift handover logbook. The logbook also records information on the parameters of deviation from the conduct of the technological process and information on the condition of the equipment. Faults detected in the technological process or in the condition of the equipment during the working hours of the shift shall be rectified in accordance with the requirements of the administrative documents of the operating organisation. When handing over the shift, all safety devices and means shall be checked in accordance with the job duties of the worker handing over the shift. The results of the check shall be entered in the shift handover logbook. The logbook may be maintained in electronic form without duplication on paper, provided that conditions are ensured that exclude the possibility of altering the information entered in the logbook.
10. To warn workers located beneath the working platforms of metallurgical units containing metal melt, in casting bays, in passageways and dead-end spaces, an audible and visual alarm is used. The audible and visual alarm warns workers of upcoming operations for pouring, casting, charging, blowing, mixing melts and introducing additives into the metal. The duration of the audible and visual signal before the start of the technological operation shall be determined by the design and shall correspond to the time for the safe exit of workers from these zones.
11. The organisation of work to maintain a reliable and safe level of operation and repair of process and auxiliary equipment, pipelines and fittings, control systems, emergency protection systems, communication and warning means, power supply, and also buildings and structures; the distribution of duties and boundaries of responsibility between structural subdivisions and services (technological, mechanical, power and I&C) for ensuring industrial safety requirements; and also the list and scope of operational, repair and other technical documentation shall be determined by the internal administrative documents of the organisation establishing the procedure for safely carrying out work. 11(1). Organisations of the metallurgical industry operating gas facilities, having gas-hazardous locations and carrying out gas-hazardous work, by means of concluding contracts with GSS provided for by paragraph 1 of Article 10 of Federal Law No. 116-FZ of 21 July 1997 "On Industrial Safety of Hazardous Production Facilities", or by creating their own GSS in accordance with paragraph 1 of Article 7 of Federal Law No. 151-FZ of 22 August 1995 "On Emergency Rescue Services and the Status of Rescuers", shall ensure: the performance of gas rescue work; monitoring of the gas contamination of the air of the working area; monitoring of the completeness and correct maintenance in the shops of cabinets with emergency gas protection apparatus and tools; checking the serviceability and repairing the gas protection apparatus and bringing it into a state of readiness after each instance of use; the admission of production personnel to carry out gas-hazardous work performed under a permit to work; carrying out preventive inspections and surveys of the condition of gas-hazardous locations, installations, units, monitoring and measuring instruments and communications of the gas-and-explosion-hazardous serviced shops; the training of gas rescuers and members of the DGSD in gas rescue work and in the methods and techniques of rescuing people and carrying out work in a gas-contaminated atmosphere. At the discretion of the operating organisation, at enterprises of the metallurgical industry operating gas facilities, having gas-hazardous locations or carrying out gas-hazardous work, DGSD may be created for the purposes of improving emergency preparedness, performing gas rescue work and gas-hazardous work requiring the use of gas protection apparatus, and admitting workers to carry out gas-hazardous work. The organisation of the DGSD and the approval of its composition, structure and equipment are carried out by an administrative document of the founder for the purpose of ensuring the performance of the assigned tasks. (paragraph 11(1) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025)
12. Metallurgical production processes introduced into production shall comply with the established industrial safety requirements, including the requirements of these Rules.
13. When designing metallurgical facilities, technical and organisational measures to ensure the industrial safety of metallurgical production and means aimed at preventing the risk of accidents and mitigating their consequences shall be provided for. The technical and organisational measures shall include, among others: protection of equipment against critical failures; the exclusion of individual personnel errors, including during technical maintenance; the mechanisation or automation of the control of process equipment; process control (which shall be carried out remotely from control and operator rooms); checking the operability of systems and components; testing systems for conformity with their design parameters; monitoring the condition of the metal and welded joints of equipment and pipelines; checking the metrological characteristics of measuring channels for conformity with the design requirements.
14. A technological process involving metal melts, where this is provided for by the design, shall provide for the installation of vessels (pits, platforms) for receiving the metal melt in the event of its possible leakage from the furnace or ladle. The vessels for receiving the metal melt shall accommodate the entire volume of spilled metal melt from the furnace or ladle. The melt-receiving locations shall be prepared for receiving the melt and kept dry.
15. The operation of melting units shall not be permitted in the event of a loss of tightness of the water cooling system of these units.
16. Technical devices and communications used in technological processes involving the use (formation) of hazardous substances shall be gas-tight or equipped with gas cleaning. In the absence of a technical possibility of complete sealing of the equipment, the locations where hazardous substances are released shall be equipped with aspiration ensuring that the maximum permissible concentrations in the air of the working area are not exceeded.
17. Metal scrap, before loading into a melting unit, shall be checked for radiation safety and explosion safety. The operating organisation shall ensure the monitoring of the radiation safety and explosion safety of metal scrap arriving at the organisation, the monitoring of the explosion safety of metal scrap generated by the production activities of the organisation itself, and also the presence at each facility for receiving scrap and metal waste of a person responsible for carrying out radiation monitoring of scrap and metal waste and a person responsible for carrying out explosion-safety monitoring of scrap and metal waste, in accordance with the Rules for Handling Scrap and Waste of Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metals and Their Alienation, approved by Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 980 of 28 May 2022 (in accordance with paragraph 4 of Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 980 of 28 May 2022, this act is in force until 1 September 2028). The safety requirements for the preparation of scrap and waste of ferrous and non-ferrous metals for remelting are contained in paragraphs 1076 - 1100 of these Rules.
18. When working with certain compounds of rare-earth metals (classified as metals with high chemical activity or with impurity radioactivity, hazardous on contact) or with hazardous substances used in their production, where mechanisation and automation of the process is impossible, manual operations with open dust-generating products may be performed in a glovebox or with the use of isolating respiratory protective equipment in a separate room or in special chambers or canyons. The chambers, canyons and boxes shall have negative pressure during work. The chamber, canyon or box is equipped with a supply of clean air to the hose-type respiratory protective equipment of the workers (pneumatic suits, protective suits). Entry into these chambers, canyons and boxes for the maintenance and repair of equipment is permitted only in the prescribed PPE.
19. When using industrial, natural, associated, petroleum, artificial and mixed gases and LPG as fuel, and also as a reducing agent for technological purposes, the requirements contained in paragraphs 1914 - 2160 of these Rules shall be complied with.
20. Tuyeres for blowing liquid metal with gases shall be dried and preheated in a special furnace to the temperature regulated by the technological instructions.
21. The system for supplying fuel, air and oxygen shall have automatic protection that cuts off the supply of oxygen and fuel to the furnace in the event of a sudden drop in air pressure. The set concentration of oxygen in the oxygen-air mixture shall be maintained in accordance with the design.
22. For evaporation and crystallisation processes, equipment operating in a closed cycle with automatic monitoring and adjustment of the technological parameters is used.
23. For dewatering crystals and drying, automatic centrifuges, vibrating dryers or other apparatus with automatic loading and unloading of the product are used.
24. Apparatus exposed to the action of aggressive, explosive or combustible substances are protected with materials resistant in the given environment.
25. Tanks, process equipment, pipelines, loading and unloading devices and other equipment associated with the reception, processing and movement of liquids and bulk substances which are dielectrics are protected against the accumulation of static electricity charges.
26. Repealed from 1 September 2025. - Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025.
27. Vessels having a phase interface of the working medium shall, where it is necessary to monitor the liquid level in them, be equipped with level indicators. The need to install alarms and interlocks on vessels is determined by the manufacturer's documentation.
28. The component parts of production equipment, including power pipelines, hoses for supplying natural gas, oxygen, fuel oil, air, oil and water, trolley busbars for powering the electrical equipment of carts transporting metal melts, and electrical cables, shall be protected against the possible ingress of melt onto them and against thermal and mechanical effects. For newly designed facilities, protection of furnace transformers against the ingress of metal melt and slag shall be provided for.
29. In the hydraulic drive systems of metallurgical machines, non-combustible (low-combustibility) and non-toxic fluids shall be used. When combustible oils are used in hydraulic drives, fire-prevention activities shall be provided for by the design.
30. The technology for working with raw materials, blanks and semi-finished products shall be carried out using: safe methods of loading and unloading operations and transport operations; methods of storage that exclude the occurrence of hazardous and harmful production factors.
31. Fuel oil service tanks shall be installed at a distance of not less than 5 m from the furnaces and shall be protected by special screens against heating by thermal radiation. Placing tanks and fuel oil pipelines above the furnaces shall not be permitted. For draining the fuel oil in the event of a fire, the service tanks shall be connected by closed pipelines to special vessels. The overflow pipes of the service tanks shall be led to these vessels.
32. At metallurgical units, the casting (discharge) of molten metal (slag) onto surfaces or into vessels containing water shall not be permitted. An exception is made for technologies that provide for these methods of casting (discharge) in the design. Ore, fluxes, ferroalloys and other materials loaded into furnaces shall be dried or calcined beforehand. The loading of charge and materials into units containing molten metal or slag with a moisture content higher than provided for in the technological instruction shall not be permitted. The maximum moisture content in the charge loaded into melting units, and also the method for determining it, shall be specified in the technological instruction. Materials added to the furnace during the finishing period of the heat shall be dry and be fed in portions that exclude ejections from the furnace. The addition of materials shall be carried out in accordance with the instructions of the technological instruction. The use as charge for melting units of objects having internal cavities (including cylinders, boxes) shall not be permitted. These objects shall be freed of the substances contained in them, cleaned and dismantled. At the working platforms of melting units, in pits and other locations of possible ingress of molten metal or slag, the presence of water, moisture, readily decomposable materials and substances capable of interacting with the metal or slag melt shall not be permitted.
33. Before tilting slag ladles, the crust of solidified slag shall be broken through. The slag pit shall be checked for the absence of moisture. The tilting of ladles with liquid or solidified slag shall be carried out in accordance with the technological instruction.
34. A safe method for slag settling is determined by the technological instruction. The settling of slag during the finishing and tapping of the heat with wet materials and water shall not be permitted. Slag and metal residues from the furnace or ladle, upon completion of casting, shall be drained into dry ladles or equipped grounds for slag discharge. When draining slag, the ingress of metal into the ladle shall be regulated by the production documentation.
35. The operation of metallurgical units when the technological parameters deviate from the values established by the technological instruction shall not be permitted.
36. When preparing a metallurgical unit for tapping the melt, the presence of people opposite the tap hole shall not be permitted.
37. The presence of workers beneath a metallurgical unit after the melting of the charge shall not be permitted.
38. Tools, devices and tooling used for conducting the technology or servicing equipment shall be used for their intended purpose and comply with the safety requirements for working with them.
39. Tools and devices used in explosion-and-fire-hazardous zones and rooms shall be made of materials that exclude spark formation when working with them.
40. The technological process and the operation of equipment are carried out in accordance with the production documentation developed for this process or equipment. The main and auxiliary process equipment used in metallurgical production shall have documents ensuring their identification and certifying them, and also the manufacturer's accompanying documents containing requirements for operation and technical maintenance.
41. The methods for carrying out work using artificial intelligence are determined by the design (are developed by the designer) on the basis of the production technology or the specified scenarios for performing the work.
42. The performance of work by machinery using artificial intelligence is carried out in accordance with the production documentation, with mandatory account taken of the manufacturer's documentation.
43. The distances between open process installations, units and equipment, and also from them to buildings and structures, shall comply with the requirements of the design.
44. Internal production rooms located on a production site that includes a technology involving metal melts and that has a hazard of an accident or injury to workers shall be constructed so as to ensure protection against the hazardous factors of the melts, including: having not less than two exits arranged with account taken of the emergency evacuation of workers; with the room doors made to open outwards and having no internal locks; not locating beneath units containing melts or hazardous substances any rooms in which the permanent presence of servicing personnel is envisaged, nor placing there equipment requiring permanent servicing; having protection against the effect of thermal radiation; the windows of enclosed control panels shall be glazed with special glass having heat-reflecting coatings and equipped with removable metal meshes or special protective screens that do not reduce visibility for the operator (driver) during the transport and loading of materials into the unit. The windows of control panels into which melt splashes may enter shall be equipped in accordance with the design; the control panels of the units shall be located in a safe place, while providing visibility of the unit and of the work carried out on the site; when electric furnaces are installed, the control panels of the electric furnaces shall be located so that the possibility of a blinding effect of the electric arc on the operators is excluded. When control panels are located in the zone of exposure to the electric arc, protective screens shall be used. Control-panel rooms shall have supply ventilation.
45. Remote monitoring and equipment control panels with the permanent presence of servicing personnel, located in production rooms characterised by excessive release of harmful substances and heat, and also by elevated levels of thermal radiation and noise, shall be located in isolated rooms or special cabins equipped with devices ensuring the standardised sanitary and hygienic conditions for the work of the servicing personnel (sound insulation, supply of conditioned or fresh air).
46. The microclimate parameters, the levels of thermal radiation, noise, vibration, ultrasound and infrasound and any types of radiation, and the content of harmful substances at the workplaces of metallurgical production with permanent or intermittent presence of workers, shall not exceed the hygienic standards for the air of the working area.
47. The workplace of the operator shall be equipped, where such means are available, with means for monitoring the technological parameters that determine the safety of the process, and emergency situations.
48. Openings (gates) intended for the entry of railway trains and heavy-duty vehicles into production and storage rooms shall be equipped with light signalling for permitting or prohibiting the entry (exit) of vehicles, and also with sound signalling for warning the production personnel.
49. Galleries in which explosion-and-fire-hazardous and hazardous substances are transported shall have not less than two entrances (exits) located on opposite sides. The doors of the entrances (exits) shall open outwards and ensure the unimpeded evacuation of workers.
50. Hot-pressing furnaces are equipped with built-in annular extractors switched on during the loading and unloading of the furnace, and distillation furnaces are equipped with built-in local extractors ensuring a velocity in the lower part of the open opening of not less than 2 m/s.
51. Repealed from 1 September 2025. - Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025.
52. In technological spaces and gas ducts in which uncontrolled processes leading to an explosion are possible, explosion safety valves shall be installed.
53. Vibrating mills in which grinding is carried out under excess pressure of inert gas are installed in metal cabins provided with local extractors. The amount of air removed from the cabins is determined on the basis of the velocity of air movement in the opening when the cabin doors are opened, which is taken as not less than 1.5 m/s.
54. In rooms associated with production using hazardous gases (powders, aerosols), monitoring of the condition of the air environment shall be carried out by stationary automatic gas analysers and by a device providing light and sound signalling.
55. The established limit values of the state of the air environment (permissible concentrations) for activating the alarm or the interlock shall provide for the aspects of explosion-and-fire hazard. In the cases provided for by the design, the equipment interlock shall activate. The use of stationary automatic gas analysers shall be determined by the design or justified by the results of the hazard analysis of the technological processes, included in the documentation for technical re-equipment.
56. Workers working in an environment where the appearance of hazardous substances in the air of the working area is possible shall be provided with individual gas analysers if stationary ones are not installed.
57. The layout of production rooms shall be carried out with account taken of the sequence and flow of the technological processes.
58. On the territory of the organisation, the clearance dimensions of buildings, structures, equipment and rolling stock of railways of 1520 (1524) mm gauge and 750 mm gauge shall be taken in accordance with the applicable design standards. The width of the working platform of the shop bays with floor-mounted equipment shall be such that the distance between the clearance dimensions of the railway train and the equipment is safe for the movement of workers. The space between the railway rails on the working platforms shall be made, in accordance with the design, of wear-resistant material with a non-slip surface.
59. The locations where railway tracks intersect with roads and pedestrian crossings shall be made in accordance with the design.
60. The organisation shall have diagrams of the movement of vehicles and pedestrians across the territory of all facilities.
61. The foundations of electrolysis buildings and the channels of supply and exhaust ventilation shall be protected against the penetration into them of storm water, meltwater, groundwater and other waters. The installation of internal drains in the buildings of the first and second stages of carnallite dewatering, in casting shops, in converter substations, and also in electrolysis buildings shall not be permitted. The walls, floor and ceiling in the walk-through tunnel for the busbars from the converter substation to the electrolysis buildings shall be waterproof, and the internal surfaces shall be coated with electrical insulating materials. The intersection of the busbar tunnel by pipelines shall be prohibited.
62. The structures of transoms, casements and skylights of production buildings shall exclude the possibility of atmospheric precipitation entering the building when they are in the open position.
63. The internal walls of production buildings shall have a surface that excludes the accumulation of dust on them. In shops with an aggressive environment, the walls shall be lined with chemically resistant materials with low sorption capacity that allow wet cleaning.
64. The cluttering of workplaces, evacuation passages, exits from rooms, and passages to fire-extinguishing, safety and communication means shall not be permitted.
65. The design of the elements of buildings in which production using hydrogen and other combustible gases is located shall exclude the formation of stagnant zones and unventilated areas.
66. Floors in premises shall be resistant to the mechanical, thermal or chemical effects permitted during the production process, and shall be constructed: (a) in premises where liquids are used - moisture-proof, with a non-slip covering and with a slope towards a device ensuring their drainage; (b) in premises where aggressive substances are used - resistant to their effects; (c) in electrolysis shops - non-electrically conductive, moisture-proof and heat-resistant; (d) on the working platforms of metallurgical units and in the casting bays of shops - of durable wear-resistant materials that withstand the pouring of molten metal, with a non-slip surface, without potholes or protrusions; (e) in explosion-hazardous and fire-hazardous zones of premises - non-sparking.
67. The platforms of furnace, casting and foundry bays and of mixer sections located in the zone of discharge of molten and red-hot products from furnaces and mixers shall be thermally insulated. The method of thermal insulation is determined by the design.
68. The buildings and structures of enterprises shall be provided with lightning protection.
69. Beams, columns, and load-bearing and non-load-bearing structures of the buildings and structures of shops that are subject to thermal effects shall be thermally insulated. The method of thermal insulation is determined by the design.
70. A change to the load on the building structures of buildings and structures is permitted only after verification of the calculations and agreement of the changes with the design organisation. The changes introduced shall not reduce the level of technical safety.
71. The boundaries of driveways and passages in production premises shall have guards or special markings.
72. Elements of building structures, production equipment and in-shop transport that present a hazard of accidents and injuries, as well as fire-extinguishing and safety-provision devices and means, shall be fitted with the appropriate safety signs and shall have signal-warning colouring in accordance with the applicable standards.
73. The accumulation on the roof of buildings and structures of dust, snow and ice exceeding the standard value of the load on the roofing shall not be permitted. Work to clean roofs or to store on the roof of buildings and structures equipment, materials, scrap metal or refuse shall be carried out in accordance with the process or production instruction or in accordance with organisational and technical actions.
74. The cleaning of dust in explosion-and-fire-hazardous premises shall be carried out in accordance with actions providing for the safe conduct of the cleaning. Safety measures during the cleaning of slag, scrap and production waste shall be governed by the administrative documentation of the operating organisation.
75. All technical devices having moving parts which may be sources of a hazard of injury to workers or of an effect on other equipment shall be guarded in accordance with the requirements of the design, of regulatory legal acts, and with the requirements of the manufacturers. The exceptions are moving parts whose guarding is not permitted by their functional purpose, and moving parts located at a height of more than 2.5 m and presenting no hazard.
76. Guards are made of solid or mesh materials. The size of the cells of a mesh guard is determined by the design. Moving parts of units located in places that are difficult to access may be guarded by a common guard with a locking device ensuring the convenience of their servicing. Guards and decking shall be maintained in serviceable condition. The repair, manual cleaning or fastening of moving parts and guards while technical devices are operating shall be prohibited.
77. Counterweights not located inside technical devices shall be guarded or placed in closed guide devices (wells, pipes, shafts) that preclude the possibility of persons accessing the hazardous zone.
78. Gear, belt and chain drives, regardless of the height at which they are located and their speed of movement, shall have a solid guard.
79. The operation of technical devices with a guard removed or defective shall not be permitted.
80. The start-up of technical devices after repair, inspection or cleaning is permitted after the guard has been installed in place and all its parts have been fastened.
81. In the event of the absence or malfunction of guards at workplaces, organisational and technical actions ensuring the safety of workers shall be provided for.
82. Guards against falls from height shall be made in accordance with the requirements of the design.
83. Pits, hatches, wells, channels and openings in the floor slabs of production buildings and structures shall be closed with covers or covered over their entire surface with durable decking laid flush with the floor. If, owing to the conditions of the work, these pits, channels and openings must be open, they shall be guarded.
84. For the servicing of instrumentation and control devices, as well as of shut-off, regulating, feed and other fittings located at a height of 2 m or more above the floor level, means of access (stationary and (or) mobile platforms, ladders) shall be provided in accordance with the design documentation.
85. In cases where individual elements of buildings and structures present a hazard of a fall of workers or of objects (materials) and cannot be guarded, organisational and technical actions ensuring safety shall be provided for.
86. The locations of pipeline fittings are determined by the design, ensuring the possibility of access for their servicing and repair. The need to use fittings with remote control is determined by the design documentation on the basis of the conditions of the process and of ensuring safety.
87. During the period of operation, monitoring shall be carried out of the technical condition of the external surface of pipelines and their elements, of the anti-corrosion protection and thermal insulation, of drainage devices, expansion joints and supporting structures. Process pipelines shall have anti-corrosion protection in accordance with the design documentation and, in the absence of design documentation, in accordance with the production documentation.
88. The scope and frequency of the performance of work to monitor the condition of the external surface of process pipelines and their elements shall be determined in the instructions for the personnel operating the pipelines.
89. The main method of monitoring the reliable and safe operation of a process pipeline is periodic inspection. The results of the inspection shall serve as the basis for assessing the condition of the pipeline and the possibility of its further operation. The frequency of carrying out inspection of pipelines shall be no less frequent than that indicated in Appendix No. 2 to the Rules.
90. It shall be prohibited to carry out repairs on pipelines that are under pressure, or on pipelines conveying explosion-and-fire-hazardous or hazardous substances that are under vacuum. Repair shall be commenced after the complete removal of the explosion- and fire-hazardous or toxic substances (by purging or flushing) and monitoring of the medium.
91. The tie-in of new pipelines into operating pipelines conveying fuel gases and under pressure may be carried out only on external pipelines and apparatus.
92. In the event of an emergency loss of tightness of the system, actions aimed at reducing the emissions of hazardous substances shall be provided for.
93. During periodic tests, process pipelines for chlorine, anode chlorine gas, titanium tetrachloride, vanadium trioxychloride, silicon tetrachloride and ammonia shall be subjected only to pneumatic testing. For the purposes of periodic checking of the internal surface and cleaning of anode-chlorine-gas pipelines of sublimates, removable sections (spools) or end removable blanks shall be provided for on them in accordance with the design documentation. Work on the periodic internal inspection and cleaning of anode-chlorine-gas pipelines shall be carried out as gas-hazardous work.
94. The connection of hoses (flexible tubes) for the supply of gas (compressed air) or liquid to hand tools or to the pipelines of technical devices, and their disconnection, shall be carried out only when the supply of these substances is switched off and the pressure is relieved.
95. The fastening of hoses to connectors (nipples) shall be carried out by means of special clamps that preclude the hoses from coming loose. The use of flexible tubes used for the supply of gases or liquids under pressure shall comply with the requirements of the production documentation.
96. Additional requirements for the storage facilities and the storage of hazardous substances of metallurgical facilities are contained in paragraphs 234 - 286 of these Rules.
97. Storage bins and pits shall have a guard on all sides. When dump cars are used to supply charge materials, where there are no guards for the storage bins and pits on the side of the railway track, measures precluding the fall of workers into them shall be provided for.
98. The loading of dusting powder materials into silos and bunkers and their unloading shall be carried out by sealed conveying devices.
99. The raw materials used in metallurgical processes shall comply with the requirements of the regulatory documentation established for them.
100. In the open storage of materials, the dimensions of the stacks and the width of the passages between them shall comply with the requirements of the design. When working with bulk materials, it shall not be permitted to take materials from a stack by undermining or to be on the slope.
101. Work to clean bunkers of material, to eliminate hang-ups, and to repair bunkers shall be carried out in compliance with safety actions.
102. The manual poking of materials stuck in bunkers shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of Chapters VII and VIII of the Federal Norms and Rules in the field of industrial safety "Ensuring Industrial Safety in the Organisation of Work at Hazardous Production Facilities of the Mining and Metallurgical Industry", approved by Order No. 440 of the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service (Rostechnadzor) of 13 November 2020 (registered by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on 23 December 2020, registration No. 61750) (in accordance with paragraph 2 of Order No. 440 of Rostechnadzor of 13 November 2020, this act is in force until 1 January 2027).
103. The arrangement of railway loading-and-unloading racks shall comply with the requirements of the design.
104. The dimensions of the passages for workers servicing conveying equipment shall comply with the production documentation. Where the dimensions of the passages for workers are reduced, the presence of workers in these places shall be prohibited. The locations of non-compliant passages are marked with prohibitory signs.
105. In the design of conveyors for the supply of materials, the fall of conveyed materials shall be precluded, and the following shall be provided for: protective devices that switch off the drives in the event of an overload; guards for the driving, tensioning and deflecting drums, the tensioning devices, the ropes and pulleys of the tensioning devices, and the belt, worm, coupling and other drives.
106. Access shall be provided to the elements, pulleys and monitoring devices of the conveyor requiring periodic checking, as well as to the adjustment and lubrication devices, without removing the guard.
107. Conveyors conveying powdery dusting materials, as well as materials that release vapours and gases, or materials with a high temperature, shall be equipped with dust-suppression, ventilation or aspiration systems and with thermal protection, depending on the physico-chemical properties of the materials and the design of the conveyor. Conveyors conveying wet materials shall be closed with casings (shields) at places of possible splashing. The efficiency of the operation of the aspiration systems shall not be lower than the design values.
108. At places of permanent passage of people and of movement of vehicles beneath the route of conveyors, solid protective guards shall be installed to catch materials and articles falling from the conveyor.
109. All the safety devices of conveyors provided for by the design shall be in serviceable condition.
110. The cleaning, adjustment, servicing, setting-up and repair of a conveyor and of the feed and discharge chutes are carried out in accordance with the process or production instruction. It shall not be permitted to carry out work to clean and remove spillage by hand or to repair a conveyor that has not been disconnected from the power sources. Warning notices "Do not switch on! People at work!" shall be posted on the starting devices.
111. The main safety requirements to be considered in the development of the design of continuous-flow transport by means of belt or apron conveyors. Conveyors shall be equipped with: (a) centring devices preventing the belt from running off beyond the edges of the drums and roller supports; (b) devices that switch off the conveyor drive in the event of the belt breaking or slipping, or of the discharge hoppers and chutes becoming clogged, as well as protective devices that switch off the drives in the event of an overload; (c) devices ensuring the emergency stopping of the drive from any point along the length of the conveyor from the side of the main passages. The use of the interlocking and emergency-stopping devices on the mechanisms as starting apparatus shall be prohibited; (d) devices for the mechanical cleaning of the belts and drums of adhering material.
112. In the simultaneous operation of several conveyors conveying material in sequence, together with other technical devices of a single process line, their electric drives shall be interlocked.
113. Slipping of the conveyor belt shall be eliminated by appropriate tensioning of the belt by means of the tensioning devices after the drums and belt have been cleaned. The adding of rosin and other materials to eliminate the slipping of the belt shall not be permitted.
114. The wheels of self-unloading trolleys, mobile conveyors and feeders shall have a guard (shields). The gap between the guard and the rail shall not exceed the values of the manufacturing plant.
115. Before being put into operation, a pneumatic-conveying system shall be checked for tightness under working pressure.
116. Cleaning, servicing and repairing inside a pneumatic transport device while it is operating shall be prohibited.
117. All the lines of the system for conveying dusting materials shall be tight. In the lines of the system for conveying explosion-and-fire-hazardous substances and materials, the formation of an explosive medium shall be precluded.
118. The measures for ensuring safety during the transport of bowls and ladles with liquid slag and metal shall provide for: the use of locomotives equipped with automatic couplers; the procedure for the safe conduct of the discharge of slag or metal.
119. The speed of movement of railway-transport rolling stock on the loading-and-unloading tracks, crossings, level crossings, points and at places of shunting on the territory of the organisation shall be established by the production documentation.
120. The presence of people on trolleys, and the coupling and uncoupling of them while they are moving, shall not be permitted.
121. Locomotives for the transport of bowls and ladles with liquid slag and metal shall be equipped with automatic couplers. Before the discharge of slag or metal, the locomotives shall be uncoupled and removed to a safe distance, but by no less than 15 m.
122. Slag carriers shall be equipped with mechanisms for tilting (turning) the bowl with an electric drive and remote control. The bowl-tilting mechanism shall preclude the spontaneous turning of the bowl.
123. The frame of a slag trolley shall be equipped with catches by means of which, before the discharge of slag, the slag-carrier trolley shall be secured to the rails. Where an automatic coupler is present, the need to use catches is determined by the production documentation.
124. Slag dumps and granulation installations shall be equipped with mechanised devices for breaking the crust in slag bowls. The control of these devices shall be carried out remotely from a control panel.
125. At a slag dump there shall be telephone or radio communication with the dispatch service of the production facility.
126. It shall not be permitted to carry out any work at a slag dump in the vicinity of the place of discharge of slag. During the discharge of slag from a bowl, the servicing personnel shall be at a safe distance which is determined by the process or production instruction.
127. On the railway tracks of a slag dump, fire-resistant sleepers shall be used.
128. The transport of liquid metal, slag, blast-furnace dust, sinter, melt and other materials shall be carried out along established routes in accordance with the organisational and administrative documentation of the enterprise.
129. Transfer trolleys with remote control shall be equipped with an audible alarm that operates while the trolley is moving, as well as with braking devices, limit switches and ladders for climbing onto the platform. The wheels of trolleys conveying materials in liquid and solid state around a metallurgical facility (shop, section) shall have protective devices to protect against the wheel running onto obstacles that have got onto the rail head.
130. Tipping-body wagons shall have devices that secure the body during transport and prevent its spontaneous tipping.
131. The conditions of operation of road transport at metallurgical facilities shall comply with the requirements of the manufacturing plant for that transport.
132. The conveyance of people on transport not equipped for carrying them shall not be permitted.
133. A battery room shall comply with the design.
134. In premises not equipped with supply-and-exhaust ventilation, the use of vehicles with internal combustion engines not equipped with exhaust-gas neutralisers shall not be permitted.
135. For newly designed facilities, for special machines - coke pushers, door-removing machines, coal-charging machines - safety devices to prevent running over a person shall be provided for by the design.
136. The thawing of materials in containers shall be carried out in special chambers or installations in accordance with the process or production instruction.
137. The cab of a charging machine shall be thermally insulated and shall protect the operator from possible splashes of metal and slag.
138. The trolley wires for supplying power to the electric motors of the carriage of a floor-type charging machine shall be located inside the frame of the machine in an inaccessible place. Where the trolley wires are located on the frame of the machine, the trolley wires on the outer side of the machine shall be guarded.
139. Production vessels (ladles, slag bowls, scoops, buckets, baskets), after manufacture and repair, shall be subject to a check of their condition. A production vessel shall be identified as a process vessel or an auxiliary vessel. The requirements for the recording and marking of production vessels are established by an administrative document of the operating organisation and are carried out in accordance with the production documentation.
140. At metallurgical facilities, production vessels are used as process or auxiliary vessels.
141. Process vessels used for the purpose of conducting the metallurgical process are classified as equipment and shall be manufactured in accordance with the engineering design documentation. Process vessels shall be subject to registration (recording) at the organisation.
142. The operation of process vessels shall be carried out taking into account compliance with the requirements of the production documentation.
143. Auxiliary vessels shall be marked with an indication of the serial number, load capacity and purpose. It shall be prohibited to use auxiliary vessels in process operations. Process vessels withdrawn from operation may be used as auxiliary vessels. The conversion of auxiliary vessels into process vessels shall be prohibited. The operation of auxiliary vessels shall be carried out taking into account their purpose. Before the start of use (before being filled with material), an auxiliary vessel shall be inspected by the worker using it.
144. Ladles intended for molten metal shall have a design that prevents them from falling, or shall be used together with special stands that prevent falling.
145. In the bays of shops there shall be stands for placing ladles, the design of which does not allow ladles to be placed directly on the floor.
146. The places where the railway tracks for supplying trains of ladles with liquid pig iron cross the tracks for supplying charge materials shall be equipped with automatic signalling.
147. Ladles intended for molten metal shall be arranged on horizontal platforms in accordance with the design and taking into account the production technology.
148. The trunnions of ladles intended for molten metal shall have a safety factor of no less than eightfold.
149. Process vessels in use shall be subjected by the operating organisation to periodic inspections of their condition no less than once a month. Rarely used process vessels are subjected to an assessment of their operability in the form of an inspection before they are issued for work. The classification of process vessels as rarely used is carried out in accordance with the production documentation.
150. The examination of process vessels shall be carried out in accordance with the production documentation. The results of the examination of process vessels shall be recorded.
151. The ring and trunnions of a ladle shall, after manufacture, be checked by the non-destructive testing method.
152. The trunnions of ladles protected by bushings shall be subject to visual and instrumental monitoring according to the schedules of the organisations, with the drawing up of a report. Checking by the non-destructive testing method shall be carried out at each replacement of the bushings.
153. The wear of the trunnions of ladles in all dimensions shall not exceed 10 per cent of the original dimensions. No less than once a year, the trunnions of ladles shall be checked by the non-destructive testing method. The results of the check shall be documented in a report.
154. The building-up of a vessel to increase its volume is carried out in accordance with the design.
155. When filling ladles and all types of vessels with melt, exceeding the levels determined by the requirements of the process instruction on the basis of the manufacturer's documentation shall not be permitted.
156. The stops of a ladle for gripping shall not have defects, including notches or cracks.
157. The operation of ladles having cavities or cracks in the walls and at the points where the trunnions are fastened, as well as of ladles that have lost their shape as a result of deformation, that have play of the trunnions in the body of the ladle, and of ladles with damaged lining, shall not be permitted.
158. Process vessels found unfit for use in work, including owing to the absence of the necessary marking, shall not be present at places where work is carried out.
159. The spouts of ladles shall be cleaned of scrap and prepared for the discharge of melt.
160. In ladles fitted with stoppers, the stoppers shall, after manufacture and before being installed in the ladle, be dried. The temperature and duration of drying of the stoppers shall be governed by the process instruction. The drying temperature shall be monitored by a thermocouple with automatic recording of the temperature. The repeated use of a ladle for pouring or casting metal without prior replacement of the stopper and the nozzle shall not be permitted.
161. The discharge of molten metal from ladles and mixers shall be mechanised.
162. The axis of the discharge opening of a ladle placed for discharge shall coincide with the axis of the pouring ladle. The floor of the working platform at the places where ladles are placed shall be dry.
163. Workers shall be prohibited from working with a process vessel (ladle) containing molten metals with a total weight of more than 15 kg by holding it suspended in their hands.
164. Trolleys for transporting scoops shall be equipped with braking devices and stops that prevent the scoops from shifting off the trolleys.
165. While a trolley is moving, an audible signal shall be given.
166. Trolleys for transporting charging boxes shall be provided with automatic-coupling devices that preclude the presence of workers between the trolleys during the coupling and uncoupling of charging-box trains, as well as with stops or lugs that prevent the shifting of the charging boxes in the longitudinal direction during jolts and shocks.
167. In open-hearth shops, for placing charging boxes with additives or deoxidisers, the arrangement of racks between the furnaces is permitted. Stops shall be provided at the sides of the racks.
168. It shall not be permitted to load slag into a ladle together with refuse or damp fettling material.
169. It shall not be permitted to conduct melting when the casing of a steelmaking ladle turns red.
170. The repair of ladles is carried out after they have cooled. Before repair workers are admitted, large ladles are checked for the absence of overhanging residues of slag, scrap and lining. The lining of ladles withdrawn for repair is broken down by a method complying with the requirements of the production documentation.
171. The discharge of melt into ladles that have come out of repair may be carried out only after they have been thoroughly dried and heated.
172. The movement of process vessels by dragging or tilting shall not be permitted.
173. The manual adjustment of scrap in charging boxes, bins and scoops shall be carried out only after the crane has moved away to the side.
174. On completion of the loading of metal charge into production vessels, the ends of the scrap shall not project or hang over their edges, and the locks of the charging boxes shall be cleaned and checked. The adjustment of scrap while the train is moving shall not be permitted.
175. All work to unload charge materials from wagons and to load them into production vessels shall be carried out in accordance with the process or production instruction.
176. For raising people onto production vessels and lowering them inside a vessel, devices (ladders) ensuring the safety of the worker shall be used. When work is carried out inside a bucket, one worker shall be outside as a signalman or safety attendant.
177. The SPS used in metallurgical production include the following load-lifting cranes of special design manufactured for metallurgical production: metallurgical bridge-type cranes directly participating in metallurgical and (or) rolling production, operating, including under conditions of elevated temperatures, equipped with special load-gripping devices or removable load-gripping attachments that make it possible to grip the load without the participation of slingers; special bridge-type cranes (other than metallurgical) equipped with special load-gripping devices or removable load-gripping attachments intended for work with specific loads (including bulk loads), hook cranes with an increased lifting height or intended for work in special environments (with an extended temperature range, environments with aggressive gas.
178. The requirements of this Section apply to load-lifting cranes subject to recording by the federal executive authorities in the field of industrial safety that carry out the registration of facilities in the State Register of Hazardous Production Facilities provided for by paragraph 2 of Article 2 of Federal Law No. 116-FZ of 21 July 1997 "On Industrial Safety of Hazardous Production Facilities". The SPS include: casting cranes (pouring, teeming cranes, manipulator cranes); magnetic-grab cranes; scrap-charging cranes (for transporting scoops, charging cranes for transporting baskets); magnetic cranes; tong cranes; grab cranes; gantry cranes (grab type); semi-gantry cranes (magnetic, tong, grab types); charging-box magnetic cranes; pratzen cranes; forging cranes with supports and grips; lifting structures developed only for metallurgical facilities that comply with the definition of SPS.
179. The requirements for SPS are mandatory for application at all stages of the life cycle of the SPS of newly designed facilities and are applied together with the federal norms and rules in the field of industrial safety establishing requirements for the operation of lifting structures at hazardous production facilities, and with the requirements of the legislation of the Russian Federation on technical regulation.
180. SPS shall be designed and manufactured in accordance with the initial requirements of the customer and the requirements of the terms of reference, taking into account the actual temperature range and operating conditions.
181. The classification groups (operating mode) of SPS, as well as of their mechanisms, are assigned taking into account the intensity of the process for the servicing of which the SPS is to be used, but no lower than those indicated in Appendix No. 3 to the Rules.
182. The classification groups (operating mode) of cranes not indicated in Appendix No. 3 to the Rules are adopted in accordance with the terms of reference. The classification group (operating mode) of auxiliary mechanisms (for example, the turning (rotation) of the carriage/tongs, the control of the tongs, auxiliary lifting) is adopted in accordance with the terms of reference for the design.
183. For the manufacture of the metal structures of metallurgical and special cranes intended for operation under conditions of increased thermal load, metals capable of working under the specified conditions shall be used.
184. Special requirements for cranes not taken into account in the applicable regulatory documentation shall be reflected in the terms of reference for the SPS.
185. The quality of the metal used for the manufacture of the design elements of welded load-bearing metal structures and parts shall be confirmed by certificates of the enterprises that are the direct producers or suppliers of the metal. Copies of the certificates shall be attached to the passport of the SPS.
186. Where, under the operating conditions, the load-bearing structures of the SPS may be heated to a temperature above 100 °C, diagnostic devices or procedures shall be provided for temperature monitoring of the condition of the SPS elements. Heat-reflecting screens may be used as thermal protection.
187. Elements of steel structures located in the zone of intense thermal radiation are protected by easily removable screens. The screens are arranged with gaps that protect the structures from elevated temperature.
188. Steel ropes and chains of lifting devices intended for moving open ladles of molten metal, as well as the spreader beams of the ladles themselves, shall be protected by casings against the effect of radiant heat, or shall be provided with devices or procedures monitoring the heating zones.
189. Inspection of the condition of steel ropes and their replacement shall be carried out in the manner established by the crane operating manual (instruction).
190. For bolted connections, the manufacturer shall provide protection against self-loosening.
191. Where an equalising balance beam is used on the load spreader beam of the hoisting mechanism, means shall be provided to signal to the crane operator that the balance beam has reached its limit position.
192. The manufacturing organisation shall provide indicators of the wear limit of the friction linings on the brakes.
193. The width of the running surface of the crane travel wheels shall be 25 to 30 mm greater than the width of the rail head. For the wheels of the load trolley, this difference may be reduced to 20 mm. The width of the running surface of the wheels shall take into account the relevant requirements for the permissible deviation of the rail track gauge.
194. On cranes operating under conditions of increased dust levels, brushes or guards shall be installed at the travel wheels of the crane and the trolley to remove dust from the rails.
195. For the flooring of platforms, galleries and stair steps of cranes operated in premises with a high level of dust, perforated sheets are used. Expanded metal sheets, which lack mechanical strength under the vibration and dynamic loads characteristic of cranes, shall not be used for this purpose.
196. For operation under conditions of elevated temperatures, SPS cabins shall be equipped with air conditioners and heat-protective glazing.
197. For SPS operation in the zone of the hazardous factors of molten metals, the cabins shall be equipped with protection against splashes of molten metals.
198. The power supply to a metallurgical crane with alternating current shall provide a solidly earthed neutral and duplicate current collectors on each trolley wire. The power supply to a metallurgical crane with direct current - two trolley wires to each pole.
199. In a dusty environment, a lower or side arrangement of the current collectors relative to the trolley wires shall be used.
200. The electric drive shall provide landing speeds of no more than 0.01 m/s for metallurgical cranes transporting molten metal and of no more than 0.03 m/s when transporting piece goods.
201. The control equipment shall be placed in closed cabinets or in equipment rooms. Where necessary, heating and ventilation shall be provided. In especially dusty environments, an excess pressure of no less than 0.01 N/cm2 shall be maintained in the cabinets or equipment rooms. Where the operating conditions of the electrical equipment so require, air conditioners shall be provided in the cabinets or equipment rooms.
202. The insulation of the cables of metallurgical cranes shall be designed for the entire range of temperatures of the operating and non-operating state specified by the manufacturing organisation in the crane data sheet.
203. Protection of the wiring against mechanical, thermal and chemical effects shall be ensured by placing the cables and wires in steel pipes, metal hoses or closable trays. At the points where wires and cables are led in, cable gland seals shall be used.
204. SPS shall be equipped with limiters of working movements, emergency switches, no-voltage protection and protection against load falling if any of the three phases breaks, as well as with load-capacity limiters (where the production technology entails a risk of overloading the crane).
205. On cranes with a column mounted on a slewing trolley, an audible warning to the crane operator shall be provided when the control cabin and other crane elements approach the structures of buildings and installations.
206. The limiter of the load hoisting mechanism shall ensure that the load-handling device stops at a distance of no less than 200 mm from the stop, unless a different distance is specified in the crane manufacturer's documentation.
207. Where two or more SPS are installed on the same track, they shall be provided with anti-collision protection devices.
208. The limiters of the travel mechanisms shall ensure that the mechanism motors are switched off before the dead-end stop.
209. On magnetic cranes, the electrical circuit shall be designed so that, when the voltage is removed from the crane by the contacts of the safety instruments and devices, the voltage is not removed from the load electromagnet.
210. The conversion of SPS to various types of remote control systems shall not lead to a breach of the established safety requirements during crane operation or to a reduction in the monitoring of the technical condition of the crane.
211. When designing hook suspensions with a hook rotation mechanism, locking of the nut by additional fixing shall be provided to prevent spontaneous unscrewing of the hook-fastening nut.
212. When selecting SPS that use an electromagnet as the lifting device, the temperature of the metal being lifted in the given technology shall be below the limit of the attracting magnetic properties of the crane electromagnet.
213. The transport of ladles by lifting cranes shall be carried out using spreader beams that conform to the technical specifications for their manufacture. The temperature operating conditions of the spreader beams shall correspond to the conditions of their operation. Hooks intended for moving and tilting ladles need not be fitted with safety latches.
214. Before being admitted to independent work, a crane driver shall undergo a period of on-the-job training on the crane on which they will work. The duration of the training shall be no less than 10 shifts, and for crane drivers working on cranes that move molten metal and liquid slag, no less than 20 shifts. The training may be extended by the training supervisor, taking into account the features of the SPS, the production situation and the abilities of the crane driver.
215. When a crane driver is transferred from one crane to a crane of a different type or design, or to one with a different load-handling device, and also when working with a different kind or type of load being moved, the duration of the training is determined by the administrative documents of the operating organisation. The transfer of a crane driver during a shift from one crane to another may be made only to those cranes on which they have undergone training.
216. The taking over of a shift by a crane driver shall be carried out to the extent of the technological or production instruction, taking into account the requirements of the crane operating manuals (instructions). The results of the shift take-over are entered in the watch log.
217. The operation of SPS shall be prohibited where the take-over and hand-over of the shift by the crane operator, with a mandatory inspection of the crane equipment and recording of the inspection results in the watch log, has not been carried out. Where the inspection has not been carried out or there is no entry in the shift take-over and hand-over log, an inspection of the SPS shall be carried out with a subsequent entry in the log, and operation shall then commence.
218. Repealed with effect from 1 September 2025. - Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025.
219. SPS work may be carried out without the participation of a slinger where the checking of the reliability of the load gripping and of its safe movement is ensured by the crane operator.
220. Methods of carrying out SPS work without the participation of an operator (radio-controlled, exoskeletons, manipulators, robots) are developed by the producer, taking into account the production technology.
221. When repairing SPS located within the zone of action of the hazardous factors from molten metal, joint safety activities for the repair are provided for coordination with the management of the production subdivision of the operating organisation.
222. When changing the work area, crane operators and slingers shall be instructed at the new workplace on safety in the given work area. The briefing shall include, among other things, information on the load slinging diagrams and the hazardous factors of molten metals.
223. The movement of a ladle of molten metal by the crane shall be carried out smoothly and in one direction only. The simultaneous movement of a ladle of molten metal in the horizontal direction while it is being raised or lowered shall not be permitted.
224. The presence of people and the performance of any work in the zone of movement of loads by cranes equipped with a grab or electromagnet shall not be permitted. Personnel performing work at the location where such cranes operate shall be admitted to carrying out their duties only during breaks in crane operation and after the grab or electromagnet has been lowered to the ground, with the voltage removed from the electromagnet. The locations where work is carried out by cranes equipped with a grab or electromagnet shall be marked.
225. Removable load-handling attachments not in use shall be placed on the devices intended for them.
226. The slinging of loads shall be carried out in accordance with the slinging diagrams.
227. The selection of equipment for safely carrying out work on the repair, reconstruction or modernisation of SPS shall correspond to the specific type and design of the SPS, taking into account the repair instructions given in the operating manual (instruction) for that SPS.
228. The walls of intermediate (service) bins shall have a slope that prevents materials from hanging up, or the bins shall have collapsing mechanisms.
229. The unloading of an arrived train shall be carried out only after it has come to a complete stop, has been protected by stop signals, wheel chocks have been placed, and permission has been obtained from the person responsible for carrying out the loading and unloading work.
230. The simultaneous unloading of wagons by hand and by lifting appliances, the presence of people in wagons and in the bodies of motor vehicles during their unloading and loading by lifting means, and also the movement of loads by cranes over the place of manual unloading, shall not be permitted.
231. The unloading of wagons carrying coal and other spontaneously combustible materials with pockets of smouldering fuel shall be carried out on a specially designated area of the warehouse.
232. The thawing of materials (bulk loads) that have frozen together in wagons shall be carried out using defrosting devices.
233. The delivery of materials to the balcony of the working platform of an electric furnace by electromagnets shall not be permitted.
234. This Section establishes safety requirements for technological processes in which chemical substances or mixtures of chemical substances are used that have a hazardous effect on human life and health, property and the environment, arising from their physicochemical and toxic properties.
235. The quantity of chemically hazardous substances used to support the technological process and present at the same time on the organisation's territory shall be substantiated during design.
236. Technological processes involving the draining/filling of chemically hazardous substances, their storage and transport, the charging of pickling baths, and the pickling of semi-finished metal products, blanks and finished articles, shall be carried out with maximum use of gravity flow.
237. Air intake for supply ventilation systems shall be provided from locations that prevent chemically hazardous substances from entering the ventilation system under all production operating modes.
238. Emergency ventilation systems shall be equipped with means for their automatic activation upon the actuation of gas analysers installed in the room when the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) of chemically hazardous substances is exceeded. Local ventilation systems that remove chemically hazardous substances shall be interlocked with the starting device of the process equipment and shall be switched on simultaneously with the switching on of the equipment and switched off after the equipment is switched off.
239. The introduction of changes to the process flow diagram that are not provided for by the design documentation or by the documentation for the technical re-equipment of the given technology shall not be permitted. The changes introduced shall not adversely affect the safety of the technology.
240. When designing and operating production facilities, the following requirements shall, among other things, be taken into account: pipelines for transporting chemically hazardous substances that are laid on trestles shall be protected against mechanical damage; for an inter-plant pipeline of chemically hazardous substances laid outside the territory of enterprises, a protective zone marked with signs and no less than 2 m wide on each of its sides shall be provided, within which the performance of work without the agreement and supervision of a representative of the organisation operating the pipeline shall not be permitted; the laying of pipelines of chemically hazardous substances along the external walls of buildings not intended by the technology for the handling of chemically hazardous substances shall not be permitted; the laying of pipelines of chemically hazardous substances above unprotected zones and premises intended for the presence of workers shall not be permitted; at points where railways, motor roads and pedestrian zones are crossed, pipelines shall be enclosed in a channel with drainage of acid and alkali leaks to safe places determined by the design; when laying pipelines through the building structures of buildings and other obstacles, measures shall be taken to preclude the possibility of transmitting mutual additional loads exceeding the limit values; pipelines of chemically hazardous substances shall be laid with a slope that ensures the fullest possible emptying of them into a process vessel or into drainage tanks; pipelines shall have identification colouring, warning signs and marking plates in accordance with the requirements of the production documentation; pipelines shall not have flanged or other detachable connections. Flanged connections may be allowed only at the places where fittings are installed or where pipelines are connected to apparatus, and also on sections substantiated by the design. Flanged connections are placed at locations that are open and accessible for visual observation, servicing, disassembly, repair and installation.
241. The layout of the process equipment and pipelines shall ensure safety when carrying out work on the servicing, repair and replacement of the apparatus and its elements.
242. Before being put into operation, pipelines and fittings shall be checked by strength and density tests using hydraulic or pneumatic pressure, and also for leak-tightness at working pressure in accordance with the requirements of the production documentation.
243. On all shut-off devices, the extreme positions "Open" and "Closed" shall be marked.
244. The measurement and control of process parameters (flow rate, pressure, temperature) shall be carried out by technical devices that are corrosion-resistant in the working medium or protected against its effect.
245. In the production structural subdivision of the organisation, a pipeline diagram shall be displayed showing the shut-off, control and safety fittings and the measuring and monitoring instruments, executed in conventional colours. The direction of movement of the products shall be indicated by an arrow.
246. The procedure for monitoring the degree of corrosion wear of the equipment and pipelines using non-destructive testing methods, and the methods, frequency and locations of the control measurements, shall be defined in the production documentation.
247. A device preventing the reverse movement of the transported substances shall be installed on the discharge pipeline.
248. Empty receptacles that have held chemically hazardous substances shall be sealed and stored on a special area.
249. Storage premises shall be divided into compartments depending on the properties of the substances stored in them.
250. Tanks and other receptacles shall be filled with acid and chemical solutions to no more than 0.9 of their capacity.
251. The process flow diagram for the receipt, storage and dispensing of acids shall provide for the following activities: being equipped with instrumentation and control (I&C) equipment and fittings necessary for remote control; all operations with transport tanks (draining and filling) are carried out only after the transport tanks have been placed in the appropriate position, secured against spontaneous movement and disconnected from the vehicle; being equipped with means of remote monitoring of the liquid level in the storage tanks, with warning and pre-emergency alarms for reaching the maximum liquid level and an alarm for the minimum liquid level, and with automatic interlocks to stop the supply pumps and close the shut-off fittings on their intake lines at the maximum level and to stop the pump-out pumps and close the shut-off fittings on their intake lines at the minimum level (from two independent level sensors); being equipped with means of monitoring the presence of liquid in the suction pipelines of the pumps receiving acids from railway tank cars, with their automatic shutdown in the absence of liquid; being equipped with means of remote monitoring of the liquid level in the transport tanks, with an alarm for reaching the maximum liquid level and an automatic interlock to stop the acid-dispensing pumps and close the shut-off fittings on their lines for dispensing acids into the transport tanks, as well as with means of remote monitoring (a flow meter) of the volume of acid poured into the transport tanks; being equipped with an automatic interlock prohibiting the starting of the acid-dispensing pump in the absence of connection contact of the transport tank's level gauge to the stationary I&C system; being equipped with remotely controlled fittings on the manifold pipelines of the pumps and tanks, used for process switching during the performance of operations and during the containment of accidents; being equipped with means for the remote starting/stopping of the pumps; where gas contamination is detected in the acid storage boxes, in the pump rooms or on the outdoor areas, all work on the receipt and (or) filling of acids shall be stopped and the pump equipment shut down.
252. When carrying out operations to fill transport tanks, one worker shall be located next to the control panel, and another shall carry out visual monitoring of the filling process from a safe place specified by the work instructions. At the location of the worker carrying out monitoring of the operations for filling transport tanks, an emergency pump shutdown button shall be provided.
253. When carrying out work requiring the simultaneous participation of two or more workers whose workplaces are located at a considerable distance or in different premises, they shall be provided with communications for the prompt coordination of actions.
254. The technological or production instructions, as regards the regulation of the operations for filling transport tanks, shall be supplemented by the following organisational measures: a prohibition on using transport tanks with faulty level gauges for filling; in the accompanying documents (including limit-and-issue cards), the quantity of acids shipped to the pickling sections shall be indicated in units of weight (t, kg) and volume (m); all filling hoses shall be secured to the transport tanks. The method of securing shall preclude the possibility of the hose being ejected from the transport tank by the reactive energy of the jet of the product being poured; measures shall be provided to preclude the spontaneous movement of railway tank cars and transport tanks during draining/filling operations, with these being regulated in the instructions; on the basis of the instructions, for each operation (draining acids from railway tank cars, storing acids, pumping acids from the working tank to the reserve tank, dispensing acids into transport tanks, or pumping to consumers via pipeline), instructions shall be developed with a brief algorithm of the personnel's actions for carrying out the operations, indicating the initial position of the fittings and the sequence of the necessary switchings. The instructions shall be located at the personnel's workplaces; the instructions shall set out a prohibition on the presence of personnel in the acid storage boxes, in the pump rooms, on the filling areas of transport tanks, and near the breather stack of the scrubber (for example, for repair personnel) during draining and filling operations (directly while the pumps are running). The switching on of the pumps is permitted only after the personnel have left these zones; measures shall be provided to prevent the possibility of people accidentally passing near the transport tanks during draining/filling (the installation of warning notices on different sides of the filling areas), with these being regulated in the instructions; measures shall be provided to prevent hazardous gas contamination by acid (alkali) vapours of the rooms with control panels adjacent to premises and (or) outdoor areas where the release of hazardous substances is possible, including: the use of non-opening and airtight window structures and self-closing doors; the sealing of the points where pipelines and cables pass through building structures, and also the sealing of door and window openings (the solutions shall be defined by the design documentation).
255. Ventilation systems and the condition of the pickling baths shall be checked daily for serviceability.
256. The frequency of cleaning of the premises is established depending on the conditions of their operation. Cleaning that causes the dispersal of harmful substances shall not be permitted.
257. After work at the pickling baths with chemically hazardous substances used as additives for process solutions, the substances shall be removed from the working zone to the warehouse.
258. In production premises characterised by significant release of moisture and by releases of hygroscopic dust, chlorine and hydrogen chloride, the roof structure shall preclude the possibility of condensate forming.
259. The underground part of the foundations and the frames of the chlorine compressors shall be protected with acid-resistant materials; on the compressor foundations there shall be a device ensuring the drainage of effluents into the sewer.
260. The surfaces of the walls and columns inside the chlorine compressor rooms shall be faced with acid-resistant materials to a height of no less than 1 m above floor level.
261. Tank equipment operating under an excess pressure of chlorine vapour above 0.07 MPa (0.7 kgf/cm2) shall comply with the requirements of Technical Regulation of the Customs Union TR CU 032/2013 "On the safety of equipment operating under excess pressure", adopted by Decision of the Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission No. 41 of 2 July 2013 (Official website of the Eurasian Economic Commission http://www.eurasiancommission.org/, 2013) (hereinafter - Technical Regulation TR CU 032/2013), the mandatory nature of which is established by the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union (Official Internet Portal of Legal Information http://www.pravo.gov.ru, 2015; 2019), taking into account the following: (a) the design pressure of vessels containing liquid chlorine shall be no less than 1.6 MPa (16 kgf/cm); (b) the materials and design of the vessel shall ensure its strength and reliable operation over the working temperature range: from the possible minimum temperature to the maximum temperature corresponding to the operating conditions of the vessel. When selecting materials for vessels intended for installation in an open area or in unheated premises, the absolute minimum and maximum outdoor air temperature for the given region shall be taken into account; (c) the design wall thickness of the vessel shall be determined taking into account the design service life, the design pressure and an addition of no less than 1 mm to compensate for corrosion (on the vessel branch pipes, the corrosion allowance shall be no less than 2 mm).
262. Process equipment and liquid chlorine communications in which, under the operating conditions, a pressure above the value permitted by the design may arise, shall be equipped with safety devices.
263. When laying liquid chlorine pipelines, seamless steel pipes joined by welding shall be used. Flanged connections are placed at the locations where fittings are installed and where connection to equipment is made, and also on sections where, under the operating conditions, periodic disassembly is necessary for cleaning and repairing the pipelines. The steel used in manufacturing the flanges joined by welding shall be compatible with the pipe material.
264. Tanks, storage tanks and collecting vessels of liquid chlorine shall be equipped with: (a) pressure monitoring instruments with output of the readings to the control room; (b) two independent systems for measuring and monitoring the mass (level) of liquid chlorine, with automatic activation of audible and visual signals in the control room and locally when the regulated norm for filling and emptying the tank is reached; (c) a system for signalling that the pressure has exceeded 1.2 MPa (12 kgf/cm2), installed in the control room and locally.
265. Premises where the release of chlorine is possible shall be equipped with a general ventilation system and with automatic systems for detecting and monitoring the chlorine content in the air, having no less than two actuation thresholds. When the maximum permissible concentration of chlorine, equal to 1 mg/m3, is exceeded, visual and audible alarms shall be activated locally and in the control room. Premises where liquid and gaseous chlorine are handled shall be equipped with an emergency protection system comprising emergency ventilation interlocked with a chlorine emergency absorption system, which shall be activated when the chlorine concentration reaches a value exceeding 20 MPC. Premises where only gaseous chlorine is handled are equipped with a protection system that, when the chlorine concentration reaches values exceeding 20 MPC, provides for automatic disconnection of the process system from the source of chlorine ingress and prevents its mass release into the air of the working zone. The actuation time of the alarm device when the chlorine concentration in the air reaches a value exceeding 20 MPC shall be no more than 30 s.
266. Chlorine warehouses in storage tanks and tank containers, separately standing evaporation units, chlorine drain-and-fill points, railway holding sidings and transfer points for chlorine receptacles shall be equipped with an external chlorine leak monitoring loop with an alarm indicating that the MPC has been exceeded. The sensitivity threshold of the sensors of the chlorine leak monitoring system, their number and location shall be defined and substantiated by the design for the installation of the chlorine leak sensors.
267. The storage of liquid chlorine in tanks is carried out at ambient temperature, in a cooled state at a temperature below ambient temperature, or at the boiling temperature of liquid chlorine at atmospheric pressure (the isothermal storage method).
268. The specific method and parameters for storing liquid chlorine in storage tanks and tank containers, as well as the total storage volume and the optimum volume of a single tank, shall be determined by the liquid chlorine storage design on the basis of the need to preclude group injury to people. The optimality of the decisions adopted shall be substantiated by a safety analysis of the chlorine warehouses using methods of modelling the processes of emergency release and dispersion of chlorine in the atmosphere in the event of an accident.
269. The radius of the hazardous zone for liquid chlorine warehouses is taken within the depth of propagation of the chlorine cloud with an injurious concentration (determined by calculation).
270. The minimum permissible distances from chlorine warehouses to the production and auxiliary facilities of the organisation not connected with the production (consumption) of liquid chlorine are established within the maximum radius of gravitational spreading of the primary chlorine cloud formed upon depressurisation of the tank (determined by calculation).
271. The minimum permissible distances from chlorine warehouses to explosion-hazardous facilities are determined on the basis of the conditions of resistance of the chlorine warehouse facilities to the effect of a shock wave and to thermal radiation.
272. Liquid chlorine warehouses shall be located in lower places relative to other nearby buildings and installations and predominantly on the leeward side of the prevailing wind directions relative to the location of the nearest populated areas.
273. On the territory of a liquid chlorine warehouse, a wind direction indicator shall be installed, visible from any point of the warehouse territory. Organisations that have chlorine warehouses in storage tanks and (or) tank containers shall be equipped with a weather station and a system for forecasting the dispersion of chlorine in the atmosphere.
274. Around a liquid chlorine warehouse there shall be a continuous solid fence no less than 2 m high, with solid, tightly closing gates, or other solutions shall be provided that limit the spread of the gas wave during the initial period of an emergency situation and that prevent access of unauthorised persons to the warehouse territory.
275. Access shall be ensured to a liquid chlorine warehouse for fire engines and vehicles of the gas rescue service.
276. On the territory of a chlorine warehouse, it shall not be permitted to locate equipment and installations not directly related to the production processes carried out at chlorine warehouses. Installations for liquefying, evaporating and filling chlorine into containers and cylinders, installations for absorbing chlorine to produce hypochlorites and ferric chloride, and installations for evacuation and for producing compressed air for pressure transfer shall be located in premises separated from the chlorine warehouse by a load-bearing wall of the building.
277. Chlorine warehouses shall be located in above-ground and semi-buried single-storey buildings or in underground structures. In the case of open chlorine warehouses, a protective canopy and the development of additional technical activities for safe operation shall be required.
278. When constructing closed storage facilities for liquid chlorine, the following requirements shall be met: (a) the above-ground and semi-buried premises for storing chlorine in vessels (tanks, tank containers) shall have devices protecting the structures of the premises from destruction during emergency spills of chlorine, and shall be separated from other production premises by solid non-combustible walls; (b) under each tank (tank container) a catchment pan shall be installed. The capacity of the catchment pan shall be not less than the entire volume of the tank (tank container); (c) the doors of chlorine storage facilities shall open in the direction of evacuation; (d) the material of the floors, the finishing of the walls, ceilings and metal structures shall be resistant to the aggressive effects of chlorine.
279. Open-type storage facilities for storing liquid chlorine in vessels (tanks, tank containers) shall be operated in compliance with the following requirements: (a) the vessels shall be protected from atmospheric precipitation and direct sunlight; (b) under each receptacle there shall be a catchment pan (or a bund) for collecting emergency spills of chlorine. It is permitted to have a common catchment pan with a capacity of not less than the full volume of the largest vessel, with the arrangement of partitions under each vessel for the containment of spills.
280. For a storage facility for liquid chlorine in vessels (tanks, tank containers), the presence of a back-up receptacle is mandatory, the volume of which is not taken into account when determining the capacity of the storage facility. The piping arrangement of the vessels shall provide for the possibility of using any of them as a back-up and shall ensure the evacuation of chlorine from the emergency receptacle (tank, tank container). The use of a vessel, tank, collector or tank container as a service receptacle with withdrawal of gaseous chlorine for consumption shall not be permitted. The use of a railway tank wagon as a service receptacle with withdrawal of gaseous or liquid chlorine for consumption shall not be permitted.
281. Process operations connected with the storage, filling and emptying of vessels and tank wagons, and with the transfer of liquid chlorine, shall, for the purpose of ensuring safety, be strictly regulated, and continuous monitoring of their conduct shall be carried out using automatic self-recording instruments with recording on an electronic medium.
282. On the territory of chlorine storage facilities, as well as of separately standing evaporation units, points for transhipment of chlorine packaging, loading and unloading points, and in holding sidings for railway tank wagons with chlorine, automatic systems for monitoring emergency releases of chlorine and systems or installations for their containment by means of a protective water curtain and (or) dispersion down to safe concentrations shall be provided. The system for containment of the gaseous chlorine cloud by a water curtain shall be provided with the necessary water reserves, calculated for continuous operation over a period sufficient for the elimination of the chlorine leak, taking into account the greatest water consumption for other needs of the organisation. The number of sprayers, hydrants, their arrangement and the required water reserve shall be determined and substantiated by the chlorine leak elimination design. The foam containment system for spills of liquid chlorine shall provide for the use of foams chemically neutral to chlorine.
283. Production premises without permanent workstations shall be equipped with emergency or general-exchange ventilation systems with mechanical inducement. Outside, at the entrance to the premises, a light alarm shall be provided of the exceedance of the level of chlorine gas contamination in the premises, together with the activation of ventilation to air the premises down to a chlorine concentration in the air of the premises that complies with the sanitary standards. During repair work, the heating of these premises shall be effected by mobile ventilation and heating devices.
284. For the containment of emergency situations at chlorine storage facilities, filling stations, evaporation and chlorination rooms, emergency ventilation shall be provided that is activated automatically on a signal from the gas analyser. The capacity of the emergency ventilation shall be determined and substantiated by the process section of the design.
285. The capacity of the emergency chlorine absorption system and the stock of absorbing agents shall be substantiated by the emergency response design and shall be sufficient for the containment of the emergency situation.
286. The loading and unloading areas, the connection and disconnection points of tank containers, containers (drums) and cylinders with chlorine, shall be fitted with systems of local extraction and absorption of chlorine.
287. All loading and unloading units of production assemblies from which the release of gases and dust into the air of the working area is possible shall be fitted with built-in enclosures and aspiration means interlocked with the technical devices.
288. Aspiration systems shall be leak-tight.
289. The conduits of aspiration systems conveying dust shall be cleaned of settled dust in accordance with the approved schedule, including to prevent the accumulation of explosion and fire hazardous dust in the aspiration systems.
290. The procedure for the operation, maintenance, repair, adjustment and instrumental checking of the effectiveness of the aspiration and ventilation systems shall be defined by the operating instructions.
291. Operating documents shall be drawn up for all ventilation and aspiration systems.
292. Work on the inspection, cleaning and repair inside gas ducts shall be carried out with the performance of organisational and technical actions depending on the gas environment of the internal space, as gas-hazardous work. During the repair and internal inspection of gas ducts, the entry of gases into the working area of the sections being repaired and inspected shall be precluded.
293. The design of gas ducts shall ensure their cleaning of dust. Access shall be provided to the manways for the inspection of gas ducts. For inspecting the condition and cleaning of underground gas ducts and flues, special manways shall be provided.
294. Equipment intended for capturing explosion-hazardous dust shall be fitted with safety valves.
295. During the operation of gas-cleaning filters, the regular discharge of dust shall be performed, and the accumulation of dust affecting the process shall not be permitted.
296. If, in the event of an emergency shutdown of the ventilation or aspiration system, it is impossible to stop the technical devices and process transport vehicles, then back-up ventilation or aspiration systems with automatic activation shall be provided.
297. Persons not operating the ventilation systems shall be prohibited from entering the ventilation premises, switching the fans on and off, or opening or closing the fittings (valves, gate dampers) of the ventilation systems.
298. The sewerage systems of process facilities shall ensure the removal and treatment of hazardous substances and of contaminated process, wash and other effluents generated both under the regulated operating modes of the production and in cases of emergency releases. The arrangement of effluent drainage from the various facilities shall preclude the formation of sediments and the clogging of the sewerage, and, when mixing occurs, shall preclude the possibility of the formation of explosion-hazardous products and solid particles.
299. Manholes on sewerage networks shall be prohibited from being located under the trestles of process pipelines and within the kerbs and bunds of the equipment of outdoor installations containing explosion-hazardous products. Where explosion and fire hazardous and toxic substances may enter the effluents, means for monitoring their content at the outlet of the installations (at the collector) are provided, as well as alarm means and measures precluding the entry of these substances into the domestic sewerage. The discharge of these effluents into the main sewerage network without preliminary treatment shall be prohibited, except in cases where the main network is intended to receive such effluents. The measures for the treatment of effluents and the removal of explosion and fire hazardous products shall preclude the possibility of the formation of an explosion-hazardous concentration of vapours and gases in the sewerage system.
300. The arrangement of water supply, sewerage and heating systems in premises where substances are produced, used or stored that, on contact with water, decompose with an explosion or ignite, and also release explosion-hazardous or toxic gases, shall preclude the possibility of water reaching these hazardous substances.
301. The inspection and cleaning, maintenance and repair of sewerage networks and manholes shall be carried out according to schedules and in accordance with the procedure for performing gas-hazardous work.
302. The conditions for the discharge of waste water into water bodies shall meet the requirements of the relevant sanitary and environmental standards in force.
303. Natural and artificial lighting in production and auxiliary buildings and premises, on the territory of the organisation, including emergency lighting, shall provide illumination sufficient for the safe performance of work and for the presence and movement of people.
304. In explosion-hazardous premises, lighting systems of explosion-proof design shall be provided.
305. Portable electrified tools shall be stored in a designated place and issued to workers for the period of work. The class of the portable power tools and hand-held electric machines shall correspond to the conditions of the work being carried out, with the use, in individual cases, of electrical protective equipment.
306. The arrangement, installation, maintenance and repair of electrical installations shall comply with the requirements of the regulatory technical documents on the arrangement of electrical installations and of the technical regulations.
307. The electric lighting of outdoor process installations shall have remote and local switching by service zones.
308. The reliability category of the power supply of facilities using hazardous substances and hazardous chemical products, with a concentration potentially exceeding the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) standards, shall be determined by the design. At the same time, the possibility of a trouble-free transfer of the process into a safe state shall be ensured in all time modes of operation of the production, including in the event of a simultaneous interruption of the power supply from two independent mutually redundant power sources.
309. The systems of automatic and remote control and monitoring of processes, the emergency protection, communication and warning systems, shall comply with the design documentation, and, in the absence of design documentation, with the production documentation.
310. For newly designed facilities, the processes, equipment and conduits in which hazards arise under the operating conditions are, in accordance with the design for equipping with instrumentation, furnished with control and measuring instruments, interlocks, alarms, communication, safety instruments for monitoring, emergency protection, remote monitoring systems, equipment using artificial intelligence, robotics and video monitoring. The method and parameters of the protections shall be determined by the design for the given production technology, proceeding from the need to preclude harm to people and property from the hazardous factors of the production. The optimality of the adopted solutions shall be substantiated by a safety analysis or a risk calculation.
311. The automation of the production shall provide for process, warning and emergency alarms, interlocks and protective actions in the event of a violation of the established operating mode of the process equipment.
312. The emergency protection of the facility is ensured by the design of the protection systems and the selection of the protection elements, proceeding from the operating conditions of the system during operation, maintenance and repair throughout the entire life cycle of the protected facility. The indicators of reliability, safety and speed of response of the protection systems are determined by the developers of the systems, taking into account the explosion hazard categories of the process units comprising the facility and the development time of a possible accident.
313. The remote monitoring system, based on the process data and the data from the systems for monitoring the technical condition of the facility, is designed for the analysis of technical risk in real time, with the capability of predictive risk.
314. The audible and visual alarm system shall ensure the notification of the operating personnel of the start-up, stop and violations of the established operating mode of the technical devices.
315. Structural subdivisions shall have lists of safety interlocks, alarm systems of the process or of individual assemblies, indicating the name of the monitored parameter, the name of the equipment, the value of the set limit of the parameter value, and the limit parameters of the interlock and alarm. The frequency of checking the operability of the safety interlocks and of the alarm systems of the technical devices, and the procedure for recording the check results, are established by the organisation. The proper operation of the automatic interlock and alarm shall be checked in accordance with the operating instructions for the instruments.
316. The conduct of processes and the operation of equipment with faulty or disconnected monitoring, control and alarm systems shall not be permitted. On the written instruction of the head of the production structural subdivision, the disconnection of the protections (not more than one parameter at a time) during the day shift is permitted. In this case, organisational and technical actions ensuring the safety of the process and of the work being carried out are developed.
317. The measurement and control of process parameters are carried out by technical devices that are corrosion-resistant in the working medium or protected from its effect.
318. Technical devices whose operation is provided for in automatic, adjustment and manual modes shall have an alarm indicating their switching to the given operating mode.
319. The control, alarm and instrumentation and automation circuits located on the boards, consoles and control panels shall have an alarm indicating the presence of voltage on them.
320. Instrumentation and automation shall be installed in convenient and safe places for observation and adjustment.
321. The operation of faulty instrumentation and automation, or of instrumentation and automation with an expired calibration period, shall not be permitted.
322. The organisation shall monitor the availability and serviceability of the measuring instruments.
323. Metal electrical devices and boards shall be earthed.
324. Interconnected production areas and technical devices shall be equipped with two-way loudspeaker and telephone (radio) communication.
325. Communication and alarm means shall be located in the zones of maximum visibility and audibility for the production personnel, and shall be easily accessible and safe for servicing.
326. The operation of technical devices, as well as of all types of process, in-plant rail and trackless transport, when the signalling and interlocking devices are faulty, shall not be permitted.
327. To preclude the formation in pneumatic instruments of explosion-hazardous mixtures of air with combustible substances, the compressed air shall be replaced with inert gas.
328. The checking and testing of instruments in explosion and fire hazardous and in fire-hazardous premises shall be carried out under conditions precluding spark formation.
329. The operation of furnaces at a residual vacuum below the value specified in the process instruction shall not be permitted.
330. If, during the ignition and heating-up of certain types of furnaces, an explosion is possible in the under-dome space, then explosion valves shall be installed on the roof of the furnace.
331. The design of the device feeding materials into the furnace shall provide metered continuous or intermittent feeding with automatic control of the material flow rate.
332. The start-up and shutdown of furnaces for roasting materials shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the process instruction and of the instruction on the procedure for starting up and shutting down furnaces.
333. The starting devices of crushing and grinding machines shall be interlocked with the starting devices of the feeders. The interlocks shall preclude the feeding of material into non-operating machines during accidental stops.
334. Devices for wetting and hydraulic dust suppression of the material during its crushing or grinding shall be interlocked with the crushing or grinding equipment. The wetting systems shall switch off automatically during idle running of the equipment.
335. With local control, the starting devices of mills shall be located in such a way that the operator can observe the operation of the mill.
336. The crushing and grinding of wet materials that react with water with an explosion or with the release of explosion-hazardous, fire-hazardous or harmful gases shall not be permitted.
337. The inspection and repair of crushing and grinding machines, the cleaning of troughs and of the working space of material or foreign objects, as well as other work requiring people to descend into the troughs or the working space, shall be carried out in compliance with the system of interlocks and safety actions.
338. The storage of rods, balls, lining, spare parts and appliances shall be provided for in specially designated places on racks or in packaging.
339. When people descend into the working space of crushers, systems for ensuring the safety of work at height shall be used, and temporary coverings shall be arranged over the loading openings of the crushers to protect the production personnel from the accidental falling of foreign objects.
340. The crushing of materials that form explosion-hazardous dust during grinding shall be carried out with the performance of actions precluding dust explosions, as well as the formation of triple explosion-hazardous mixtures "dust - combustible gas - air".
341. Poking in the outlet openings of the feeders supplying material to the screen, as well as in the loading and discharge hoppers with the feeders and screens operating, is carried out where specially provided poking openings exist and with the use of special appliances and tools in accordance with the process instruction.
342. All layout options of the railway tracks under the blast furnace for tapping pig iron and slag, for the delivery and removal of auxiliary materials and equipment, the removal of scrap and cold slag, and for the supply of fettling materials to the cast houses shall comply with the design documentation, which provides, among other things, for the reservation of tracks in cases of emergency situations.
343. Over the standing tracks of the pig iron and slag ladles within the cast house, roofs or special canopies shall be arranged to preclude the ingress of atmospheric precipitation into the ladles.
344. The places where people cross the railway tracks are equipped in accordance with the safety requirements for railway transport.
345. At the places where roads and railways intersect, level crossings shall be designed and constructed.
346. The unloading of charge materials in the ore yard shall be mechanised. When storing charge materials in winter, measures shall be taken against their freezing together. Charge materials frozen together shall be thawed before being unloaded from the wagons. The unloading fronts of each material shall have clear signs.
347. For the operator of the wagon tippler, the transfer crane and the transfer car, two-way radio communication shall be provided with the foreman (team leader) of the blast furnace charging.
348. The speed of movement of the wagons shall be determined by the process or production instruction.
349. When the wagon tippler operates within the working range of the ore crane, the possibility of collision of the grab with the wagon tippler shall be precluded.
350. Bunkers shall be equipped with safety grids with cells of not more than 300 x 300 mm. In shops where the supply of charge materials is carried out by conveyors or by wagons with remote opening of the hatches, the arrangement of bunkers with open apertures fenced with a solid wall at least 1 m high is permitted.
351. The weigh wagon is equipped with interlocks precluding the possibility of: movement of the weigh wagon with the gates of the weigh hoppers open; opening of the gates of the bins if the weigh wagon is not standing over the skip pit, there is no skip under the weigh wagon and coke is due to be loaded according to the programme; movement of the weigh wagon with the lifting boxes of the reducers open.
352. To ensure the continuous charging of the blast furnaces, there shall be back-up weigh wagons.
353. Skip pits shall be equipped with an emergency switch for the main hoist.
354. Work in skip pits shall be regulated by the process or production instruction, provided there is a serviceable and continuously operating light alarm between the work team and the operator of the weigh wagon or the operator of the charge feeding. The clearing of skip pits of spilled charge materials shall be mechanised and carried out systematically. In existing shops, where such mechanisation is not feasible, manual clearing is permitted in compliance with the safety requirements. The tightening of the skip ropes and the performance of other work involving a short-term interruption of the charging of charge materials into the furnace are carried out in accordance with the production documentation.
355. Work involving the presence of workers inside the ore chutes (bunkers, weigh hoppers) located over the skip pits shall be carried out with the skip hoist (loading conveyors, feeders, screens and tilting tray, weigh wagon) switched off, with the switching-on of the drives being impossible until the workers are withdrawn from the internal spaces. The weigh wagon is stopped at a distance of not less than 10 m from the skip pit, with the installation of barrier devices on both sides of the skip pit.
356. The bridges for the hoists of coke and sinter fines shall have cladding underneath and to their full height, precluding the falling of materials. The arrangement and condition of the rails and check rails shall preclude the derailment of the skips.
357. The operation of the hoists of coke and sinter fines with faulty travel switches, rope slack switches, or end switches for the extreme positions of the skip shall not be permitted.
358. In the hoist building, direct telephone (radio) communication shall be installed with the furnace top platform and the skip pit.
359. The inclined bridges of the skip hoists shall be clad with steel sheets from below and on the sides, protecting against the falling of materials, and, along their entire length, staircases with landings are arranged, the entrance to which is closed by a door with a lock that opens without a key only from the inside. All exits leading to the shaft and the furnace top shall be equipped with doors with a lock that opens from the inside without a key. The entrance to the furnace top platform from the side of the inclined bridge (beyond the upper platform for servicing the pulleys) shall have a door. Where there is an exit from the inclined bridge onto the shaft platforms, a door is installed in the upper part of the bridge.
360. Skips shall be suspended on not less than two ropes, each having a sixfold safety factor.
361. Work on the routine maintenance of equipment involving a short-term interruption of the charging of the furnace shall be carried out with the permission of the furnace foreman.
362. The checking of the condition of the steel ropes and their replacement shall be carried out in the procedure established by the process or production instruction.
363. During stops of the furnace accompanied by the opening of the cones and the ignition of the gas at the furnace top, in the case where the flame may threaten to heat up the ropes, the skips shall be kept in motion.
364. During the replacement of the skip ropes, the presence of unauthorised workers not engaged in this work on the inclined bridge and in the skip pit shall not be permitted.
365. Bell-type and bell-less charging apparatuses shall be leak-tight and designed for the working pressure of the gas at the furnace top. The condition of the charging apparatus shall preclude the ejection of charge materials through the receiving hopper, the intermediate bunkers and the valves.
366. On gas seals with a cylindrical insert, two hatches shall be arranged for the stable combustion of the gas when checking the charge material.
367. The ropes for suspending and lifting the counterweights shall have an eightfold safety factor.
368. The angles of inclination of the gas pipelines supplying gas from the scrubber into the inter-cone space for its discharge to gas cleaning shall preclude the possibility of the accumulation of moisture in them. At the highest points of the gas pipeline, bleeders or atmospheric valves are installed.
369. The outlet opening of the purge bleeders on blast furnaces shall be at least 4 m higher than the upper platforms of the furnace top.
370. The furnace top platform shall be lit in the evening and at night and fenced with railings at least 1.1 m high with solid sheathing of steel sheets. The surface of the flooring shall preclude slipping. For access to the furnace top platform, there shall be at least two entrances.
371. The presence of workers on the furnace top platform is permitted only where the worker has a personal gas analyser and a permit to work for gas-hazardous work has been drawn up.
372. Transition platforms shall be made in such a way that dust does not accumulate on them.
373. When designing the erection devices of the furnace top, the possibility of lifting equipment without guying it shall be provided for. The platforms of the balancers and of the erection beam shall be fenced on the external and internal sides.
374. The lowering into the furnace of charge materials stuck on the small and large cones shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction.
375. An increase of the gas pressure at the furnace top above the design value shall not be permitted.
376. The condition of the external equipment of the furnace top and of the charging apparatus is checked quarterly, with the recording of the check results.
377. The admission of people into the receiving hopper is carried out by the person responsible for carrying out the work, with the electrical control circuit of the skip hoists or loading conveyors disassembled.
378. To avoid the formation of explosion-hazardous mixtures in the inter-cone space, steam or nitrogen shall be supplied into it in quantities precluding their formation. The supply of steam or nitrogen into the inter-cone space shall be interlocked with the charging device so that, when their supply ceases, the charging mechanisms of the furnace do not operate. The operation of the furnace without a system of automatic signalling of the supply of steam or nitrogen into the inter-cone space shall not be permitted. Actions shall be provided for capturing the emissions of dust and gases from the inter-cone space. Manoeuvring the large cone with a pressure difference below and above the cone of more than 0.015 MPa (0.15 kgf/cm2) shall not be permitted. The opening of the small cone is carried out at a pressure in the inter-cone space of not more than 0.015 MPa (0.15 kgf/cm2). The specified parameters shall also be observed when opening and closing the gas-sealing valves of the bell-less charging apparatuses. In the event of failure of the automatic pressure monitoring instrument in the inter-cone space, the lowering of the charges is permitted to be carried out only under the direction of the furnace foreman, after transferring the furnace from elevated to normal pressure. The mode of filling the inter-cone space with steam or nitrogen shall be regulated by the process or production instruction.
379. The charging and operation of a blast furnace with one mechanical probe or radiometric level gauge of the charge stockline for more than 2 hours shall not be permitted. In the event of failure of all instruments for the automatic monitoring and recording of the stockline level, the charging of the furnace shall be stopped. Prolonged operation of the furnace with a deviation of the charge stockline level from the set value shall not be permitted. If the stockline level cannot be restored within the specified time, then the forcing of the furnace operation is reduced. The checking of the stockline level measuring instruments shall be carried out at least twice a month.
380. The charging of the charge material into the furnace with a failed rotating charge distributor is permitted only during the period of repair work, for a period of not more than 4 hours.
381. In the event of a delay in the charging of the furnace due to equipment malfunction and other reasons, the temperature of the top gas in the furnace shall not exceed 500 °C.
382. On blast furnaces, the working temperature of the hearth bottom is set by the design and shall be monitored by means of thermocouples located above the bottom cooling and providing measurement of the temperature both along the axis of the furnace and at the periphery of the hearth bottom. The temperature readings are recorded in accordance with the production documentation.
383. The hearth of the blast furnace shall be equipped with an automated system for monitoring the wear of the lining.
384. The air tuyeres shall be equipped with an automatic system for monitoring their burn-through, with a signal issued to the control console.
385. The design and installation of the elements of the tuyere assembly shall ensure leak-tightness. The operation of the blast furnace in the presence of blow-through of air and gases at the tuyere assemblies shall not be permitted. The peepholes of the tuyere assembly are tightly closed with heat-resistant or double glasses. For the replacement of tuyere assemblies and their elements, regardless of the types of assemblies, mechanisation shall be provided. The replacement of a burnt-through tuyere of the slag notch is carried out after the complete tapping of pig iron and slag from the furnace, at a blast pressure of not more than 0.005 MPa (0.05 kgf/cm2).
The pumping stations of blast furnaces shall be equipped with back-up pumps with electric drives and back-up pipelines to the furnaces. The supply of these drives shall be effected from not less than two independent sources. In addition, the pumping stations shall be equipped with back-up water towers or back-up pumps, and shall have autonomous power supply sources.
The water reserve in the water towers shall be such as to ensure the cooling of the furnaces until the back-up pumps are put into operation or until the complete stopping of the blast furnaces after the tapping of pig iron and slag.
386. For each blast furnace, a layout diagram of the coolers shall be drawn up, on which all changes in the condition of the shell and coolers of the furnace are noted monthly.
387. The cooling systems of the hearth and hearth bottom of the blast furnace shall ensure a difference of not more than 3 °C, which shall be monitored by automatic instruments.
388. The examination of the shells of blast furnaces and air heaters is carried out at the times specified in Table 1. The types of examination are: primary, secondary, and unscheduled.
389. The purpose of the primary examination is to verify the standardised service life of the operable condition of the shell under the actual operating conditions.
390. The purpose of the secondary examination is to identify the possibilities of the residual service life of the shell of the structure and to determine the period of its decommissioning.
391. An extraordinary inspection or expert assessment is carried out where, during operational examinations, an unexplained increase in damage and a danger of general failure of the shell are revealed, and also in the following cases: after an accident in the shop involving thermal (fire) or mechanical (structural collapse) impact on the furnace shell; where reconstruction of the furnace is planned; where the standardised design indicators and (or) climatic impacts are increased (an increase in the district seismicity, an increase in the working pressure, a switch to zinc-bearing ores).
392. Inspection of the blast furnace shell includes an assessment of the impact of high temperatures on the steel (Table 2), an analysis of the data obtained during operation of the unit, and a detailed visual examination of the structure, including the assemblies where the inclined dirty-gas duct exits the shell, and the entire shell itself.
393. During the examination: the structural layout of the shell and its compliance with the design are verified; all damage is marked on the development drawing of the shell, including the erection openings made during capital repairs; the areas of the shell subjected to temperatures above 150 °C are marked on the development.
394. The shop personnel shall ensure the normal operation of the furnace, precluding hanging of the burden. In the event of its hanging, all repair work on the furnace shall be stopped, and persons located on the upper platforms or near the furnace who are not engaged in work on slipping the burden shall be removed to a safe place. During hanging and slipping of the burden, the discharge of flue dust from the dust catchers shall not be permitted. The furnace master or gasman shall promptly report the hanging and slipping of the burden to the gas facility dispatcher, the blowing-machine operator and the charging personnel.
395. Where, during slipping, a danger arises of the tuyere assemblies being flooded with the melt products, the latter shall first be discharged from the furnace.
396. The UGKS shall comply with the quality characteristics of natural gas.
397. The humidity and the content of gaseous impurities in the oxygen are regulated by the process instruction.
398. The pressure of natural gas at the inlet to the UGKS shall be higher than the design pressure in the tuyere zone of the blast furnace by not less than 0.2 MPa (2 kgf/cm2).
399. The oxygen pressure at the inlet to the UGKS shall be not less than 0.1 MPa (1 kgf/cm2) higher than the natural gas pressure.
400. The supply to the UGKS of oxygen at a pressure above 1.6 MPa (16 kgf/cm2) shall be prohibited.
401. The volume fraction of oxygen in the mixture with natural gas shall not exceed 25 per cent. The explosive limits of mixtures of certain combustible gases with air and oxygen are given in Table 3.
402. For purging the oxygen and gas-oxygen mixture pipelines, a supply of nitrogen or steam at a pressure not less than 0.1 MPa (1 kgf/cm2) higher than the oxygen pressure shall be provided.
403. In the nitrogen supplied for purging, the volume fraction of oxygen shall not exceed 3 per cent, and the oil content shall be not more than 10 mg/m3.
404. Operation of the nitrogen pipeline without heating is permitted if the nitrogen supplied is dry.
405. When the shut-off device on the oxygen pipeline is actuated, a light and sound signal shall be given on the UGKS control panel at the blast furnace.
406. At the UGKS, continuous automatic recording of the flow rates and pressures of the natural gas and oxygen supplied for mixing shall be provided.
407. At the UGKS, automatic switching-on of the nitrogen (steam) supply shall be provided immediately upon receipt of a signal that the shut-off device or any electrified gate valve on the oxygen pipeline has closed. Upon expiry of the time laid down in the process instruction, the supply of nitrogen (steam) shall be automatically stopped.
408. The supply of oxygen to the UGKS shall be automatically stopped (actuation of the shut-off device of the electrically driven gate valves) in the event of a deviation from the process parameters of the blast furnace operation established by the process instruction.
409. The following interlocks shall be provided at the UGKS: the impossibility of closing the electrified gate valves on the natural gas pipeline until a signal is received that the shut-off device on the oxygen pipeline has fully actuated; until a signal is received that the shut-off device on the oxygen pipeline has fully actuated, the natural gas flow control valve shall remain open on the pipeline by not less than 30 per cent of its throughput capacity.
410. The flow rates of the natural gas and oxygen supplied for mixing shall be recorded in the operational log of the blast furnace operation.
411. The buildings of the cast houses and the sub-furnace structures shall be made of fire-resistant materials.
412. The sub-furnace structure shall have not less than two exits, not counting the exit to the cast house.
413. The runners for tapping cast iron and slag, and also the positioning railway tracks for the cast iron ladle cars and slag ladle cars, shall be arranged so that they can be serviced by overhead cranes with the ropes under vertical tension.
414. The supporting columns of the furnace, of the cast house building and of the sub-furnace structure shall be protected against possible contact with cast iron and slag by refractory material. Control of the cast iron and slag casting mechanisms and of the manipulator shall be remote.
415. The mechanisms for moving the ladles shall have remote control. The ropes for moving the ladles and the electric cables shall be protected against cast iron and slag getting onto them.
416. The thermal insulation and the design of the refractory lining of the air heaters shall ensure, during operation, the shell surface temperature provided for by the design.
417. The air heaters are equipped with instruments for monitoring the shell temperature in the dome and sub-dome parts. The temperature of the air heater shells shall be measured systematically (not less than once a month), with the results recorded in a special log. When the air heater shell is heated to a temperature above 150 °C, measures shall be taken to eliminate the causes of its overheating. If cracks or blow-throughs appear, the air heater shall be taken out of operation and disconnected from the air and gas networks until they are eliminated.
418. Each air heater shall have a technical passport. The passport records the results of periodic inspections, as well as all repairs carried out, indicating their nature, together with the drawings according to which the repairs were made. The passport shall indicate the persons who performed the welding work.
419. Not less than once a month, the technical condition of the air heaters and their fittings shall be checked by a commission. On the basis of the inspection results, actions to eliminate the defects identified are planned. The inspection results are documented in a report.
420. Measurements of the aerodynamic resistance of the air heater checkerwork shall be carried out annually. The measurement results are documented in a report.
421. The KIPiA rooms of the air heaters shall have forced supply-and-exhaust ventilation with heating of the supplied air in winter.
422. Between the air heater shell and its platforms, and also between the vertical gas pipeline crossing a platform and that platform, there shall be annular gaps. The width of the annular gap between the air heater shell and its working platform shall be determined by the design; the gap between the shell and the service platforms, and also between the vertical gas pipeline crossing a platform and that platform, shall be not less than 50 mm; clogging and blocking of the gaps shall not be permitted. The platforms, on the side of the gap, shall be enclosed with a solid flange to a height of not less than 0.15 m.
423. The design of the underground flues of the air heaters shall preclude the possibility of ground water entering them.
424. On the gas pipelines of the air heaters, immediately upstream of the burners, automatic quick-acting safety valves shall be installed which operate when the gas or air pressure drops below the established limits. The limits of the gas and air pressure drop shall be established by the process instruction. The valves are interlocked with the sound and light alarms for the drop in gas and air pressure. The automatic valves shall also have manual control. The gas pipelines shall be equipped with instruments for recording the gas flow rate and pressure.
425. The design of the valves that shut off the gas supply to the burners shall ensure tight shut-off of the gas pipeline.
426. To regulate the set gas flow rate, the gas pipeline of the air heater block shall be equipped with a throttle valve. Control of the throttle valve shall be duplicated in the remote, manual and automatic modes.
427. The design of the valves (dampers) on the cold-blast and hot-blast air lines shall ensure tight shut-off of the air lines. The "Fully open" and "Fully closed" positions are monitored by limit switches directly connected to the damper. Control of the opening and closing of the dampers shall be automatic and remote.
428. The accumulation of dust on the annular air line and on the adjoining section of the straight hot-blast air line shall not be permitted.
429. The cold-blast air lines shall be equipped with a "snort" air-relief valve provided with an electric and a manual drive. The control of the air-relief valve shall be located in the furnace control room and at the mud gun control points. Operation of the air lines when cracks are present shall not be permitted.
430. When the surface of the hot-blast air lines is heated to a temperature above 200 °C, measures are taken to eliminate the causes of their overheating.
431. On the mixing pipeline of the blast furnace, a separating valve shall be installed which operates automatically when the hot-blast pressure drops to 0.02 MPa (0.2 kgf/cm2) and is provided with an electric and a manual drive.
432. The air heaters shall be equipped with means for automatic, cyclic and manual switching to different operating modes, and with automatic systems for controlling the dome temperature and the ratio and supply of the gas and air for heating.
433. The air heaters shall be operated in compliance with the dome and waste flue gas temperatures set by the design. The operating mode and the change of the air heater operating parameters, as well as the procedure for switching them from heating to blast and back, shall be governed by the process instruction.
434. The air heaters shall be heated with cleaned gas. If the gas throttle is faulty, switching the air heater to heating shall not be permitted.
435. Throughout the combustion mode, continuous monitoring of the presence of a flame in the combustion chamber shall be carried out. If the flame goes out, the gas supply shall be stopped. Re-ignition of the gas shall be carried out only after ventilating the air heater in accordance with the requirements of the process instruction and after identifying and eliminating the faults.
436. The duration of ventilating the air heater before re-ignition of the gas and before putting it into the blast mode is determined by calculation and is governed by the process instruction, but shall be not less than one minute.
437. At blast furnaces, a special device shall be provided for putting the furnace "on draught", bypassing the air heaters.
438. The air heaters shall have a separate chimney.
439. The discharge of the hot air remaining in the air heater when switching from blast to heating shall be carried out into the flue of the chimney or into a special silencer, or into another air heater, depending on the design (project). The discharge of the cold blast after the "snort" valve into the chimney of the air heaters shall not be permitted.
440. The gas pressure in the gas pipelines upstream of the air heaters shall not be permitted to be less than 500 Pa (50 mm of water column).
441. Gas leaks through unsealed flange joints of the valves, gates and burners on the gas pipelines supplying gas to the air heaters shall be eliminated immediately.
442. The dust catchers, gas offtakes and gas pipelines of blast furnaces shall be gas-tight. Operation of this equipment when cracks are present shall not be permitted.
443. In the upper and lower parts of the dust catchers there shall be manholes with a diameter of not less than 600 mm.
444. To separate the blast furnace from the enterprise's gas network, a cut-off valve is installed above the dust catcher. The opening and closing of the cut-off valve shall be mechanised. On the gas pipelines of operating furnaces, downstream of the dust catchers, the installation of mechanised plate gate valves in place of poppet valves is permitted.
445. The discharge of dust from the dust catchers shall be carried out by means of devices ensuring dust-free unloading, in accordance with the established schedule.
446. Stopping of locomotives under the dust catchers and near them during dust discharge shall not be permitted.
447. Before dust discharge, the serviceability of the water and steam pipelines on the dust catcher platforms shall be checked, as well as the serviceability of the winch controlling the dust discharge valve, of the railway wagons and of the wagon pusher. The service platform of the dust discharge valve shall have entrances and exits on opposite sides. The presence of persons on the dust catcher platform during dust discharge shall not be permitted. At newly designed facilities, the location of the control panel for the dust discharge valve and the wagon pusher shall provide a clear view of the controlled equipment and free access to it.
448. Work on repairing or replacing the dust discharge valve shall be carried out after installing a plate blank above the dust discharge valve in the "closed" position, in compliance with the safety measures.
449. A complete shutdown of the furnace with the dust discharge valve not closed shall not be permitted.
450. Opening of the cast iron tap hole with a defective casing, and also tapping of cast iron through a damp tap hole, shall not be permitted. With a short and weak tap hole, and also with a defective casing, tapping of cast iron shall be carried out at reduced blast, with measures taken to prevent possible entry of cast iron and slag onto the working platform.
451. Preparation of the cast iron tap hole for tapping the melt products shall be governed by the production instruction; in doing so, the presence of iron ladles and slag ladles under the spouts shall be checked (in the case of single-spout casting of cast iron, the ladles shall be coupled together). The refractory mass used to close the channel of the cast iron tap hole shall ensure the reliability of its closure and the uniform discharge of cast iron and slag.
452. The condition of the rammed lining of the main runner and the rocking runner shall be supervised. Repair of the main runner is carried out in accordance with a schedule. Tapping of cast iron with a defective lining shall not be permitted.
453. During tapping of cast iron, the overhead crane of the cast house shall be in a safe place. During repair of the crane, the presence of persons on it opposite the cast iron tap hole during its opening and during tapping of cast iron, and also above the ladles containing liquid cast iron and slag, shall not be permitted.
454. Crossing over the ditches and runners during tapping of cast iron and slag is permitted only via footbridges. The footbridges shall be thermally insulated and enclosed with railings having solid sheathing along the bottom.
455. Treatment of cast iron and slag in ladles within the cast houses, accompanied by the release of gas and dust, shall not be permitted.
456. Burning through the crust of the cast iron tap hole with an oxygen tube of a length of less than 2 m shall not be permitted.
457. Sampling of liquid cast iron for chemical analysis is carried out with dried and preheated tools.
458. Violation of the schedule for tapping cast iron and slag shall not be permitted. If the furnace is not blown through, measures shall be taken to blow it through at the next tapping. If the furnace is again not blown through, the amount of blast shall be reduced, up to switching it to "slow running".
459. The design of the main runner and the arrangement of the slag skimmer shall preclude cast iron from entering the slag ladles or the near-furnace slag granulation plants.
460. Use of the ladle-moving mechanisms is carried out only when the sound and light signalling is in working order.
461. To coordinate the actions of the hearth crew and the shunting crew, light signalling shall be provided. Before starting and during movement of the ladles, a sound signal shall be given. Before tapping of cast iron, the mechanisms for moving the runners and ladles shall be checked. The drive of the mechanism for moving the ladles shall not be switched on during placement of the ladles by the diesel locomotive or during other operations within the railway track clearance gauge.
462. Plugging of the cast iron tap hole shall be carried out by means of the MZChL. The MZChL control panel shall be located to the side of the cast iron tap hole and shall have a clear passage (two exits/entrances), provide protection against splashes of cast iron and slag, and provide visibility of the cast iron tap hole casing. The use of a remote MZChL control panel is permitted, with the impact of the melt products on the worker being excluded.
463. The MZChL shall have instruments for automatic monitoring of the quantity of tap-hole mass fed into the cast iron tap hole. Before tapping of cast iron, the MZChL shall be fully charged and the swivel and pressing mechanism tested. The tap-hole mass from the MZChL cylinder shall be fed into the tap hole only after the nose has butted against the casing. The composition of the tap-hole mass shall be governed by the process or production instruction.
464. Fastening of the stop for the engagement and locking mechanism of the MZChL to the blast furnace shell shall not be permitted.
465. If the MZChL fails, manual plugging of the tap hole is carried out only on a completely stopped furnace.
466. After each tapping of cast iron, the MZChL, its column and the swivel and pressing mechanisms are cleaned of splashes of cast iron and slag. Before switching on the MZChL swivel mechanism, the tapper shall make sure that there are no persons in the danger zone. When the MZChL swivels, a sound signal shall be given automatically. Manual lubrication of the MZChL mechanisms and of the cast iron tap-hole opening machine is carried out only in the intervals between tappings of cast iron.
467. Shunting with the slag ladles on the positioning tracks is carried out after coordination between the slag ladle attendant (dispatcher) and the shunting crew, or where a permitting light signal is present.
468. Repeated pouring of slag into a ladle with a separating crust that has formed, and also placing of damp debris on the bottom of the ladle, shall not be permitted.
469. Spraying of the slag bowls with lime solution shall be mechanised. The installation for spraying the slag ladles shall have dosing devices and instruments for monitoring the consumption of the lime solution.
470. Operation of cast iron ladles with a clogged neck, with cracks in the shell or in the trunnions, and also with a damaged lining, shall not be permitted.
471. The travel speed of the cast iron ladle cars carrying liquid cast iron and of the slag ladle cars carrying liquid slag at crossings, points and in the area of the blast furnaces shall be established by the operating organisation, taking into account local conditions.
472. In winter, the positioning tracks shall be cleared of snow and ice. When clearing the positioning tracks, the work areas are fenced off with signal signs, and in poor visibility signalmen are posted at the boundaries of the area. Carrying out work on the tracks at a distance closer than 15 m from ladles standing under filling shall not be permitted.
473. To protect the locomotive crew from slag splashing, a cover flat wagon loaded with ballast shall be installed.
474. The tracks for slag at the dump shall be laid with the outer rail on the pouring side raised relative to the other by not more than 150 mm. The track axis shall be located at a distance of not less than 1.4 m from the edge of the dump. At slag dumps, fire-resistant sleepers shall be used for laying the rails.
475. Movement of a slag train up a gradient shall be carried out with the ladles leading. The profile of the access track to the slag dumps shall not have gradients in the loaded direction. If this requirement cannot be met, movement of the slag train shall be carried out with the locomotive leading, with a cover flat wagon loaded with ballast.
476. Excavation of slag dumps shall be carried out in accordance with the design.
477. Control of the tipping of the slag ladles shall be remote. The electric starting devices shall be located in a special portable panel. The control panel shall be located at a distance of not less than 10 m from the ladles being tipped.
478. Pouring of slag at the dump shall be carried out only with the locomotive uncoupled from the slag ladles. Tipping of ladles with an unbroken slag crust at the granulation plants shall not be permitted. Breaking of the slag crusts shall be mechanised. The use of a specially equipped crane for this purpose is permitted.
479. The near-furnace slag granulation plants shall include two independent process lines (a working line and a standby line) ensuring safe servicing and repair of one (the standby) line while the other (the working) line is in operation.
480. The design of the main runners and the dams (skimmers) of the blast furnace shall preclude liquid cast iron from entering the slag runner of the plant.
481. The branch of the slag runner to the standby line shall be shut off by a shut-off device and, over a length of not less than 1 m, filled with sand to 100 mm above the sides of the runner.
482. The receiving hoppers of the granulation plants shall be covered with safety gratings with mesh not larger than 200 x 200 mm. The dumping of slag crusts and other objects into the receiving hoppers shall not be permitted. The thickness of the water layer above the objects retained by the safety grating shall be not less than 1 m.
483. The accumulation in the settling hopper of slag from more than one tapping shall not be permitted.
484. If the flow rate or pressure of the water supplied for granulation drops below the limit specified in the process instruction, the standby water supply source shall be switched on, and if there is no standby, the supply of slag to that granulator shall be stopped.
485. During slag granulation, automatic monitoring and neutralisation of the sulphur compounds released shall be provided.
486. The designs of the settling hopper and the drying hopper shall ensure the normal discharge of the granulated slag.
487. All work on repairing the recirculating water supply systems shall be carried out after they have been drained and cooled to a temperature not exceeding 40 °C.
488. Granulation of slag outside the shop shall be carried out in special sealed installations or in granulation pools.
489. Control of the tipping of the slag ladles, of the water supply to the granulation apparatus and of the breaking of the crust in the ladles shall be remote and shall be carried out from the control panel.
490. The granulation pools shall be enclosed with railings not less than 1.1 m high.
491. The positioning tracks for removing the granulated slag shall be equipped with chutes ensuring the drainage of water together with the spilled granulated slag back into the granulation pool or into the drainage ditches arranged along these tracks. The movement of railway wagons for loading granulated slag along the granulation pool shall be mechanised.
492. The grab slag-removal cranes shall have automatic devices for giving signals during their movement.
493. The slag granulation plants shall be equipped with devices precluding the possibility of granulated slag entering the sewerage system.
494. Granulation of slag containing cast iron shall not be permitted.
495. Pouring of slag into the pool or chamber shall take place slowly, with part of the slag left at the bottom of the ladle.
496. The passage of trains along the tracks for removing granulated slag, and shunting on these tracks during pouring of slag from the ladles, shall not be permitted.
497. During slag granulation, the slag-removal cranes shall be at the end of the crane trestle.
498. The placement of shut-off and control fittings under the belt of the casting machines shall not be permitted.
499. The working platforms and the positioning railway tracks at the stands shall be dry.
500. The change of position of the swivel runners shall be mechanised.
501. Over the belts of the casting machine, along their entire length, a canopy of fire-resistant material shall be provided.
502. The design of the moulds shall preclude the possibility of cast iron spilling and pigs getting stuck. In the discharge part of the casting machines, devices for mechanised knocking-out of the pigs from the moulds shall be provided. The fastening of the moulds to the links of the casting machine chains shall allow their quick and safe replacement.
503. To catch flying fragments of cast iron, a protective shield shall be installed along the loading tracks opposite the casting machine.
504. At the casting machines, the cooling of pigs in the railway flat wagons shall be carried out by means of special spray installations with chutes for draining the water into the recirculating water supply system.
505. The runners prepared for receiving liquid cast iron shall be dry.
506. The presence of persons under the lower branch of the container is permitted only after the machine has been switched off and when there are no pigs in the moulds on the lower part of the belt. Where there are poorly secured, burst or cast-iron-flooded moulds, access under the lower branch of the conveyor shall not be permitted.
507. During operation of the casting machine, the presence of persons in the galleries, and also near the cast iron ladles during shunting work in the casting machine building, shall not be permitted.
508. Tipping of ladles with a continuous crust of cast iron or with a crust that has formed at the spout of the ladle shall not be permitted. Breaking of the cast iron crust in the ladle shall be mechanised and may be carried out at the casting machines, in the ladle repair depot or in another specially designated place. Burning through the crust with oxygen is permitted.
509. The dressing of the ladle spout before pouring shall ensure a uniform stream of cast iron without splashes and its direction into the centre of the metal receiver.
510. Tilting of the ladle for pouring cast iron into the runner of the casting machine shall be carried out slowly and smoothly. Overflow of cast iron into the moulds shall not be permitted.
511. The draining of pig iron shall be carried out into dry moulds specially prepared to receive the molten metal.
512. Cooling of the pigs shall ensure complete crystallisation of the molten metal.
513. Removal of pigs that have fallen onto the track shall be carried out after the casting machine has been stopped.
514. Blast furnaces shall be equipped with an automated system for monitoring, control and diagnostics of the technological process.
515. The introduction of gas supply tubes into the rooms for controlling the blast furnace, the charge feeding, the block of air heaters and the apparatus shall not be permitted.
516. Gas sampling from the shafts of blast furnaces shall be automatic and remote.
517. The provision of exits in the walls of the casting bays beneath the casting platforms shall not be permitted.
518. Hazardous zones arising from the passage of mould trains near the walls of the building and the equipment of the shop shall be marked. The presence of workers in these zones shall not be permitted.
519. Safety requirements for the unloading of bulk materials shall be contained in an instruction.
520. Trains placed for unloading shall be protected with stop signals, and brake shoes shall be placed under the wheels of the end wagons of the train. On completion of the unloading work, the railway tracks of the charge yard shall be cleaned immediately. Manual cleaning of wagons above the bunkers of the charge yard shall not be permitted.
521. The placing of moulds on the racks shall be carried out without overhangs or skewing.
522. The fractional composition of the bulk charge materials arriving at the shop shall comply with the requirements of the production documentation.
523. Lifting the ladle with the crane while the tilting hook is engaged shall not be permitted.
524. Clear signalling communication or radio communication shall be established between the mixer operator and the mixer crane operator.
525. Pouring of pig iron into the mixer shall be carried out into the centre of the opening in an even stream from the minimum height. An audible signal shall be given of the forthcoming pouring of pig iron.
526. Draining pig iron into the mixer from ladles with a solidified crust shall not be permitted. Breaking or burning through the crust with oxygen shall be carried out in specially designated places. The procedure for the work of breaking or burning through the crust shall be provided for in the technological instruction.
527. Before the start of draining pig iron from the mixer into the ladle, the mixer operator shall check the correct positioning of the ladle under the pouring spout and the condition of the pouring spout and the mouth of the mixer. A signal (audible, visual, by telephone or by radio) confirming the correct positioning of the ladle under the pouring spout shall be given to the mixer control station.
528. Sampling of pig iron shall be carried out from the pouring spout of the mixer or from a filled ladle. The tool for taking the sample shall be dry.
529. The condition and serviceability of the mixer lining shall be checked every shift by the mixer operator, with the results of the inspection recorded in a log. The opening and the casing of the mixer shall be cleaned of accretions and scrap.
530. Lining work, and the drying and heating of the mixer after lining work has been carried out, shall be performed in accordance with the technological or production instruction.
531. Before the locomotive is uncoupled, railway brake shoes shall be placed under the wheels of the hot-metal car on both sides. In addition, the hot-metal car shall be secured with the parking brake.
532. The draining of pig iron shall be carried out into the centre of the ladle in an even stream.
533. During the draining of pig iron into the pouring ladle, the presence of workers in the hazardous zone shall not be permitted. The hazardous zone shall be defined in the technological or production instruction.
534. Draining pig iron from a hot-metal ladle containing solidified pig-iron residues shall not be permitted.
535. Charging metal swarf into the twin-bath steelmaking unit shall not be permitted.
536. Before the start of charging, an inspection of the furnace hearth shall be carried out.
537. During the inspection of the hearth of the twin-bath steelmaking unit, the intensity of oxygen blowing of the adjacent bath shall be reduced to the limits provided for in the technological instruction.
538. During the charging of materials and the additional charging of the charge into the furnace, for the safety of workers, actions for the safety of workers shall be implemented.
539. Before switching on the drive of the retractable platform or the drive for raising and swinging aside the roof, the steelmaker shall ensure that all workers have moved away from the furnace to a safe distance.
540. To avoid damage to the hearth and the scattering of pieces of charge materials, the locking mechanism of the bucket shall be opened in accordance with the technological instruction.
541. The additional charging of the charge shall be carried out in accordance with the technological instruction.
542. In shops where moulds are delivered to the racks of the working platform balcony by means of chains with hooks, the simultaneous placing of moulds on the racks by the crane and their removal from the racks by the charging machine shall not be permitted.
543. Charging scrap into the converter when it contains liquid slag shall not be permitted.
544. Charging scrap onto thickened slag that has been brought into an inactive state is carried out only in accordance with the requirements of the technological instruction.
545. Starting the charging of scrap from the scoop nearest to the cab of the charging machine operator shall not be permitted. Lightweight scrap shall be loaded into the converter first; in the event of intense gas evolution from the converter after the loading of the first scoop, the charging of scrap shall be suspended and the charging machine moved away to a safe zone.
546. When a train of ladles with molten pig iron enters the shop, when it moves, and when it passes over skew crossings, the electric locomotive driver shall give an audible signal. The speed of the train shall not exceed 5 km/h.
547. Workers located near the railway tracks along which a train is travelling shall be removed to safe places. Riding on the carriages of hot-metal cars shall not be permitted.
548. Pouring pig iron into the furnace from ladles with a solidified crust shall not be permitted. Breaking or burning through the crust with oxygen shall be carried out in compliance with the requirements of the technological instruction.
549. Pouring pig iron into the furnace shall be carried out only after the complete closing of the tap hole and the installation of the tapping runner and the slag ladles.
550. To prevent violent reactions in the furnace, the pouring of pig iron shall be carried out before the melting of the charge and the formation of slag.
551. When pouring pig iron into the furnace, the crane operator shall tilt the ladle smoothly, without jolts or shaking, and bring it up to the runner so that the height of fall of the stream is minimal and its power does not cause the runner to overflow.
552. Work on the roof of the open-hearth furnace may be carried out only after the tapping of the heat and before the pouring of pig iron into the furnace.
553. The pouring of pig iron into one of the baths of the twin-bath steelmaking unit shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the technological instruction.
554. The replacement of oxygen lances and other work on the roof of the twin-bath steelmaking unit shall be performed in accordance with the technological instruction. Performing work on the roof during the charging of the charge on the adjacent bath shall not be permitted.
555. When a train of hot-metal ladles enters the converter section and when it moves along the converter platform, an audible signal shall be given.
556. The tilting of the ladle during the draining of pig iron shall be carried out smoothly, without jolts.
557. Draining pig iron into the converter when it contains liquid slag shall not be permitted. The rate of pouring pig iron into the converter shall be regulated depending on the intensity of gas evolution. In the event of strong gas evolution and a threat of ejection of metal and slag, the pouring of pig iron shall be suspended and the ladle moved away from the mouth of the converter.
558. During the cold period of the year, a pause shall be made between the charging of scrap and the pouring of pig iron into the converter for the preliminary heating of the scrap and the removal of moisture. The duration of the pouring and the pause shall be provided for in the technological instruction.
559. Walking on the roof or on the framework of the furnace shall not be permitted.
560. On furnaces with removable tapping runners, the openings in the working platform that form after the removal of the runners shall be covered over.
561. The gas-tightness of the roofs and walls of regenerators operating with gas heating in them shall be checked every shift.
562. The sampling of air for the content of carbon monoxide above the roofs and near the walls of the regenerators and slag pockets shall be carried out in accordance with the technological or production instruction.
563. The end walls of the regenerators shall have openings for the blowing or flushing of the regenerator checkerwork. On completion of this work, the openings shall be closed with special plugs.
564. The flushing or blowing of the regenerators while the furnace is running shall be carried out only during the period when the regenerators are operating "on smoke".
565. The starting, stopping and switching of the evaporative cooling system shall be carried out in accordance with the technological or production instruction.
566. The condition of the furnace cooling system shall be checked every shift. The results of the check shall be entered in a log. Data on the repairs carried out, on malfunctions and on the measures taken to eliminate them shall also be entered in the log.
567. A diagram of the furnace evaporative cooling shall be displayed in the gallery of the separator drums or in the room of the duty personnel and at the furnace control station.
568. If a leak appears in the evaporative cooling system, measures shall be taken immediately to prevent water from reaching the furnace roof and the regenerators.
569. Work to repair the evaporative cooling system shall be carried out only after the steam pressure in the system has been released.
570. During the draining of pig iron into the furnace, the blowing of the evaporative cooling system shall not be permitted.
571. Before the start of the discharge of slag under the working platform, the steelmaker shall ensure that there are no workers in the hazardous zone.
572. The removal of slag and debris from under the furnace during the charging and heating of the charge shall be carried out only with the permission of the furnace steelmaker.
573. Flooding the slag runner with water when there are ladles beneath it shall not be permitted.
574. During the addition of ore, deoxidisers and alloying additions to the furnace, the reversal of the valves shall not be permitted.
575. The topping-up of pig iron into open-hearth and twin-bath steelmaking units is carried out in exceptional cases in accordance with the technological instruction.
576. Taking a sample during the reversal of the valves shall not be permitted.
577. During the taking of samples from the twin-bath steelmaking unit, the charging of charge materials into the adjacent bath shall be stopped.
578. The fettling of the sills shall be carried out in accordance with the technological instruction. The material used for filling the sills shall be dry.
579. Moving the fettling machine from one window to another by means of the charging machine, and also repair and other work on the fettling machine opposite the charging window of the furnace, shall not be permitted. The fettling machine shall be equipped with screens to protect workers from thermal radiation and flying objects.
580. The blowing of metal out of the hearth pits shall be carried out into the tap hole with compressed air or oxygen, through the inspection openings in the covers of the charging windows.
581. Before the start of the blowing of metal out of the pits, a screen preventing the spattering of metal and slag shall be installed in front of the tap hole, and the serviceability of the hoses, connecting fittings, pipes and valves for the supply of oxygen or air shall be checked. Hoses previously used for blowing metal with air shall not be permitted to be used for blowing metal with oxygen.
582. The blowing of metal out of the pits shall be carried out from a special portable platform or from a train intended for the repair of hearths, and also from moulds loaded with bulk materials, with the installation of guard signals.
583. The inspection, fettling and repair of the hearth of the twin-bath steelmaking unit shall be carried out provided that the gas is drawn off "towards itself" and that the blowing intensity is reduced to the values established by the technological instruction.
584. The fettling of open-hearth furnaces and twin-bath steelmaking units when the opening in the platform for the discharge of slag is open shall not be permitted.
585. The pressure of the gas entering the furnace shall be higher than the air pressure by an amount provided for in the technological instruction.
586. Before admitting gas into the furnace, the serviceability of the reversing devices, the mechanisms for raising the covers of the charging windows, the actuating mechanisms and the control and measuring instrumentation, and also the condition of the hatches, dampers, valves, throttles and shut-off valves, shall be checked.
587. For observation of the ignition of the gas when it is admitted into the furnace, the two charging windows nearest to the head through which the gas is admitted shall be fully open. To reduce the pressure in the furnace (in the event of a pop occurring), all the other windows shall be opened halfway when the gas is admitted. Before admitting gas into the furnace, all workers shall be removed from the furnace.
588. To avoid pops and explosions when admitting gas into the furnace, in addition to heating the top of the checkerwork of the gas regenerator to a temperature of 700 °C - 750 °C, measures shall be taken to displace the air from the gas flues and the regenerator.
589. Before the start of and during the reversal of the valves, an audible signal shall be given automatically to the working platform and beneath it.
590. Access of workers inside the smoke valves is permitted only after the reversing devices have been switched off in accordance with the safety actions.
591. The combustion products of the twin-bath steelmaking unit shall be discharged through the bath with the solid charge. The procedure for performing the gas reversal operations, ensuring safety, shall be determined by the technological instruction.
592. The twin-bath steelmaking unit shall be equipped with an interlock preventing the simultaneous operation of the burners installed on opposite sides of the furnace.
593. When the combustion products are drawn off from the bath with the molten metal into the vertical flue, the feeding of additions into the bath shall not be permitted.
594. When violent reactions occur in the furnace, the oxygen supply shall be reduced or stopped. At the same time, the thermal load of the furnace shall be reduced.
595. Before the inspection, repair or cleaning of the lance for supplying oxygen to the flame, the supply of oxygen to the furnace shall be suspended.
596. In cases where the supply of oxygen to the furnace is carried out through the roof, the replacement of the lances and hoses during the draining of pig iron and the melting of the charge shall not be permitted.
597. Before the introduction of the pipe or lance into the furnace, the opening shall be cleaned of accretions, metal and slag.
598. Each control station of the open-hearth and twin-bath steelmaking furnace shall be equipped with direct communication with the dispatcher of the open-hearth shop, and also with intra-shop loudspeaker intercom communication.
599. In newly designed shops, provision shall be made for the installation of automated protective screens ensuring the safety of workers during the conduct of the melt from splashes of the melt and from industrial noise.
600. In existing shops, protective screens ensuring the safety of workers during the conduct of the melt from splashes of the melt and from industrial noise shall be used during operation.
601. To prevent collapses of the metal charge into the molten metal, measures shall be taken for the timely bringing down of pieces of the charge from the slopes.
602. To avoid ejections of metal and slag from the furnace, the quantity of ore added to the furnace at one time during the oxidation period shall not exceed that provided for in the technological instruction.
603. Before being switched on, the burner shall be purged with oxygen, after which gas shall be supplied. Setting the specified flow rate of gas and oxygen without ensuring that the mixture has ignited shall not be permitted. The shutting-off of the burner shall be carried out in the reverse order. In the event of an accident, the oxygen shall be shut off first. The gas-oxygen ratio on the burners shall correspond to the specified parameters of the technological instruction.
604. Before switching on the portable burner, it shall be ensured that all the supply hoses and the burner have no damage and that the openings in it are clean.
605. During the operation of the gas-oxygen burner, the cover of the working window shall be closed.
606. For receiving the slag being raked off, slag ladles or slag pots shall be used. The slag pots shall be provided with a device for their transport and tilting.
607. To protect workers from slag splashes, at the place where the ladle or slag pot is installed under the furnace, actions for the safety of workers shall be implemented.
608. Overfilling the ladles or slag pots with slag shall not be permitted. The settling of foaming slag shall be carried out with dry materials in accordance with the technological instruction.
609. The transport and loading of slag blocks onto a railway flat wagon or into a dump car without a container shall not be permitted. The loading of slag into damp dump cars or onto damp flat wagons shall not be permitted. If slag becomes stuck in the slag pot, it shall be knocked out using special devices in places designated for this that ensure the safety of the workers. Being on the rolling stock during the tilting of the slag shall not be permitted. Dump cars or flat wagons placed for the loading of slag shall be braked.
610. Work to repair the gas cleaning plants shall be carried out after they have been stopped and ventilated until the complete removal of carbon monoxide.
611. The floor of the working platform near the electric furnace shall be covered with an electrically insulating decking.
612. Metal tools used in servicing induction furnaces shall have electrically insulated handles. When work involving the use of uninsulated metal tools is carried out on the furnace, the furnace shall be switched off.
613. The frequency of measurement of the intensity and the energy flux density of electromagnetic fields at the workplaces shall be determined by the production documentation.
614. If the metal escapes from the crucible, the furnace shall be switched off and the molten metal drained into an ingot mould. Before it is opened, the furnace shall be filled with inert gas. The slow filling of the furnace with air is permitted only after the metal has solidified (until it darkens).
615. In the event of electrical breakdown of the inductor and the penetration of water into the vacuum chamber, the furnace shall be switched off, the gates of the booster pumps on the side of the furnace chamber or the fore-vacuum pumping line shall be closed off, after which the furnace shall be filled with inert gas or air.
616. Repair work inside the furnace and the entry of servicing personnel into the vacuum chamber are permitted only after the complete removal of the flammable condensate from the furnace.
617. When the electrode is installed in the furnace, it shall be centred on the axis of the crystalliser. The length of the arc shall not exceed the gap between the electrode and the walls of the crystalliser.
618. In the event of burn-through of the water-cooled elements of the furnace and the ingress of water into the melting zone, the furnace shall be switched off immediately. 619 - 626. Repealed as of 1 September 2025. - Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025.
627. During the operation of electron-beam furnaces, radiation safety shall be ensured.
628. The procedure for switching on the electron guns and bringing them to the operating mode is established by an instruction.
629. The control of the electron-beam furnace and the visual observation of the melt shall be carried out from the control panel. In the event of loss of visual control over the position of the beams, the electron guns shall be switched off immediately.
630. The floor of the control panel of the electron-beam furnace shall be covered over its entire area with electrically insulating material, on which a test stamp shall be applied. Electrically insulating material that has damage shall be replaced with new material bearing a test stamp.
631. Walking of workers in the zone of the covers during the operation of the furnace shall not be permitted. The zone of movement of the sliding and hinged covers shall be fenced off.
632. All work to prepare the melt shall be carried out only with the furnace (unit) switched off.
633. If there is a water leak from the base plate or the crystalliser, switching on the furnace shall not be permitted.
634. During the operation of the electroslag remelting unit, being near live parts and carrying out any repair work shall not be permitted.
635. The removal of the ingots before the complete solidification of the slag and metal in the crystalliser shall not be permitted.
636. To prevent burn-through of the slag cooler, the accumulation of metal in the furnace up to the level of the cooler shall not be permitted. The level of metal in the furnace shall be systematically monitored.
637. The control panel shall have direct telephone (radio) communication with the supply substation and shall be provided with the necessary signalling means.
638. Before switching on the furnace for melting, the steelmaker and the responsible persons shall check the serviceability of the equipment, the lining and the roof of the furnace, and all workers shall be removed to a safe distance.
639. The procedure for switching the furnace on and off by means of the high-voltage circuit breaker shall be regulated by a technological or production instruction.
640. To prevent electric shock, the tools introduced into a switched-on electric furnace shall be in contact with an iron roller placed on the teeth of the comb of the working window of the furnace. When a tool is introduced into the furnace, touching, with the tool, the electrodes that are under voltage shall not be permitted.
641. When electric welding work is carried out on the electric furnace, the installation of protective earthing on the high-voltage supply side and on the furnace transformer, on the high and low sides, shall be mandatory.
642. In newly designed workshops, the installation of automated protective screens ensuring the safety of workers, during the conduct of the heat, against splashes of the melt and production noise shall be provided for.
643. The monitoring of the condition of the bearings and the checking of the trunnions of the converters shall be carried out in accordance with the production documentation.
644. The accumulation of skulls and scrap on the shell, mouth and support ring of the converter shall not be permitted. The removal of skulls and scrap from the mouth of the converter, both from the inner and from the outer side, shall be carried out by a mechanised method ensuring the safety of the workers. The use of the converter drive and of cranes for this purpose shall not be permitted.
645. After the metal is drained from the converter, the lining and the bottom shall be inspected to determine their condition.
646. When the temperature of the metal is measured with an immersion thermocouple, special easily movable screens shall be used for protection against radiant heat.
647. Two-way communication shall be established between the working platform at the converter and the converter control panel. A vertical-position indicator of the converter shall be installed on the control panel.
648. The value of the gas pressure in the gas pipelines by the beginning of the pouring of molten cast iron into the converter, as well as the mode of its supply throughout the entire technological process, shall be provided for by the technological instruction.
649. The pressure of the gas (argon, nitrogen, natural gas and coke oven gas) in the bottom tuyeres after the pouring of the molten cast iron shall be greater than the value of the ferrostatic pressure of the molten metal in the converter.
650. The supply of natural (coke oven) gas into the converter through the bottom tuyeres before the pouring of the molten cast iron shall exclude the accumulation of gas in the cavity of the converter and the formation of an explosive mixture.
651. The checking of the condition of the converter tilting mechanism shall be carried out every shift. The operation of the converter with a faulty tilting mechanism shall not be permitted.
652. On the control panel of the gas exhaust path of the converter, there shall be a diagram with the gas cleaning parameters. There shall be loudspeaker and telephone (radio) communication between the converter distributor operator and the smoke exhauster operator.
653. The operation of the converter when there is a leak in the cooler shall not be permitted.
654. Carrying out work under the converter during the cleaning of the converter gas cooler shall not be permitted. For the duration of the cleaning, a barrier shall be installed and warning posters shall be put up.
655. The design of the lower part of the cooler shall ensure minimal adhesion of skulls and their easy removal. The openings in the cooler for the tuyere and the trough shall be regularly cleaned of skulls.
656. The opening of hatches, manholes, hydraulic seals and safety valves of the gas exhaust path while the converter is operating shall not be permitted.
657. In the sludge dewatering buildings, hydraulic flushing of the sludge from the working platforms and building structures shall be carried out regularly.
658. On the control boards of the gas cleaning facilities, alarms for a drop in the water flow rate for gas cleaning, as well as alarms for the reaching of the upper and lower levels of water in the gas cleaning apparatus, shall be installed.
659. The removal of the deposits forming in the elements of the gas exhaust path shall be carried out in accordance with a technological or production instruction.
660. The gas exhaust path of the converter shall, during repair, be reliably disconnected from the common collectors and underground flues. The wastewater discharge system of the gas cleaning apparatus under repair shall be disconnected from the common wastewater discharge collector (with the exception of systems with afterburning of carbon monoxide).
661. The gas exhaust path shall be sealed. During the heat, when the carbon monoxide content in the gas after the smoke exhauster is 10 per cent or more, the oxygen content shall not exceed 2 per cent (by volume).
662. Conducting the process with removal of the converter gases without afterburning, when there are faults in the automatic pressure control system in the caisson, shall not be permitted. The blowing of the converter shall be started with the movable cuff of the hood raised. The lowering of the cuff of the hood shall be carried out after the ignition of the heat. The raising of the cuff of the hood at the end of the blowing shall be carried out when there is no carbon monoxide in the waste gases.
663. In the flue after the smoke exhauster, continuous high-speed measurement of the carbon monoxide and oxygen content shall be carried out, with the readings recorded on the control board of the gas exhaust path or on the board of the converter control panel.
664. The presence of workers on the upper platform of the gas discharge device (the flare for afterburning of the carbon monoxide of the converter gases) during the blowing of the heat shall not be permitted.
665. In the technical documentation for the initial highly flammable powder materials and the mixtures prepared on their basis, and in the technological instructions, the following characteristics shall be indicated: the combustibility group, the lower concentration limit of flame propagation, the ignition temperature of the air suspension and the self-ignition temperature in a layer, the maximum explosion pressure, the rate of its rise and, for mixtures in addition, the capacity for self-sustaining combustion. For mixtures containing oxidisers, the following shall additionally be indicated: the calculated specific heat, the temperature of the combustion process and the sensitivity to mechanical action. In particular, the sensitivity to mechanical action is determined separately for the active component of the mixture (a mixture of a combustible with an oxidiser). The specific heat and the temperature of the combustion process of the mixture shall be determined by the developer and indicated by the manufacturer. The use of highly flammable materials and a mixture in the absence of the indicated characteristics shall not be permitted.
666. In the production of steel, it shall not be permitted to use mixtures: the combustion process of which turns into an explosion; capable of self-sustaining combustion and having a specific heat of the combustion process of more than 50 kJ/mol; the sensitivity of which to mechanical action (impact) is 19.6 J or less, and of the active component - 9.8 J or less. Mixtures capable of self-sustaining combustion without access of air shall be used in accordance with the instructions of the manufacturing plant.
667. In the technical specifications for the initial highly flammable materials, the lower particle-size limit of the materials used for preparing the mixtures, as well as the limiting content of the main component and of impurities, shall be indicated.
668. Highly flammable powder materials and mixtures that have ignited shall be extinguished by the methods and means recommended by the manufacturers and specialised organisations. The use of water or foam extinguishers for this purpose shall not be permitted.
669. In the premises where highly flammable powder materials and mixtures are produced and stored, the design and the mode of use of electrical equipment, telephones, sparking objects, smoking and open flame shall be provided for by the design. Work in these premises is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the technological or production instructions providing for explosion and fire safety measures.
670. All repair work in the premises where highly flammable powder materials and mixtures are produced and stored shall be carried out only in accordance with the documentation for carrying out this repair work.
671. The buildings and premises of the sections for the storage and production of highly flammable powder materials and mixtures based on them shall be categorised. When categorising the buildings and premises, the calculation of the excess explosion pressure shall be carried out, taking into account the most hazardous model of an emergency situation.
672. The expansion of the production volume or the production of new highly flammable powder materials and mixtures based on them is permitted only after the calculation of the excess explosion pressure, taking into account the change in the production volume or the change in the range of the highly flammable powder materials and mixtures based on them being produced, in accordance with the design documentation.
673. The external enclosing structures (walls, coverings) of the buildings in which highly flammable powder materials and mixtures are produced or stored shall be maintained in a serviceable condition that excludes the possibility of atmospheric precipitation entering the premises. The humidification of the air in the ventilation systems shall not be permitted.
674. In the premises in which powder materials and mixtures are produced or stored, explosion-hazardous zones shall be defined. These premises shall be equipped with telephone communication of explosion-proof design.
675. In the production premises, the cleaning of dust from the floors, platforms, stairwells, from the walls and other building structures, as well as from the pipelines and equipment, shall be carried out. The frequency of cleaning shall exclude the accumulation of dust in a quantity at which combustion in a layer or aerosol is possible. The frequency and procedure for cleaning dust and the safety measures for this shall be determined by a technological or production instruction.
676. From the surface of the equipment and from the aspiration systems, dust samples shall be taken, according to a schedule approved by the technical manager of the organisation, to determine its capacity for self-sustaining combustion and the self-ignition temperature.
677. During the operation of the mill, all the doors in the grinding room shall be closed and the illuminated warning board shall be switched on.
678. The use of highly flammable powder materials shall comply with the requirements of the manufacturing plant of these materials.
679. The tools and devices used for opening the packaging (cans, drums, containers) with highly flammable powder materials shall be made of non-sparking materials.
680. The quantity of highly flammable powder materials and mixtures added simultaneously into the ladle, ingot moulds or furnace shall be determined by the technological instruction.
681. The addition of highly flammable powder materials, as well as of mixtures based on them, into the furnace or ladle shall be carried out in the presence of a responsible person appointed by a directive for the workshop.
682. The procedure for loading highly flammable powder materials and mixtures onto the bottom of the ingot moulds, as well as the heating temperature of the ingot moulds, are established by technological instructions.
683. The control of the stoppers and slide gates of the ladles shall be remote.
684. In the hydraulic drives of the slide gates of the steel-pouring ladles, non-combustible working fluids shall be used.
685. The ladders, brackets, platforms and other devices attached to the ladle shell for its servicing shall be manufactured in accordance with the design for the manufacture of the ladle.
686. The stoppers, after manufacture and before installation in the ladle, shall be dried. The temperature and duration of the drying of the stoppers shall be regulated by the technological instruction. The drying temperature shall be monitored by a thermocouple with automatic recording of the temperature.
687. Before loading into the dryers, the date and time of placing the stopper for drying shall be indicated on each stopper. The drying of stoppers with blast-furnace gas shall not be permitted.
688. Before the tapping of the heat begins, the trough shall be repaired, coated and dried.
689. The joint between the removable, movable or fixed part of the trough and the furnace shall be sealed with refractory material and dried. The quality of the drying of the trough and the joint shall be checked by the furnace steelmaker.
690. During the preparation of the trough, it shall not be permitted for workers to be beneath it.
691. The removal of dust from the ingot moulds shall be carried out by means of dust-extraction devices.
692. The lubrication of the ingot moulds shall be carried out only after they have cooled to a temperature below the flash point of the lubricant used.
693. The temperature of the ingot moulds shall be monitored. The accumulation of lubricant on the bottom of the ingot moulds shall not be permitted.
694. The permissible height of the stacks of ingot moulds shall be provided for by a technological or production instruction.
695. The opening of the steel-tapping hole shall be carried out only when there are ladles under the trough and, in the pouring bay, a train with ingot moulds.
696. The condition of the ladles, the stopper, the slide gates and the sump prepared for receiving the heat shall be checked by the responsible worker of the pouring bay.
697. During the opening of the steel-tapping hole, it shall not be permitted to stand on the trough or on its sides.
698. The dimensions and shape of the steel-tapping hole shall ensure the normal flow of the metal from the furnace in a dense stream. The duration of the tapping of the steel shall be established by the technological instruction.
699. The sealing of the steel-tapping hole shall be carried out in accordance with the technological instruction.
700. The addition of deoxidisers into the trough or ladle shall be mechanised. When deoxidisers are added into the ladle, damage to the stopper device shall be excluded. The safe conditions for the addition of dry ferroalloys and other additives onto the bottom of the ladle shall be provided for by the technological instruction.
701. The addition of solid ferroalloys into molten synthetic slag drained onto the bottom of the steel-pouring ladle shall not be permitted.
702. The taking of samples and the measurement of the temperature of the molten metal in the ladles during tapping shall be carried out by a device with remote control.
703. The passage of locomotives and wagons in the pouring bay opposite the furnace from which the metal is being tapped shall not be permitted.
704. During the teeming of the steel, carrying out any cleaning-off or touching-up in the ingot moulds shall not be permitted. In those cases where the stirring of the steel in the ingot moulds is required by technological necessity, it shall be carried out by safe methods provided for in the technological or production instructions.
705. The methods for the safe teeming of the metal in the event of the plug welding to the nozzle shall be provided for by a technological or production instruction.
706. In the event of a breakout of metal on the base plate, the places of the breakout shall be covered with dry materials. The overflow of metal over the upper ends of the ingot moulds or hot-top extensions shall not be permitted.
707. The teeming of steel opposite an open-hearth furnace under repair shall not be permitted. In those cases where this requirement is impracticable, the repair work in the slag pockets shall be stopped and the workers removed to a safe place.
708. The insertion of marking tags after the filling of the ingot moulds shall be carried out by means of special tongs or other devices with long handles.
709. The covering with lids of the ingot moulds containing rimming steel shall be carried out when a rim of solidified metal forms at the walls of the ingot moulds.
710. The lids shall be dry and clean. The removal of the lids from the ingot moulds shall be carried out when the top of the ingot has fully solidified.
711. It shall not be permitted for workers to be on the sides of the ingot moulds filled with molten metal.
712. The settling of the foamed slag shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the technological instruction.
713. Upon completion of the teeming of the steel, the remnants of the molten slag from the steel-pouring ladle shall be drained into slag ladles or slag pots.
714. The placing of slag pots in two tiers shall not be permitted.
715. To protect the locomotive crew from splashes of slag, a special cover wagon shall be installed in front of the first slag car from the locomotive.
716. The coupling and uncoupling of the steel-carrying bogie shall be remote.
717. During the movement of the steel-carrying bogie and the slag car, a signal shall be given. The signalling devices shall be interlocked with the starting devices of the movement mechanism of the steel-carrying bogie and the slag car.
718. The stripping of the ingots by means of floor machines or cranes shall be carried out only after the ingots have fully solidified.
719. The procedure for stripping ingots into whose ingot mould slag entered during pouring shall be determined by instructions and shall exclude the possibility of the molten slag affecting the operating personnel.
720. The extraction of ingots welded to the ingot moulds by rocking and striking the ingot moulds against any objects or by dropping the ingot moulds from a height onto the floor of the premises shall not be permitted.
721. The presence of workers in the trench during the stripping and removal of the ingots shall not be permitted.
722. Knocking off sprues in the trench or in suspension shall not be permitted.
723. Before the lifting of the central runners, the funnels shall be removed from them.
724. The stacking of the ingots shall be carried out on special racks that prevent the ingots from rolling.
725. The permissible height of the stacks of ingots shall be indicated in the technological or production instructions.
726. The access of personnel to the hazard zone of the operation of installations with electric arc heating shall be excluded.
727. The means of automation, production signalling and communication, and the interlocking devices, shall comply with the production documentation and the requirements of these Rules.
728. The taking of samples and the measurement of the temperature of the molten metal shall be carried out by a special device with remote control. These operations may be carried out manually in accordance with the production documentation.
729. The height of the filling of the ladle with metal and the total quantity of additions ensuring the safe performance of the technological operations are determined by the production documentation.
730. The mechanisms for moving the steel car and the mobile platform of the vacuum chamber shall have an interlock that prevents the switching-on of the steel-car movement mechanism when the end of the suction nozzle of the vacuum chamber is at the level of or below the upper edge of the steel-pouring ladle placed on the steel car.
731. The introduction of deoxidisers and alloying materials into the ladle with molten metal under vacuum shall be carried out through a vacuum lock, the design of which shall ensure the maintenance of the vacuum in the system.
732. The units for the out-of-furnace treatment of molten metal shall be equipped with a control system ensuring the functioning of the mechanisms in safe modes and the automatic shutdown of the units when the monitored parameters deviate from the set values.
733. The mechanisms for moving the steel car and for raising the lid (roof) of the unit for the out-of-furnace treatment of molten metal shall have an interlock that prevents the switching-on of the steel-car movement mechanism when the ends of the electrodes are at the level of or below the upper edge of the steel-pouring ladle placed on the steel car, and also before the raising of the lid (roof) of the ladle.
734. The process of blowing the powdered material out of the pneumatic injector and the supply path shall be carried out only from the control panel.
735. The feeding of the wire shall be mechanised (automated).
736. Traib apparatus shall not be started up with faulty instruments or safety devices.
737. The replacement and extension of the graphite electrodes shall be carried out on extension stands.
738. Where there are pits, sumps or vessels at the argon (nitrogen) consumption areas, the procedure for admitting workers into them shall be determined by the procedure for work of increased hazard.
739. The maximum value of the gas (argon) pressure required to open the bottom blowing tuyeres and the ladle stoppers is determined by the technological instruction.
740. Repealed as of 1 September 2025. - Order of the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service (Rostechnadzor) No. 5 of 14 January 2025.
741. The access of workers into the tanks (vessels) for storing lubricants and into the tanks for boiling pitch shall be carried out in compliance with safety measures.
742. The inspection of the tanks (vessels) for lubricants and the tanks for boiling pitch shall be carried out at least once a year, and the inspection and cleaning of the inspection hatches and the exhaust pipes of the tanks for boiling pitch - daily.
743. The speed of movement of the railway transport in the slag yard shall not exceed 5 km/h.
744. After the slag cars have been positioned at the slag-draining front, the locomotive shall be removed beyond the limits of the slag yard or the locomotive crew shall be removed.
745. Before the tilting of the slag ladles, the crust of the solidified slag shall be pressed through, and the absence of moisture in the slag pit shall also be verified.
746. The draining of the molten slag into the slag pit shall be carried out in an even stream. The simultaneous tilting of two adjacent ladles shall not be permitted.
747. The tilting of ladles with molten and solidified slag shall be carried out in different zones of the slag field.
748. The procedure for draining and cooling the slag, as well as the safety measures for the use of slag-carrying trucks for the transport and tilting of the slag ladles, shall be provided for in the production instruction.
749. The excavation and shipment of slag by excavators, loaders, bulldozers or other machines and mechanisms from the slag-draining site are determined by a design developed for the given technology, taking into account the scatter of slag during ejections. In the event that this distance is less than the design distance, the excavation work shall be suspended for the duration of the slag draining, and the operating personnel removed to a special room.
750. In the event of a sharp deterioration of visibility in the department (trench) due to the ingress of steam from the slag-draining site or to unfavourable weather conditions, additional lighting shall be switched on. If, even after this, the illumination is insufficient, the excavation and shipment of slag shall be suspended and the operating personnel withdrawn from the hazard zone.
751. The operating modes and the main technological parameters of the granulation installations shall be determined by the design and may be changed only in agreement with the design organisation.
752. The extension of electrodes on the furnaces may be carried out. Before the extension of electrodes begins, the furnace shall be switched off.
753. Before the changing of the electrodes, the threaded part of the metal nipple shall be fully (to the end of the thread) screwed into the electrode.
754. The reliability of the fastening of the electrode heads shall be checked. In all cases of its loosening, the furnace shall be switched off.
755. During the operation of the gas-oxygen burner, the lid of the charging window shall be closed.
756. For the removal of slag, a discharge trough shall be arranged beneath the charging window, running under the working platform. The opening in the working platform shall be covered by a removable lined lid. During the removal of slag, shields protecting the workers from splashes shall be installed.
757. The work to clean the space under the furnace and the sumps of slag and debris shall be carried out only at the beginning of the melting of the charge, before a significant quantity of molten metal has formed.
758. The water-cooled elements of the furnaces shall, before their installation, be subjected to a hydraulic test at 1.5 times the value of the working pressure of the cooling water.
759. The design of the furnace foundation shall ensure the inspection and repair of the hearth casing and the tilting mechanism. For newly designed furnaces, a slope of the foundation towards the casting bay shall be provided in the event of metal escaping through the hearth.
760. Tilting and rocking electric furnaces with an electric drive shall have tilt limiters, self-braking devices and an interlock for automatically disconnecting the current from the heating elements when the furnace is tilted for tapping the metal.
761. The location of the centre of gravity of arc electric furnaces shall ensure the return of the furnace to the vertical position in the event of failure of the furnace tilting (turning) mechanism.
762. The furnace tilt starters shall be installed in such a place that the stream of liquid metal issuing from the furnace and the crane operator taking part in the pouring of the metal are visible from them. The direction of rotation of the starter (controller) handwheel shall coincide with the direction of tilting of the furnace.
763. Where a hydraulic drive is used to tilt the furnace, measures shall be taken to preclude the possibility of molten metal and slag reaching the hydraulic devices.
764. The control panels and consoles of electric furnaces shall be provided with light signalling reflecting the operating state of the furnace heating elements: "On" - "Off".
765. An emergency furnace shut-off button shall be installed on the furnace working platform.
766. The switching on of the electric furnace (for drying or melting metal) is carried out in accordance with the process instruction after inspection by the electrician on duty.
767. The switching on and off of the voltage during melting shall be carried out with the electrodes raised, by means of a disconnecting device brought out to the front side of the control panel or console.
768. For newly designed furnaces, the adjustment of the position of the electrodes in the furnace roof during melting shall be automated. For furnaces in operation, in the absence of automated adjustment, the adjustment of the position of the electrodes in the furnace roof (elimination of breakdowns to the furnace body) is carried out before the start of melting; adjustment during melting shall be prohibited.
769. The installation of electrodes, the inspection of the furnace and other work involving direct contact with the electrodes, as well as the replacement of dampers, may be carried out only with the voltage removed.
770. For the assembly of electrodes and the installation of replacement electrodes, a special stand (rack) shall be arranged near the electric furnace. The part of the electrode located beneath the working platform shall be fenced off. 771 - 772. Repealed as of 1 September 2025. - Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025.
773. The openings for the electrodes in the furnace roof shall have sealing rings to reduce the emission of gases into the working area.
774. Arc electric furnaces with the electrodes located at a height inaccessible from the floor shall be equipped with platforms and ladders for replacing the electrodes. The replacement of electrodes shall be carried out by means of lifting mechanisms.
775. For the installation of an oxy-gas burner in the charging window of the electric furnace, a special opening corresponding to the dimensions of the burner shall be arranged in the window cover.
776. Oxy-gas burners shall be equipped with shut-off valves, as well as with instruments monitoring the flow rate and pressure of the gas, oxygen and cooling water.
777. Before switching on, the burner shall be purged with oxygen, after which the gas shall be supplied.
778. It shall not be permitted to set the specified flow rate of gas and oxygen without having made sure that the mixture has ignited.
779. The shutting off of the burner shall be carried out in the reverse order. In the event of an accident, the oxygen shall be shut off first.
780. In the event of burn-through of a water-cooled burner, it shall be shut off and withdrawn from the working space of the furnace to the extreme upper (non-working) position.
781. To monitor the position of the burner, special indicators shall be installed on the carriages.
782. Repealed as of 1 September 2025. - Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025.
783. The arrangement of the runner for tapping metal from the furnace shall preclude the possibility of its overflowing with metal, as well as the destruction of the runner lining and the breakthrough of metal during the tapping of the melt.
784. The tap hole of the furnace, after the tapping of the melt and the fettling of the furnace, shall be closed until liquid metal appears following the melting of the metal charge.
785. For servicing the tapping runner, a metal platform with railings shall be arranged next to it. The surface of the platform shall be lined with brick and shall not have any potholes.
786. For receiving the slag that is raked off, slag ladles or slag pots shall be used.
787. Slag pots shall be provided with a device for their transportation and tilting.
788. Ladles and slag pots installed for receiving slag shall be dry and coated on the inside with lime mortar.
789. The floor under the furnace, as well as the bottom of the pit for installing slag pots, shall be dry. The overfilling of ladles or slag pots with slag shall not be permitted. The settling of foaming slag shall be carried out with dry materials in accordance with the process instruction.
790. Repealed as of 1 September 2025. - Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025.
791. The connection of the water-cooled elements shall allow the possibility of disconnecting individual elements from the cooling system.
792. The water supplied for cooling shall comply with the design requirements.
793. The supply of cooling water shall be to the lower part of the cooled elements, and the discharge of the heated water - from the top.
794. The shut-off valves for disconnecting the water-cooled elements of the furnace cooling system shall be located in places accessible and safe for servicing, or shall be fitted with extended stems with handwheels (steering wheels) brought out to such places.
795. The discharge of cooling water shall be into water-collection reservoirs installed in places that preclude liquid metal and slag from getting into them.
796. The temperature of the water leaving the water-cooled elements shall be below the temperature of precipitation of temporary-hardness deposits.
797. The cooled elements shall be periodically inspected and, where necessary, replaced.
798. All the cooling elements of the furnace and the water-supply assemblies shall be leak-tight. The supply of cooling water shall be uninterrupted. It shall not be permitted to locate the supply and discharge assemblies for cooling water beneath the charging window and the tapping runner.
799. In the event of a stoppage of the cooling water supply, or in the case of large leaks of water and steam formation, the voltage shall be removed from the heating elements. The resumption of the water supply shall be carried out after the defects of the cooling system have been eliminated, and shall be done slowly to avoid intensive steam formation and a possible explosion. The heated cooled parts through which the electrodes pass shall, before the cooling water is supplied, be preliminarily cooled with compressed air.
800. When overheating of the hearth casing or the furnace walls is detected, the cooling of these places during melting may be carried out only with compressed air until the complete stopping of the furnace to eliminate the overheating. The cooling of overheated surfaces with water shall not be permitted.
801. On all electric furnaces (with the exception of crucible resistance furnaces), the charging of the burden, the additional charging, the introduction of additives, the stirring of the molten metal, the removal of slag and the taking of samples shall be carried out only after the voltage has been removed from the heating elements.
802. All repair work on the roof of the electric furnace, the arms, the tilting mechanism and the furnace columns, as well as work to clean the electrical equipment and the slag and drainage pits, may be carried out only after the voltage has been switched off.
803. The inspection and repair of equipment located beneath a furnace in the raised position may be carried out only on condition that the raised furnace is additionally secured by means of special stops.
804. The tubes of the inductor cooling system shall be tested for strength and tightness by hydraulic pressure of not less than 1.5 times the working pressure of the cooling water.
805. The monitoring of the continuous supply of cooling water to the furnace inductor shall be carried out both visually and by means of signalling instruments, with automatic shutdown of the furnace in the absence of water flow.
806. The frame of the induction furnace shall be insulated from the turns of the inductor winding.
807. The cables supplying current to the furnace inductor shall be insulated and fenced off.
808. The furnace tilting mechanism with an electric drive shall be provided with a furnace tilt limiter and a brake ensuring the immediate stopping of the furnace during its tilting in any position, and shall also provide for the stopping of the furnace during its tilting in the event of an interruption in the electric power supply.
809. The tilting mechanism shall be protected from splashes of metal and slag.
810. The section of the water pipeline between the inductor and the water-supply pipes shall be made as a flexible pipeline (hose, sleeve) of dielectric material.
811. The furnace working platform shall be fenced along its entire perimeter with railings with a continuous toe-board at the bottom. The floor of the working platform near the furnace shall be covered with an electrically insulating decking.
812. To avoid the ejection of metal during operation of the furnace, the feeding of wet burden and ferroalloys into the molten bath during additional charging of the furnace shall not be permitted. When a continuous sintered crust of unmelted burden forms in the upper part of the furnace, the furnace shall be immediately switched off and measures shall be taken to eliminate the crust that has formed.
813. The metal tools used when servicing induction furnaces shall have electrically insulated handles of dielectric material.
814. When work involving the use of non-insulated metal tools is carried out, the furnace shall be switched off.
815. During work involving the danger of electric shock or exposure to an electromagnetic field, protective equipment shall be used.
816. Open induction furnaces shall be equipped with an aspiration system, and the working platforms - with devices for air showering of the workplaces.
817. For flame furnaces operating on liquid fuel, the pressurised service fuel tanks shall be installed on metal platforms away from the furnaces. The fuel tanks shall be closed with covers and equipped with: a fuel level indicator; a drain cock with a pipeline brought out to an emergency underground reservoir; a pipeline for communication with the atmosphere (air vent); an overflow tube brought out to an emergency underground reservoir.
818. On the drain pipeline, near the shut-off valve, a sign shall be placed: "Open in the event of fire".
819. On the drain and overflow pipelines, hydraulic seals shall be installed. The volume of the emergency reservoir shall be determined by the design taking into account the total capacity of the service tanks installed in the premises.
820. On the fuel line of each furnace operating on liquid or gaseous fuel, there shall be two shut-off valves: the first - at the injector or burner, the second - behind a permanent wall or at a distance of 15 m from the furnace.
821. The supply of liquid fuel to the service tanks shall be mechanised. Manual filling of the tanks shall not be permitted.
822. Underground service tanks from which fuel is supplied by compressed air shall be manufactured and operated in accordance with the requirements of the design and the process instruction.
823. On the main fuel line, before the entrance to the shop, a shut-off valve shall be installed, near which a sign shall be placed: "Close in the event of fire".
824. The heating of fuel oil in the tanks shall be carried out by steam or hot water up to the temperature established for the given grade of fuel oil. To monitor the temperature of the fuel oil in the tanks, thermocouples with indicating instruments shall be installed.
825. The valves regulating the supply of fuel and air to the injectors and burners, and the drives for controlling them, shall be installed away from the injector openings to avoid heat burns to the servicing personnel.
826. The fireboxes of gas furnaces shall be arranged only in the above-ground position. The combustion chambers and flue ducts shall preclude the possibility of the formation of zones of gas accumulation.
827. At each gas furnace, in the event of the gas pressure dropping below the minimum permissible level, and also in the event of a stoppage of the air supply, an automatic valve interrupting the gas supply shall be installed.
828. Before igniting the gas burners, the air line and the furnace chamber shall be purged with air.
829. Flame furnaces operating on liquid and solid fuel shall be equipped with an exhaust ventilation system.
830. To avoid molten metal getting into the flue duct of a flame furnace, the lower level of the flue duct in the lining shall be higher than the lower level of the charging window by not less than 100 mm.
831. The design of the furnace shall preclude burden materials from getting into the flue duct when charging the furnace.
832. The flue ducts of flame furnaces shall be dry and protected from the ingress of ground water.
833. The inspection windows of the flue ducts shall be sealed with brick.
834. The cleaning of the flue ducts and repair work inside them shall be carried out under a permit to work with the furnace completely stopped. In doing so, the harmful gases shall be removed from the flue duct by means of the ventilation system, and the air temperature inside the flue duct - shall not exceed 40 °C.
835. Cupola furnaces with gas-cleaning devices installed shall ensure explosion safety at all stages of operation of the furnace.
836. When gases are discharged with full afterburning, the content of carbon oxide in the gases entering the gas-cleaning device shall not exceed 1 per cent.
837. The design of the recuperators shall preclude the entry of gases into the shop premises.
838. The opening and closing of the bottom of the cupola furnace shall be carried out through a remote-control system that precludes the possibility of spontaneous opening of the bottom.
839. The dimensions of the charging platforms shall ensure unobstructed servicing of the cupola furnaces. The charging-platform room shall be isolated from adjacent rooms (sections). The gap between the charging platform, the cupola furnace and the hoist shaft shall not exceed 50 mm.
840. Cupola furnaces shall be equipped with devices for gathering and weighing the burden, and with hoists for its charging in accordance with the design.
841. Cupola furnaces having a common chimney shall have blanking plugs allowing disconnection from the gas duct for the period of their being taken out of operation.
842. For newly built cupola furnaces, a separate chimney shall be constructed.
843. In the event of a stoppage of the blast during the course of melting, all the tuyere dampers shall be opened.
844. The slag notches shall be equipped with protective devices safeguarding the workers from splashes of the slag being tapped.
845. The granulation device and the place where the slag is discharged shall be equipped with local exhaust ventilation.
846. With continuous tapping of the cast iron, the cupola furnaces shall be equipped with a rotary forehearth with a turning drive.
847. With periodic tapping of the cast iron, the cupola furnace shall be equipped with a mechanism or tool for opening and closing the tap hole.
848. The temperature of the water in the water-cooling jacket of the tuyere and melting zones of the cupola furnace shall not exceed 80 °C.
849. The closed water-cooling system of the cupola furnace shall be fitted with safety devices that preclude an increase in pressure in the water jacket and the accumulation of steam in it.
850. Water-cooled cupola furnaces shall have interlocks that switch off the blowers when the supply of cooling water stops.
851. Coke-gas cupola furnaces shall be equipped with explosion-relief valves and safety devices that automatically switch off the gas supply when its pressure drops below 0.5 kPa, and with light and sound signalling means.
852. The devices of the dust-cleaning and outgoing-cupola-gas cleaning system shall be equipped with explosion-relief valves ensuring a reduction of pressure to 5 kPa (0.05 kgf/cm2).
853. Cupola furnaces shall be fitted with a system of instrumentation and measuring devices ensuring the monitoring of the furnace parameters.
854. The transportation of slag from the cupola furnaces, and the removal of burden residues and the bed charge when cleaning the cupola furnaces, shall be mechanised.
855. The vacuum chamber of the furnace shall be equipped with a safety valve that operates at a pressure of 0.01 MPa (0.1 kgf/cm2).
856. In the event of a sharp drop of the vacuum in the furnace chamber, it shall be switched off until the causes of the vacuum drop have been ascertained and eliminated.
857. When the layer of the crucible lining decreases, the furnace shall be switched off and the liquid metal poured into an ingot mould. Before opening, the furnace shall be filled with inert gas. The slow filling of the furnace with air is carried out only after the metal has solidified (until it darkens).
858. Repair work inside the furnace, as well as the entry of servicing personnel into the vacuum chamber, may be carried out only after the complete removal of flammable condensate from the furnace, in accordance with the process instruction.
859. To avoid the melting of the stem, the ingress of water into the furnace and the occurrence of an explosion, complete melting of the electrode shall not be permitted.
860. In the event of the ingot hanging up in the crystalliser, forcing it out with the stem shall not be permitted.
861. The use of open fire when inspecting the internal parts of the furnace shall not be permitted.
862. In the design of a plasma furnace and the plasmatron unit, interlocks, signalling and other protective measures shall be provided that preclude the possibility of electric shock to the personnel. 862(1). In the switching circuit of the furnace power supply, interlocks shall be provided that ensure automatic shutdown when the electric motors of the pumps (blowers) in the cooling system of the hearth electrode are de-energised. (paragraph 862(1) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025) 862(2). The procedure for starting and shutting down the plasmatrons shall be established by the organisation's instructions. (paragraph 862(2) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025)
863. For cooling the plasmatrons and the hearth electrode, water complying with the design requirements shall be used. 863(1). The switching on of the furnace with a faulty, unadjusted safety valve shall not be permitted. (paragraph 863(1) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025) 863(2). The crystallisers shall not have mechanical damage and melt-throughs that impair their strength and/or make it difficult to extract the ingot. (paragraph 863(2) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025) The title excluded as of 1 September 2025. - Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025
864. The inspection windows shall be provided with protective devices to protect them from contamination by metal vapours. 864(1). The procedure for admitting air into the melting chamber according to process requirements during melting and during the inter-melt downtime, as well as the procedure for depressurising the melting chamber, shall be established by process instructions. (paragraph 864(1) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025) 864(2). The switching off of the crystalliser cooling system before the ingot is unloaded from the chamber shall not be permitted. (paragraph 864(2) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025)
865. The radiation safety of electron-beam furnaces shall be provided for by a design developed for the given technology.
866. The procedure for switching on the electron guns and bringing them to the operating mode shall comply with the process instruction.
867. The entire floor area in the control-console room of the electron-beam furnace shall be covered with dielectric material, on which marking (a stamp) of the results of the electrical resistance test of the covering shall be applied. Damaged covering shall be replaced with new and have the corresponding marking.
868. The materials used for preparing moulding and core mixtures shall have quality certificates.
869. All work involving the descent of personnel into bunkers and into other closed and semi-closed containers with bulk materials shall be carried out in accordance with the procedure for high-hazard work.
870. Foundry facilities shall be supplied with sulphite liquor. When boiling sulphite liquor in the shop, the boiling jars shall be placed in fume cupboards with extraction parameters according to the requirements of the manufacturing plant.
871. The taking of a sample of the mixture while the muller mills are operating shall be carried out with a mechanical device. With the manual method of sampling (with a cone or a spoon), the muller mills shall be stopped.
872. For the period of repair, lubrication, cleaning and internal inspections, the mixture-preparation machines and the means for transporting the mixtures shall be stopped, and the electrical circuits disassembled. The starting of the technical devices after the completion of the specified work shall be carried out in compliance with safety measures.
873. In the bunkers for storing coal dust, the temperature inside the bunker shall be monitored. The temperature of the dust shall not exceed 70 °C. The stock of coal dust in the bunker shall not exceed the daily requirement.
874. On completion of work, all the coal-grinding and transporting equipment shall be cleaned of dust.
875. The control system for the technical devices shall ensure the performance of process operations in the required sequence, preclude the simultaneous performance of incompatible operations and ensure, in automatic mode, the start of work at the given position when the corresponding elements of the mechanisms are in a fixed position.
876. The coating of the surface of moulds and cores with anti-burn-on paints that emit harmful substances shall be carried out under extraction in accordance with the process instruction.
877. The cleaning of the plates of moulding machines of residues of moulding mixture shall be carried out with mechanised devices and appliances with localisation of dust removal.
878. The operation of drying devices operating on gas, as well as drying devices with electric heating, shall comply with the requirements of the process instruction.
879. The coating of surface moulds and cores with anti-burn-on substances shall be carried out by methods that preclude aerosols of anti-burn-on paints from getting into the air of the working zone. The servicing personnel shall use the appropriate personal protective equipment.
880. The strength of the fastening of the blades of the throwing-head wheel shall be checked to avoid the blades flying out when the fastening loosens.
881. Racks for drying cores shall have strong hooks for engaging slinging chains and gratings with stops that exclude the falling out of core plates. The racks shall be tested for strength.
882. The duration of the presence of moulds filled with metal in the zone of active ventilation shall be determined by the technological instruction.
883. Ladles moved by lifting devices shall be subjected to tests after manufacture and repairs.
884. Steel ropes and chains of lifting devices intended for moving ladles with molten metal, and also the spreader beams of the ladles themselves, shall be protected by casings from the effect of radiant heat.
885. The trunnions of ladles shall be of steel and forged; the ring and trunnions shall be subjected to annealing. Welding of separate parts of the rings and trunnions shall not be permitted. The rings and trunnions of the ladle, after manufacture, shall be checked by the non-destructive testing method not less than once a year.
886. Repeated use of a ladle for pouring or casting metal without prior replacement of the stopper and nozzle shall not be permitted.
887. Each melting unit with tapping of metal through a taphole shall have two rods of a length of not less than 1.5 m and spare plugs for closing the tapholes.
888. Repealed from 1 September 2025. - Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025.
889. Aluminium chips accepted for storage shall be dry, without traces of oil and dirt.
890. Materials for preparing moulding mixtures shall be stored in separate rooms located outside production sections and departments.
891. The quantity of highly flammable liquids stored in special shop storerooms shall be determined by the technology and the design documentation.
892. Ethyl silicate shall be stored in sealed containers.
893. Storage of alcohol and the ether-aldehyde fraction in rooms where hydrolysis of ethyl silicate is carried out is permitted only in a non-combustible metal box.
894. Storage of bulk materials shall be carried out in closed boxes connected to the exhaust ventilation system.
895. Foundry production waste includes spent moulding and core mixtures, including rejects of moulds and cores, spillage, foundry slags, abrasive and tumbling dust, refractory materials, ceramics, and also the sludges of wet dust-cleaning ventilation systems.
896. Utilisation, neutralisation, storage or disposal of foundry production waste shall be determined by the design.
897. Roll changing shall be carried out in accordance with the technological instruction using the standard roll-changing mechanisms and appliances.
898. When necessary, in accordance with the technological instruction, manual adjustment of the metal is carried out only with the aid of special tools, and the worker shall be positioned to the side of the shears. In front of and to the side of the shears, during manual feeding of the metal, protective guards shall be arranged that exclude the possibility of the worker's hands entering the hazardous zone. The safety guard in front of the blades of the shears shall have an interlock that excludes operation of the shears when the guard is raised. The hazardous zone of operation of the shears shall be marked with warning and prohibition safety signs.
899. Cutting cold metal with a saw intended for cutting hot metal shall not be permitted.
900. Work on loading and removing crop ends shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the technological instruction. During the movement of wagons for positioning under the discharge chute, sound signals shall be given. When removing crop ends into boxes, overfilling them shall not be permitted.
901. The placement, in the same room as foil-rolling equipment, of explosion- and fire-hazardous departments for washing, painting and paint preparation shall not be permitted. Paint shall be prepared in a separate room under exhaust ventilation (in a fume cupboard).
902. Lubrication of the barrel of the rolls shall be centralised.
903. Preparation and storage of paints for marking metal shall be carried out in a separate isolated room.
904. Operation of flame-scarfing machines shall be carried out in accordance with the technological instruction.
905. Cleaning of the technological equipment and the room of aluminium-magnesium powder shall be carried out on a schedule in accordance with the technological instruction. Spilled powder shall be removed.
906. Operations involving cleaning the metal surface of scale shall be mechanised and carried out in accordance with the technological instructions.
907. All technological operations involving cleaning the surface of rolled products by pickling, and also the regeneration of pickling solutions at acid regeneration installations and neutralisation stations, shall comply with the design and be carried out in accordance with the technological instructions.
908. Filling of the bath with acid shall be carried out in accordance with the technological instruction.
909. Adjustment of degreasing solutions with caustic soda and trisodium phosphate in solid (powdered) form directly in the working bath shall not be permitted. Adjustment of degreasing solutions shall be carried out with concentrated solutions of these substances.
910. Immersing wet baskets of metal into the alkaline bath shall not be permitted.
911. Ingress of coal, soot and lubricants onto the surface of the alkaline bath shall not be permitted, to avoid explosion.
912. Crushing caustic soda and other alkalis by an open method shall not be permitted.
913. Acid or alkali shall be poured in a small stream into cold water. Pouring water into acid or alkali shall not be permitted. When charging the bath with solid chemicals, splashing of the liquid product shall be excluded.
914. Operations for transporting and processing rolled products during the application of protective coatings, and also auxiliary operations, shall be mechanised and carried out in accordance with the technological instructions.
915. Ingots of zinc, tin, lead and other metals charged into the baths shall be dried beforehand. Lowering of the ingots into the bath with molten metal shall be carried out with the aid of special appliances that keep people at a safe distance from the bath. Tongs, crowbars and other tools, before use in work, shall be dried and preheated. Appliances for taking samples and removing residues of zinc, tin, lead and other metals from the bath shall be dry.
916. Work on settled flux, and also work during overheating of the oil above the flash point of the vapours, shall not be permitted, to avoid burns and ignition of the oil vapours. The temperature regime of the bath shall be regulated automatically.
917. For the rapid elimination of possible oil flashes, a soda solution shall be used in the department.
918. Filling with water moulds filled with liquid zinc, tin or other metal before the metal has solidified shall not be permitted. Ingots released from the moulds shall be stacked in a specially designated place, and the moulds shall be dried. Pouring liquid metal into wet moulds shall not be permitted.
919. Placing metal on the coverings of channels, tunnels, trenches, oil cellars and hatches shall not be permitted. The locations of the coverings shall be clearly marked on the shop floor. The value of permissible loads on the covering shall be indicated by appropriate inscriptions.
920. During the operation of ultrasonic installations, direct contact of workers' hands with the liquid, the ultrasonic tool and the parts being processed shall be completely excluded.
921. In the absence of mechanisation of the technological processes for maintaining the surface quality of rolled products, or of the adjustment or servicing of rolling equipment during its operation, the appliances and tools used shall be incorporated into the technological process with justification, with a description of the procedure for their use in the technological or production instructions.
922. Metal-coating sections shall be located in isolation from other production sections.
923. Metal-coating sections may be placed together with other production sections, provided that effective local exhausts from the baths are installed.
924. When placing a metal-coating section in a multi-span block of a production building, it shall be located at the external wall of the building.
925. In coating application sections where the use of harmful substances is possible, the floor covering shall be resistant to the action of chemically active substances and shall not permit their absorption. The floors in these sections shall have a slope towards the drainage traps for the removal of waste water.
926. Recesses in the floors (pits, trenches) shall be covered with strong coverings.
927. The safety of production processes for applying metal coatings shall be ensured by: automation of production processes and sealing of technological equipment that is a source of harmful and (or) hazardous production factors; comprehensive mechanisation and automation of manual labour, remote control of production processes and operations; replacement of production processes and operations involving the presence of harmful and (or) hazardous production factors with processes and operations in which these factors are absent or have a lower intensity; exclusion (limitation) of direct contact of workers with substances, solutions, raw materials and production waste that have a harmful effect on the workers' bodies, and also their timely removal and neutralisation; use of interlocking devices, means of light and sound signalling, and emergency shutdown of production equipment in the event of disturbances of production processes; use of safe methods of storing and transporting raw and auxiliary substances and materials, blanks and finished products; use of individual and collective protective equipment for workers.
928. Work with harmful and explosion- and fire-hazardous substances used in the application of metal coatings shall be carried out with the ventilation and aspiration systems switched on.
929. All operations for transporting and processing rolled products during the application of protective coatings, and also auxiliary operations (changing of anodes in the baths of electrolytic tinning and galvanising, charging of metal into the bath with the melt, preparation, supply and purification of solutions), shall be mechanised and carried out in accordance with the technological instructions. The application of protective coatings to sheet metal (tinning, galvanising) shall be carried out on continuous-action installations. Equipment for applying protective coatings (polymer materials) shall have local exhausts.
930. Checking the serviceability of assemblies and mechanisms during their operation, quality control of the strip being fed, and also monitoring the movement of the strip, shall be carried out from specially equipped platforms and from a safe distance that excludes the catching of parts of clothing by the moving strip.
931. Before putting into operation a technical device whose assemblies or the entire device move during operation, sound and light signals of a duration of not less than 10 s shall be given.
932. In operating shops, for the protection of workers from splashes of solutions or melts from the coating baths at the moment of entry and exit of sheets from the rolls, a guard shall be installed at the appropriate places.
933. Repair work inside the furnace shall be carried out with it completely stopped. The air temperature inside the furnace shall not exceed 40 °C. The results of measurements of the concentration of harmful gases shall be checked for the absence of exceedance of the maximum permissible concentration in the air of the working zone before the start of repair work.
934. When designing and manufacturing continuous hot-dip galvanising units, the manufacturer shall provide for: an automated system for collecting hard zinc; the temperature regime of the galvanising bath shall be regulated automatically. The design of the inductors shall ensure control of the lining temperature with output of the readings; the galvanising units shall be equipped with sound and light signalling that indicates the emergency shutdown of the magnetic inductors on the galvanising bath; the level of the zinc melt in the bath shall be measured automatically; all local equipment control panels shall be equipped with an emergency line stop button.
935. All rotating mechanisms, baths with molten zinc, and also the moving strip, shall have stationary protective guards.
936. The procedure for charging zinc blocks into the galvanising bath is determined by the design. When necessary, additional measures are developed for the safety of personnel.
937. The service life of galvanising baths is determined by the design documentation of the manufacturing plant.
938. The period for replacing the equipment and lining of galvanising baths is determined by the operating organisation based on the results of monitoring the condition of the galvanising baths.
939. The electrical wiring on the galvanising baths shall be protected from possible damage to it by hot metal.
940. Loop towers shall have a guard. Protective guards shall be installed in front of the pulling rollers.
941. Hot-dip galvanising baths located at floor level (the decking of the working platform) shall have guards not less than 1.1 m high around the entire perimeter. On the side of loading and unloading of articles, the bath shall be provided along its entire length with removable barriers.
942. In cases where, owing to technological conditions, the installation of covers or enclosures of the baths is impossible, an exhaust ventilation system shall be provided.
943. Continuous hot-dip galvanising units shall be equipped with emergency vessels for pumping over the zinc melt, with a volume that in total exceeds the volume of the galvanising bath.
944. For newly designed facilities, on both sides of the furnace, special ingot moulds shall be arranged in the foundation for receiving all the zinc from the bath in case of emergency discharge of zinc from the bath.
945. Ingots of zinc, aluminium, lead and other metals charged into the baths shall be dried and preheated beforehand. Lowering of the ingots into the bath with molten metal shall be carried out with the aid of special appliances that exclude the need for people to be near the bath.
946. Tongs, crowbars and other tools, before use in work, shall be dried and preheated. Ingot moulds and appliances for taking samples and removing residues of zinc, tin, lead and other metals from the bath shall be preheated beforehand. Immersing wet tools in molten zinc shall be prohibited.
947. During work over a bath with molten zinc (even short-term), the bath shall be covered with decking.
948. Filling with water moulds filled with liquid zinc, tin or other metal before the metal has solidified shall be prohibited. Ingots released from the moulds shall be stacked in a specially designated place, and the moulds shall be dried. Pouring liquid metal into wet moulds shall be prohibited.
949. Baths with melts shall have a guard made in accordance with the design documentation of the supplier of the given equipment, and shall have tightly closing covers and local exhausts that prevent the ingress of vapours and gases into the room.
950. Preparation of flux (zinc chloride), and also extraction of tin from tin-containing waste, shall be carried out in a separate room. The tanks for preparing flux shall be equipped with local exhausts.
951. During charging of zinc into the molten bath, and also during loading and unloading of pipes and articles from it, the workers shall use protective clothing, protective footwear and personal protective equipment.
952. During extraction of zinc and hard zinc from the bath, the presence of people in the hazardous zone around the baths shall be prohibited.
953. Carrying out repair work over the galvanising bath during its operation shall be prohibited.
954. Operation of the coating application units is permitted only provided that instruments for monitoring the paint and varnish material vapours formed during painting (gas analysers) are present and serviceable. In the event of exceedance of the values of explosive concentrations of paint and varnish material vapours, the paint and varnish material application installations shall be stopped. The limit concentrations of paint and varnish material vapours are indicated in the technological instructions. The gas analysers shall be located at the places of greatest formation of paint and varnish material vapours, based on the design features of the units.
955. All operations for processing rolled products during the application of polymer coatings, and also auxiliary operations, shall be mechanised and carried out in accordance with the technological instructions.
956. All process and also emergency releases of harmful substances from the coating application technical devices shall be subject to capture, cleaning and neutralisation.
957. All work on moving paint and varnish materials shall be mechanised; lifting and movement shall be carried out with the aid of electric forklift trucks, special trolleys and motor transport. Movement with the use of an overhead crane and lifts is permitted.
958. Loading and unloading of paint and varnish materials shall be carried out in accordance with developed and approved schemes.
959. Transport and storage of explosive and highly flammable polymer materials, paint and varnish coatings and mixtures shall be carried out in closed sealed containers that exclude the possibility of accidental spillage and ingress of moisture. The containers holding polymers and paint and varnish materials shall have labels or tags with the name and designation of the materials contained. During transport and unloading, collision of the containers and impacts against transport or building structures shall be excluded.
960. The store for paint and varnish materials and the places of their preparation shall be located in separate rooms.
961. Placement and storage of paint and varnish materials shall be carried out in accordance with the storage scheme approved at the enterprise.
962. Storing paint and varnish materials is permitted only in serviceable containers. Spilled paint shall be removed immediately.
963. All gates and wickets of the rooms for storing paint and varnish materials shall be kept closed at all times, except in cases when they are being moved.
964. Auxiliary equipment, inventory and tools used in the maintenance of polymer coating equipment shall be made of non-combustible materials that do not produce sparks on impact and do not accumulate static electricity. Wooden decking, platforms and staging shall be treated with fire-retardant compounds. The use of brushes, scrapers and paintbrushes made of synthetic materials shall be prohibited. Wiping of equipment, apparatus, tools and inventory shall be carried out with materials that exclude spark formation.
965. The design of the drying furnace of the polymer coating application unit shall exclude the ingress into the room of gas combustion products, and also of harmful substances exceeding the maximum permissible concentration standards.
966. Solvent vapours released in the furnaces of polymer coating units during the drying of the polymer materials used shall be captured and afterburnt by direct combustion in special chambers connected by passages to the drying furnaces.
967. Operation of the units without functioning vapour afterburning devices in the outlet ducts of the exhaust systems shall not be permitted.
968. Separate isolated rooms for storing raw materials, preparatory departments and control posts shall be equipped with mechanical general-exchange ventilation and heating in accordance with the design. The rooms of the coating application installations shall be equipped with supply-and-exhaust ventilation and air-conditioning devices. Inside the room, control of the temperature regime shall be ensured.
969. Equipment for applying protective coatings shall have local exhausts.
970. When the exhaust fan in the coater room is faulty or switched off, operation of the polymer coating unit shall be prohibited.
971. Work to clean the rollers and equipment of polymers shall be carried out with the equipment switched off and in accordance with the safety requirements provided for in the instructions.
972. Storage and transport of varnishes and solvents in open vessels, and also the use of open fire in rooms where varnishing and storage of paint and varnish materials are carried out, shall be prohibited.
973. Wiping materials impregnated with varnish and solvents shall be stored in closed containers in a quantity not exceeding their daily consumption.
974. For the rapid elimination of possible flashes of paint and varnish materials, a soda solution shall be used in the department.
975. The rolls of the cleaning machines shall be covered on top with a removable casing.
976. Pushing out sheets stuck in the cleaning machine while the rolls are rotating shall be prohibited. The cleaning machines shall be equipped with local exhausts.
977. During the production of metal-plastic, all operations with polyurethane adhesive and solvents shall be carried out in compliance with the safety measures provided for in the technological instruction.
978. The components of the polyurethane adhesive and the solvents shall be stored in a specially equipped store at a temperature of not less than 10 °C.
979. The coating application installations are located in a separate explosion- and fire-safe room. The floor covering shall exclude spark formation.
980. The performance of operations on the coating application installation shall be carried out by not less than two workers.
981. The quantity of paint and varnish materials in the room of the coating application installations shall not increase the fire load and is determined based on the needs of the production process. Preparation and storage of painting material in the room shall not be permitted.
982. When working with polymer material compositions, the safety requirements set out in the normative and technical documentation for these compositions shall be observed.
983. To ensure the production process, pumps and winches that are safe for an explosive atmosphere and specified by the design shall be used.
984. Inside rooms with paint and varnish materials, the use of explosion-proof electrical equipment is permitted.
985. Transport of bundles of pipes over salt baths and alkaline-melt baths shall not be permitted.
986. Acid shall be supplied to the pickling bath only after it has first been filled with water. Spent solutions shall be directed to a special sewerage system for further neutralisation.
987. Adjustment of the composition of degreasing solutions with solid components directly in the working bath shall not be permitted. Adjustment of solutions in the bath shall be carried out with a concentrated solution prepared in a separate vessel.
988. Delivery of dust-forming materials from storage places to places of consumption shall be carried out in closed process containers (boxes, containers) or by pneumatic transport.
989. Accumulation of coal dust in the bunkers of the grinding room in a quantity exceeding the daily requirement shall not be permitted. The temperature of the dust shall not exceed 50 °C.
990. The rooms of the anti-corrosion pipe coating department, the paint preparation sections and the platforms for external and internal coating of pipes shall be equipped with fire-extinguishing means in accordance with the design.
991. The use of spacers in the form of wedges or blocks for securing inserts in the straightening press shall not be permitted.
992. The floors on the working platforms of ferroalloy furnaces at the hearth and on the electrode platforms shall be electrically non-conductive and dry.
993. Supplying hot slagged recycled waste to the charge materials store shall not be permitted.
994. Damage to the brickwork of roasting furnaces accompanied by the release of gases into the room shall be eliminated.
995. On electric furnaces, continuous monitoring of the integrity of the casings (absence of cracks and burn-throughs) shall be carried out.
996. The casing of the electric furnace shall be earthed.
997. Oil leakage from the hydraulic drive of the electrode-moving mechanism shall not be permitted.
998. Work on slipping and building up self-baking electrodes of ore-reduction ferroalloy furnaces, welding the brake band and charging the electrode paste shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the technological instruction.
999. Burning through and raking out the taphole is permitted only on a dry platform (stand) made of dielectric material.
1000. The metal rods used for raking and opening the taphole shall be dry.
1001. Metal tools, when used for work in an electric furnace, shall be earthed, or the work shall be performed by a worker standing on insulating stands.
1002. Removal of electrode fragments shall be carried out with the furnace switched off.
1003. The limit hydrogen content in the top gas of closed ore-reduction furnaces shall be established by the design depending on the alloy being smelted. When the hydrogen content in the top gas reaches the limit value, the furnace shall be switched off.
1004. When the oxygen content in the top gas of closed ore-reduction furnaces rises above 1 per cent (by volume), the excess pressure under the roof shall be not less than 2 - 3 mm of water column. When the oxygen content increases to 2 per cent, the furnace is switched off immediately to eliminate the causes that led to the increase in its content.
1005. The pressure and temperature of the top gas in the under-roof space of a closed ore-reduction furnace shall be established by the design depending on the design of the electric furnace and the alloy being smelted, and shall be regulated by the process instruction.
1006. The gas-exhaust ducts of closed and hermetic furnaces shall be equipped with fast-acting instruments for monitoring the hydrogen and oxygen content in the exhaust gases, with recording of the readings on the control panels of the gas-cleaning system or the electric furnace.
1007. The inductor tubes shall be tested for strength and tightness by hydraulic pressure exceeding the working pressure of the cooling water by not less than 1.5 times.
1008. In newly constructed and reconstructed metallothermic shops, separate rooms shall be provided for dosing the charge materials and mixing them with aluminium powder and saltpetre. In operating shops, where it is impossible to carry out these process operations in a separate room, actions to prevent the formation of explosive aerosols and the accumulation of dust shall be carried out.
1009. In the production of ferroalloys, it shall not be permitted to use mixtures: the combustion process of which transitions into an explosion; capable of self-sustaining combustion and having a specific heat of combustion of more than 50 kJ/mol; the sensitivity of which to mechanical action (impact) is 19.6 J or less, and that of the active component is 9.8 J or less.
1010. In the rooms of metallothermic shops where crushing and grinding of materials is carried out, cleaning of settled dust from the walls, ceilings and other building structures shall be carried out periodically. The frequency of cleaning shall preclude the accumulation of dust in a quantity at which combustion in a layer or in an aerosol is possible. The frequency and procedure of dust cleaning and the safety measures involved shall be determined by the process or production instruction.
1011. In metallothermic shops, when dosing and mixing charge materials, the following requirements shall be observed: the materials being dosed shall be dry; when mixing the charge, measures shall be taken to preclude spark formation and the ingress of foreign objects into the mixer; mixing of the charge shall be carried out in mixers ensuring uniform distribution of the materials; the dosing and mixing units for charge materials shall be equipped with individual ventilation and aspiration installations of explosion-proof design. All types of repair work, including welding, on the charge dosing and mixing units shall be carried out only after they have been cleaned of charge and aluminium dust and under a permit to work.
1012. To prevent the formation of an explosive environment, phlegmatisation of materials shall be used. The technology of phlegmatisation of flammable powder materials and the substances used for this shall preclude the possibility of the formation of explosive aerosols during the further processing of the powder materials.
1013. When preparing mixtures capable of forming an explosive environment and containing active oxidisers, inert materials or hard-to-reduce oxides shall be loaded first into the mixing device or the charging hopper, followed by the active oxidisers. After mixing these components, the flammable powder materials shall be loaded and the final mixing carried out. When preparing mixtures that do not contain active oxidisers and flammable powder materials capable of forming an explosive environment, inert materials and oxidisers shall be loaded first, followed by the flammable powder materials. The loading of flammable powder materials may be carried out without preliminary mixing of the components.
1014. The lining and fettling of smelting shafts, ladles and ingot moulds shall be carried out with dry refractory materials. When solutions are used, the lining shall be dried.
1015. The mass of the ignition mixture and its composition shall correspond to the process instruction.
1016. The prepared ignition mixture shall be stored in a separate closed room in boxes that prevent the ingress of moisture. The preparation and mixing of the ignition mixture shall be carried out in containers made of non-sparking metal using intrinsically safe tools. The quantity of prepared ignition mixture shall not exceed the shift requirement. The ignition mixture may be carried only in closed containers made of non-sparking metal or in packages of thick paper.
1017. During the rolling-out of the charge with the melt from the smelting chamber and its transport to the casting site and cooling, the presence of people in the danger zone shall not be permitted.
1018. Unused charge materials shall be stored in closed containers. If their use is impossible, they shall be destroyed in accordance with the process or production instruction.
1019. The placement of hoppers with explosive and fire-hazardous charge materials under the trolley lines of electric overhead cranes shall not be permitted. When working with these materials, tools that do not produce sparks shall be used.
1020. In the event of burn-through of the tuyere opening or the lining, the blast shall be switched off immediately and the remaining metal drained.
1021. Tightening of flange joints of oxygen pipelines and their fittings under pressure shall not be permitted.
1022. The tuyere before installation, and hoses and tubes before use, shall be degreased. The use of oxygen hoses for supplying water or air shall not be permitted.
1023. In the event of foaming of the melt, the pouring of the reducing agent and the loading of solid charge into the melt shall be suspended, with a subsequent reduction in the pouring rate.
1024. Upon completion of the pouring of the reducing agent, a holding period shall be maintained until gas evolution from the melt ceases.
1025. It shall not be permitted to conduct smelting when the shell of the ladle with the liquid reducing agent turns red.
1026. For rooms in which wet production processes are carried out, a positive temperature of not less than 16 °C shall be ensured during the cold season.
1027. When working with toxic solutions, measures shall be taken to prevent their spraying or spillage onto the floor. In the event of a spillage of toxic solutions, cleaning shall be carried out immediately, for example, by a vacuum pump through a collector, and the floor shall be thoroughly washed with a jet of water.
1028. When preparing solutions of sulphuric acid, water shall be poured in first, and then the acid. When preparing a mixture of acids, the sulphuric acid shall be poured in last.
1029. The supply of the necessary additional quantity of water to replenish electrolysis baths and apparatus with water having a temperature of 80 - 100 °C shall be carried out in a small jet through a special connection pipe in the cover or below the "mirror" of the solution.
1030. The operation of apparatus and pipelines shall not be permitted in the presence of leakage of aggressive and toxic solutions.
1031. Metal containers filled with caustic soda, chromic anhydride and other hazardous substances shall be opened using a special device or on a special stand in an isolated chamber equipped with exhaust ventilation.
1032. The crushing of triphosphate, caustic soda and soda ash by the open method shall not be permitted.
1033. Electrolysis baths and busbars shall be insulated from earth, and the collecting tanks for the electrolyte earthed. The busbars shall have a device for monitoring insulation with alarm signalling of current leakage.
1034. When an electric arc forms in connection with a break in the electric circuit, it shall not be permitted to approach the electrolysis baths until the voltage has been removed.
1035. The loading of ingots of refined ferrochrome may be carried out only onto platforms and into boxes with high sides or into ordinary boxes placed in a special shelter. The transfer of ingots to the finished-product warehouse shall be carried out only after they have fully cooled.
1036. It shall not be permitted to cool ingots, ladles with residues of solidified metal and moulds in granulation tanks, except for the tanks for soaking ingots provided for by the design.
1037. It shall not be permitted to discharge slag skulls into a ladle when there is liquid slag and metal in it.
1038. The installation and removal of the tilter from the ladle shall be carried out on the command of the operator of the casting machine. The presence of workers in the chamber of the tilting device during the feeding of the ladle shall not be permitted.
1039. Before casting the metal, the operator of the casting machine shall verify the reliability of the fastening of the crane in the tilting device. The ladle stops for gripping shall not have defects, including notches and cracks.
1040. Cleaning of the nozzles of the lime solution shall be carried out with the pump switched off.
1041. It shall not be permitted to pour metal into faulty moulds. Monitoring of the serviceability of the moulds shall be established.
1042. The granulation of ferroalloys that actively interact with water with the evolution of hydrogen shall not be permitted. The range of ferroalloys for which granulation is permissible is determined by the manufacturing plant.
1043. Granulation installations for the granulation of ferrosilicon and ferrosilicochrome shall be equipped with tilting devices for draining metal from the ladle through the spout. The tilting device shall have a ladle-tilt limiter.
1044. The granulation of conversion silicomanganese and carbon ferrochrome, and of ferrosilicon 45 per cent, may be carried out by means of an electric overhead crane through a receiver. The overflow of ferrochrome through the ladle spout into the receiver may be carried out only where a process instruction is available. The receiver for ferrochrome, in case of its overfilling, shall additionally have an overflow chute for diverting the alloy into a special vessel.
1045. Tilting devices shall be equipped with interlocks that automatically stop granulation when the water pressure drops below the permissible level. The presence of moisture around granulation installations shall not be permitted.
1046. Before the granulation of metal, the serviceability of the tilting device, the drainage chute and the nozzles shall be thoroughly checked. The receiver shall be filled with dry material - sand, granulated metal.
1047. During the granulation of metal, the presence of personnel within a radius of less than 10 m shall not be permitted.
1048. In the event of a drop in water pressure below the permissible level or a stoppage of the water supply, the granulation of metal shall be stopped immediately, and, when granulating conversion ferrochrome, the alloy shall be drained into a vessel standing nearby.
1049. In operating shops, the boulder-breaker installations shall be equipped with protective guards preventing the scattering of pieces of metal. In newly constructed and reconstructed shops, the boulder-breaker installations shall be enclosed in sound-insulating chambers.
1050. When crushing ferroalloys whose dust has pyrophoric properties and in a suspended state is explosive or fire-hazardous, measures shall be taken for the timely removal of dust from the crushing units, and for the regular cleaning of the units and aspiration installations from it. The design of the air ducts of the aspiration installations shall preclude the possibility of dust deposition in them. The aspiration installations of the crushing units for silicocalcium and ferrosilicomagnesium modifiers shall be of explosion-proof design and equipped with safety explosion valves and vent stacks for the release of hydrogen, as well as with sensors for monitoring the hydrogen content. The crushing of these alloys shall be carried out with the application of measures preventing the formation of a fire- and explosion-hazardous environment.
1051. The crushing of calcium carbide shall not be permitted in the presence of moisture on the loading platform of the crusher, in its chutes and receiving cone.
1052. During the operation of the mill, all doors in the grinding room shall be closed and the warning light panels switched on.
1053. The transport of powders shall be carried out in closed self-unloading containers. The design of the containers and of the platforms for placing them during storage and transfer shall preclude the possibility of spark formation.
1054. Rooms and equipment in which active ferroalloys that interact with water are stored or used shall be cleaned by the dry method.
1055. Smoking and the use of open flame in the grinding room shall not be permitted.
1056. Cleaning of hot products of ferroalloy production shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the process instruction.
1057. When loading calcium carbide into metal drums, tools that do not produce sparks on impact (copper, brass) shall be used.
1058. In warehouses (rooms) where calcium carbide is stored, there shall be signs: "Flammable!", "Explosive!". The warehouses shall be equipped with fire-extinguishing means (powder fire extinguishers, dry sand, felt).
1059. Empty drums from calcium carbide shall be thoroughly cleaned of dust and stored in specially designated places.
1060. The opposite doors of the wagons shall be closed, and the gap between the wagons and the loading ramp shall be covered with a bridge with stops. For lighting inside the wagon, luminaires with a voltage of up to 50 V may be used.
1061. The time for dumping the slag after its tapping or casting, and the procedure for carrying out the work of cleaning the hoppers of caked slag, shall be provided for by the process instruction.
1062. Work to clean the internal cavities of the air separator of cemented slag shall be carried out under a permit to work. Persons performing work in the separator shall use protective devices (belts with ropes, safety goggles, respirators, a ladder) and lighting with a voltage of not more than 12 V. Continuous observation of the workers in the separator by not less than two persons shall be ensured.
1063. The operating modes and the main process parameters of granulation installations are determined by the design developed for the given technology.
1064. In the rooms for the production of aluminium powder, the possibility of spark formation shall be precluded. The floors in these rooms shall be made of materials that preclude sparking.
1065. The design of the electrical equipment used in conveyor galleries, hopper rooms, finished-product warehouses and packing sections shall correspond to the zone of the room class, the category and the group of the explosive mixture.
1066. Before the atomisation of aluminium, the doors of the chamber, the conveyor galleries and the hopper room shall be locked. Beforehand, it shall be verified that there are no people in these rooms, and no foreign objects in the chamber.
1067. The simultaneous atomisation of aluminium and discharge of powder from the hoppers of the chamber shall not be permitted.
1068. The discharge of powder shall not be permitted in the event of a malfunction of the ventilation, the sealing of the chutes or other equipment.
1069. All tools and containers used when working with aluminium powder shall be made of materials that preclude spark formation. For the transport of aluminium powder, steel self-unloading tubs with a cone of non-ferrous metal that does not produce sparking on impact with steel may be used, whereby all the platforms for placing the tubs and the necks of the hoppers for storing the powder shall be sheathed with sheet aluminium.
1070. To avoid oxidation, spontaneous combustion and explosion of aluminium powder, the presence of moisture and dampness in the places of its production and storage shall not be permitted.
1071. The extinguishing of ignited aluminium powder shall be carried out with the fire-extinguishing means provided for by the design developed for the given technology.
1072. The cleaning of dust from the floors and equipment in the hopper rooms, conveyor galleries and the packing section shall be carried out every shift, and from the walls, ceilings and metal structures - once a week. A record of the dust cleaning carried out shall be made in a special log.
1073. When cleaning dust, bast mops and aluminium shovels may be used. The use of bristle and metal brushes shall not be permitted. Washing with water or wiping with damp cloths is permitted only after dry cleaning.
1074. The cleaning of the aluminium atomisation chambers of accretions and dust shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction. Work not included in the instruction is carried out with the application of organisational and technical safety measures.
1075. Before carrying out repair work, the rooms and equipment shall be cleaned and ventilated, and, for the performance of welding work, washed with water.
1076. For the purposes of the requirements of these Rules, the terms - metal waste, secondary metals, metal scrap, circulating scrap, scrap, swarf and other terms used in the preparation and use of ferrous and non-ferrous metal scrap for remelting in metallurgical production - are regarded as metal scrap (hereinafter - scrap metal). Scrap metal in metallurgical production includes accumulations of articles rendered unusable, of waste generated in the process of production of products, and of products of human activity, consisting of ferrous and non-ferrous metals and their alloys, intended for recycling in metallurgy.
1077. Each batch of scrap metal arriving for processing or shipment (transhipment) for subsequent remelting shall be checked for explosion safety and accompanied by a document certifying the explosion safety of the given batch of scrap metal.
1078. In the documents on the explosion safety of a batch of scrap metal of ferrous metals intended for converters (or other specialised units), the supplier shall make an appropriate entry, for example, "For use in converters".
1079. Each batch of scrap metal, upon acceptance, shall be subjected to radiation monitoring. A batch of scrap metal arriving from enterprises that use radioactive substances in the production process shall be accompanied by documents on decontamination.
1080. The cutting-up of scrap metal from aircraft, military and rocket equipment, and the neutralisation of explosive objects, are classified as high-hazard work and are performed in specially designated places, separately from the places of cutting-up of other types of scrap. Packages of such scrap shall be stored and transported separately by batches.
1081. Scrap metal, including neutralised objects, shall meet the following requirements: cartridge cases of artillery and small arms shall not have unfired primers and residues of explosives; scrap metal from aircraft, military and rocket equipment shall be freed from explosives, oils and liquids; barrels of artillery and small arms shall have open through channels or be deformed to preclude the possibility of their combat use; all types of vessels and hollow objects shall be accessible for inspection of the internal surface (the necks of cylinders open) and cleaned of residues of oils, liquids and bulk substances (in winter, of snow and ice); vessels from acids and other hazardous substances shall undergo neutralisation; metal masses and "skulls" that have undergone explosive breaking-up are subject to checking for explosion safety.
1082. Repealed from 1 September 2025. - Order of the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service (Rostechnadzor) No. 5 of 14 January 2025.
1083. The recycling, neutralisation and destruction of hazardous substances shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction.
1084. The dismantling of scrap metal from warehouses and stacks shall be started from the top. The extraction of individual pieces of scrap from under blockages shall not be permitted.
1085. The stacking of moulds subject to cutting-up shall be carried out in accordance with the stacking scheme. The maximum height of stacked scrap metal shall be 2 m below the upper position of the load-gripping member of the lifting crane.
1086. When making packages (briquettes) of scrap metal, the pressing into them of non-metallic objects, hollow objects, or objects containing various gases, oil, water or ice shall not be permitted.
1087. If explosive objects are found in a batch of delivered scrap metal, the measures provided for by the process instruction shall be taken.
1088. It shall not be permitted to perform welding and other hot work in the places of storage of swarf of magnesium, titanium and their alloys.
1089. It shall not be permitted to cut scrap metal located in a stack. Cutting shall be performed on the floor of the working area.
1090. When cutting vessels and articles having cavities, their hatches and covers shall be opened, the plugs removed, and the closed cavities opened up.
1091. At the workplace of the shears operator (the shears control panel), there shall be a table of the maximum cross-sections of metal permitted for cutting.
1092. The removal of cut metal shall be carried out with the shears stopped.
1093. Hollow objects shall not contain foreign objects and substances.
1094. It shall not be permitted to cut rifle, machine-gun and cannon barrels, and, on alligator shears, scrap metal along bolted and riveted joints.
1095. During the movement (raising and dropping) of the "drop weight" - a device for breaking scrap metal by the energy of a fall, the operating personnel shall be in a shelter.
1096. The operating personnel may enter the breaking hall from the shelter only 10 - 15 s after the dropping of the "drop weight".
1097. The use of the supports of the drop-breaker for guy ropes and for securing lifting mechanisms, electric cables and other devices not connected with the operation of the drop-breaker shall not be permitted.
1098. The checking of the technical condition of the drop-breaker devices shall be carried out not less than twice a year. The results of the check shall be entered in the passport or record card of the device.
1099. The conduct of blasting operations, the storage and transport of explosive materials, and the operation of armoured pits shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction taking into account the requirements of the safety rules for blasting operations.
1100. The extraction of scrap metal from production waste at separation installations shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction.
1101. The installation of gland compensators on blast-furnace and coke-oven gas pipelines may be carried out subject to compliance with the safety requirements for gas facilities.
1102. It shall not be permitted to carry out repair work on pipelines with explosive and fire-hazardous substances until these substances have been completely removed. The pipelines shall be purged with inert gases or steam.
1103. All utilities (pipelines and fittings) of coke-chemical productions shall be subjected to an annual commission inspection. The inspection report shall be approved by the technical head of the organisation.
1104. All safety fittings, before being put into operation, shall be adjusted to the actuation pressure and checked for tightness. The inspection of safety valves shall be carried out at each stoppage of the unit for examination, cleaning or repair in accordance with the process or production instruction, but not less than once a year. When testing safety valves for explosive and aggressive hazardous media, the recording (in the report on the adjustment and checking of the safety valve) of their actuation pressure (opening and closing) by means of recording instruments shall be provided for. The test diagram of the safety valve shall be kept for three years.
1105. The entry of locomotives into the building of the receiving hoppers shall not be permitted. If it is necessary to feed wagons to the end of a dead-end track, shunting operations of locomotives may be carried out only where there is a cover of wagons or platforms.
1106. The cleaning of the receiving hoppers of coal residues may be carried out only from above.
1107. The cleaning of coal and dust hoppers, and of coal towers, is classified as high-hazard work.
1108. All sections and areas of the shop shall have telephone communication, and, in the absence of centralised control, also two-way sound or light signalling.
1109. To prevent the spontaneous combustion of coal and charge in hoppers and other vessels, the order of their unloading shall be observed. The cleaning of the vessels shall be carried out systematically in accordance with the process instruction.
1110. When coal ignites in open stacks, the seats (nests) of the fire shall be raked apart with grabs or scrapers, and the seats may be cooled with a diffused jet of water. When coal ignites in hoppers or closed warehouses, their unloading shall be carried out immediately with simultaneous extinguishing of the fire. The switching-on of the pneumatic collapse system during the unloading of ignited coal from hoppers shall not be permitted. The extinguishing of burning coal shall be carried out with atomised water or steam. Spontaneously ignited coal, after extinguishing and cooling, shall be used immediately.
1111. The entry of locomotives into the sections for defrosting coal shall not be permitted.
1112. The entry of people into the sections of the garage for defrosting coal during its operation shall not be permitted.
1113. Repair work in the sections of the defrosting garage during the period of its operation is classified as high-hazard work.
1114. The procedure for the use of reagents at coal-preparation productions shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction.
1115. The examination of the drying duct and the cleaning of the internal devices of the drying drum are classified as high-hazard work.
1116. The starting-up of drying installations shall not be permitted with faulty instrumentation and with faulty safety valves on the gas duct and dust collectors.
1117. The operation of gas drying installations shall not be permitted when the oxygen content in the vapour-gas mixture is above the norms provided for by the process instruction. For each grade of coal, a limit temperature of the drying agent (a mixture of flue gases with air) precluding the thermal decomposition of coal dust with the formation of explosive gases shall be established and specified in the process instruction.
1118. The checking of the condition of the explosion valves of gas drying installations shall be carried out by the operating personnel every shift, with the results of the check being entered in a log.
1119. The cleaning of coal dust from the equipment and in the rooms of coal preparation shall be carried out every shift according to a schedule, whereby the possibility of the dust passing into a suspended state shall be precluded.
1120. The acceptance and testing of gas pipelines, fittings and equipment for heating coke ovens shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements for gas facilities and the technical specifications for the installation of the equipment of coke batteries.
1121. The putting into operation and the purging of the distribution gas pipelines of the coke ovens for coke oven or mixed (coke oven and blast furnace) gas shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction.
1122. In each organisation, an instruction for the start-up and shutdown of the heating of coke ovens and pitch-coke ovens shall be developed.
1123. The cleaning and repair of the heating fittings, regenerators and gas distribution channels in the brickwork of the coke ovens shall be carried out in compliance with the following requirements: when heating with coke oven gas, the cleaning, inspection and repair of the fittings on the section from the distribution gas pipeline to the entry into the heating wall, the cleaning and repair of the kornyurs and nozzle channels (in ovens with a bottom supply of coke oven gas), and also the replacement of the diaphragms and regulating rods, shall be carried out only after the stop cock has first been closed and the reversing cock has been disconnected from the reversal mechanism; when heating with blast furnace gas, the cleaning of the gas-air valves and the reversal cocks for blast furnace gas shall be carried out after the regulating (shut-off) valve has first been closed; in this case, the cleaning of the valves shall be carried out only when they are operating on the downward flow; the cleaning of the reversal cock and the stop cock when heating with coke oven and blast furnace gas shall be carried out by means of a special cuff plug only after the driving lever has been disconnected from the reversal cock. The above-listed work shall not be permitted during reversal. When cleaning and repairing the gas distribution channel located on the service platform, an attendant shall be posted at the stop cock or warning notices shall be posted: "Do not switch on, personnel at work!"
1124. When switching on the gas for heating the coke oven batteries, the simultaneous switching-on of several batteries and the reversal of the gas-air valves for the heating of the remaining batteries of the block shall not be permitted.
1125. To prevent leakage of the heating gas into the service tunnels and the flues of the ovens, a check shall be carried out: when heating with coke oven gas - of the tightness of the gas pipeline unions, the stop cocks and the reversal cocks, the covers of the air valves of the degraphitising device, and also the tightness of the joint between the fittings and the brickwork; when heating with blast furnace gas - of the tightness of the gas pipeline unions, the gas-air valves, the stop cocks and reversal cocks and valves, and also of the connection of the valves to the regenerators and the flues; of the operation and tightness of the condensate traps, their supply pipelines and fittings.
1126. Being in the immediate vicinity of the air valves of the degraphitising device during reversal shall not be permitted.
1127. The check of the vacuum in the gas-air valves and gas regenerators shall be carried out periodically in accordance with the process instruction.
1128. When the heating of the coke ovens and the extraction of the coke oven gas are stopped, and also when the gas pipelines are purged with blast furnace or coke oven gas, the discharge of coke shall be suspended, and the conduct of hot work and emergency work in the service tunnels and throughout the gas path of the coke oven block shall not be permitted. The stopping and switching-on of the heating, and the changeover from one type of gas to another, shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction. The changeover of the heating of the coke oven batteries from coke oven gas to blast furnace gas is permitted only during the daytime.
1129. In all cases of absence of draught in the chimney, the heating of the coke ovens shall be stopped immediately, the operating personnel shall be evacuated from the battery premises, and urgent measures shall be taken to enhance the ventilation of the service tunnels and other premises adjoining them. In these cases, entering the service tunnels without gas protection apparatus and in the absence of gas rescuers or members of the DGSD shall not be permitted.
1130. During the operation of the coke oven machines, being in the following places shall not be permitted: on the upper platforms of the coal charging car at the moment of its movement and of the charging of the ovens; on the roof of the door-extractor machine during its movement, the discharge of coke and when there is voltage on the trolley wires; on the ladders and platforms of the electric locomotive during its movement. To prevent access of personnel, other than electrical personnel, to the current collector devices of the door-extractor machine, the entrance to its roof shall be locked.
1131. The passages between the charging car and the equipment along the entire length of the coke oven battery and under the coal towers shall be clear. Where it is impossible to ensure a clear passage between the coal charging machine and the columns or walls of the coal tower, bypass platforms shall be provided on the outer side of the coal tower, with the installation of signalling devices to warn of the inadmissibility of passage through the coal tower.
1132. The cleaning of the charging holes of graphite shall be carried out with a special tool before the discharge of coke from the oven, with the doors closed and the standpipes open.
1133. The repair and manual cleaning of the tracks of the quenching car shall be carried out only during the stoppage of the discharge of coke, with mandatory removal of the voltage from the trolley wires of the electric locomotive and under the supervision of the persons responsible for carrying out this work.
1134. The cleaning and repair of the sprinkling system of the quenching tower shall be carried out only during the daytime from a specially equipped mobile trolley or by means of a special platform on the quenching car, with mandatory disconnection of the pumps and removal of the voltage from the trolley network supplying the electric locomotives.
1135. When two electric locomotives operate onto one ramp, the order of their movement shall be determined by the process instruction.
1136. The entrance doors of the cabins of the contactor panels of the coke oven machines shall be permanently locked and shall have an interlock or signalling of their opening relayed to the operator's cabin.
1137. Dust removal shall be carried out every shift.
1138. The dropping of pieces of incompletely quenched coke from the ramp onto the conveyor belt shall not be permitted. Final quenching shall be ensured on the ramp in the procedure established by the process instruction.
1139. Permanent monitoring shall be established over the condition of the luting of the doors of the pitch-coke ovens. The leaks detected shall be sealed with mortar.
1140. During the operation of the pitch-coke ovens, the following shall not be permitted: the opening of the standpipes earlier than 20 minutes before the discharge of coke; the removal of the branch pipes or the opening of the air hatch during the period of intensive gas evolution.
1141. During the discharge of pitch from the still, care shall be taken to ensure that the pressure in the still does not exceed the value provided for by the process instruction.
1142. During the charging of the pitch-coke ovens, the opening of the standpipes and the exceeding of the set pitch level in the chamber shall not be permitted.
1143. The charging of the ovens shall not be permitted when pitch is seeping through the luting of the doors and the brickwork into the heating system, and also when there is a breach of tightness of the pitch pipeline and the charging devices creating a danger of pitch ejection and burns to the operating personnel.
1144. The charging of the ovens shall be carried out with the provision of monitoring of the pitch level in the coking chamber.
1145. Work on the servicing and repair of the pitch-coke ovens and the pitch loading areas, and on the cleaning of the containers from pitch, pitch tar and distillate, shall be carried out under a permit to work for work in gas-hazardous locations.
1146. The places of permanent servicing of the USTK shall be equipped with means of operational two-way communication.
1147. In the event of stoppage or failure of the ventilation of the room of the discharge devices, the output of the USTK shall be reduced. In this case, the operating personnel shall be evacuated from the room of the discharge devices and the conveyor galleries. Repair work in this case shall be carried out under a permit to work as gas-hazardous work.
1148. The oxygen content in the circulating inert gas shall be monitored continuously by an automatic gas analyser. When the oxygen content in the circulating gas is more than 1 per cent, the tightness of the gas path in the vacuum zone shall be checked immediately and air in-leakage shall be eliminated. The operation of the USTK when the oxygen content in the circulating gas is more than 1 per cent shall not be permitted.
1149. The shutdown of the USTK with discharge of coke and cooling of the chambers, and also the subsequent heating up and start-up of the USTK, shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction.
1150. Owing to the toxicity of the circulating gas during operation, with continuous operation of the charging and discharge devices, the following shall not be permitted: to open them and to re-seal them; to carry out inspection and repairs of the coke and dust discharge devices, to work and to be in the vicinity of the discharge devices when the ventilation is switched off.
1151. To prevent the formation of an explosive composition of the circulating gas, nitrogen or steam, the oxygen content of which shall not exceed 3.5 per cent, shall be supplied into it. To reduce the content of combustible components in the circulating gas and to preclude the formation of an explosive atmosphere in the gas ducts during emergency shutdowns, afterburning of the gases in the annular channel at the outlet from the chamber is permitted.
1152. The analysis of the composition of the circulating gas for the content of CO, H2, O2, CH4 shall be carried out continuously by means of automatic gas analysers. In the event of emergency failure of the gas analysers, the analysis of the gas shall be carried out not less than twice per shift.
1153. When the hydrogen content in the circulating gas exceeds 8 per cent, the tightness of the steam-water path shall be checked and the detected faults shall be eliminated. The operation of the boiler units of the USTK when the hydrogen content in the circulating gas is above 8 per cent shall not be permitted.
1154. In the event of escape and ignition of gas at the discharge device, the charging and discharging shall be stopped, the load of the smoke exhauster shall be reduced until the ejection of gas ceases, and the cause of the ejections shall be eliminated.
1155. When a leak is detected in the boiler, when the content of hydrogen and methane increases to the maximum permissible values established by the instruction, and also when there is a breach of tightness or a breakdown requiring shutdown of the chamber, nitrogen shall be supplied into the suction box of the smoke exhauster and into the quenching chamber through the boxes of the discharge device, with a continuous reduction of the circulation.
1156. On the rail joints of the entry railway tracks on which the loading and unloading of explosive liquid chemical products are carried out, electrical insulating fishplates shall be installed on both sides of the loading point. The second electrical insulating fishplates are installed at a distance exceeding the length of the train consisting of the locomotive, the cover platform and the railway tank car. The monitoring of the absence of electric potential beyond the second electrically insulated joint shall be carried out, during the operation of the tracks, twice a year, and also after the installation or each repair of the track. On the territory of the chemical shops, safety signs shall be installed at the entry points.
1157. The operating personnel shall carry out a visual inspection of the operating equipment and pipelines every shift. The check of the equipment and pipelines for tightness shall be carried out according to a schedule. Monitoring shall be carried out over the disconnected apparatus, reservoirs, pipelines and gas pipelines. The procedure for their disconnection and withdrawal from operation, and the provision of supervision, shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction.
1158. The discharge of acid and alkali from the railway tank cars and their transfer to the storages and pressure tanks shall be carried out by means of transfer pumps without creating excess pressure in the tank cars.
1159. The performance of any work directly on the containers during the pumping of highly flammable and toxic products shall not be permitted. The operating personnel may be present on the railway tank cars during their loading and unloading only for checking the product level in the tank cars.
1160. On the apparatus and pipelines for acid solutions, acid-resistant materials shall be used as gasket material.
1161. During the loading (unloading) of the tank cars with highly flammable and explosive products (crude benzene, benzene rectification products and others), all the stationary loading and unloading devices, and also the discharge pipe and the tank car, shall be earthed. The supply of products in a free-falling stream shall not be permitted. The tip of the discharge device shall be made of non-ferrous metal and shall terminate with an oblique cut.
1162. The inlet of the pipelines for supplying highly flammable liquids into the containers shall be located below the level of the discharge pipeline. The pipelines for filling and emptying the containers with highly flammable liquids shall be laid on special supports and secured.
1163. The transport and mixing of crude benzene, rectification products, pyridine bases and other highly flammable products by means of compressed air shall not be permitted.
1164. The procedure for the operation of the technical devices shall comply with the requirements of the process instruction.
1165. All process apparatus shall be numbered. The numbers shall correspond to the numbers of the apparatus in the process flow diagram.
1166. The filling level of the process apparatus and vessels shall be monitored. The operating interlock system shall prevent the ingress of liquid products into the apparatus upon reaching the maximum permissible level.
1167. The processing of products and the use of reagents with unstudied physico-chemical properties shall not be permitted.
1168. The machine room of the chemical products recovery shops shall have, in addition to the factory-wide communication, direct telephone communication with the coke shop, the gas booster station (the gas consumer shop) and the production dispatcher.
1169. The operating personnel of the machine room shall notify the production dispatcher, the shift supervisors of the coke shop, of the steam boiler house and of the gas booster station of the gas consumer shop of the start-up and shutdown of the coke oven gas blower.
1170. The start-up of the coke oven gas blower after a complete shutdown of the machine room shall be carried out when the coke shop is ready for the start-up of the blowers and the recovery shop is ready to receive the gas, after the blowers have been warmed up with steam and purged with gas in accordance with the process instruction approved by the technical manager of the organisation. Exceeding the maximum number of revolutions of the blowers determined by the process instruction shall not be permitted.
1171. The drainage of condensate (tar, flushing liquor) through the condensate traps from the blowers and the adjacent sections of the gas pipelines shall be continuous, without breaking the stream, and shall be monitored by the operational personnel during the working shift.
1172. The operation of the steam turbine with an unadjusted safety trip device controlling the maximum permissible number of revolutions of the turbine shall not be permitted.
1173. In the event of gas breakthrough into the room or to the outside through leaks in the gas pipelines and apparatus, the gas pressure shall be reduced by decreasing the extraction, and, where possible, the sections with impaired tightness shall be disconnected. At the same time, the emergency exhaust ventilation shall be switched on and the natural ventilation of the room shall be enhanced, and measures shall be taken to eliminate the impairments of the tightness of the gas pipeline or apparatus.
1174. The oxygen content in the coke oven gas shall not be more than 1 per cent. When the oxygen content in the gas increases, measures shall be taken to identify and eliminate the causes of the air in-leakage into the gas system. The monitoring of the oxygen content in the coke oven gas shall be automatic and shall have light and sound signalling of the exceedance of the oxygen content. Opening more than one plug on the suction gas pipeline for taking a gas sample for a control analysis shall not be permitted.
1175. The operation of the electrostatic precipitators for cleaning the coke oven gas shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction.
1176. The use of compressed air for supplying acid into the saturators or for discharging the solution from the saturators shall not be permitted.
1177. The use of flushing liquor for washing the salt in the centrifuges and for washing the bath of the saturator shall not be permitted.
1178. The release of mother liquor into the pits under the saturators shall not be permitted.
1179. During the operation of the saturators, the return of the solution to each saturator shall be ensured in the same quantity as the solution is taken from the saturators by the pumps.
1180. The pipes from the sight glasses and dissociators in the sections of concentrated ammonia liquor shall be steamed not less than once per shift.
1181. Keeping the measuring tanks and product storages open in the recovery shops shall not be permitted. Work on the apparatus with defective glasses in the sight glasses or with a clogged air line of the condensers and traps, and also when gases and vapours escape from the apparatus and pipelines through leaks that have formed, shall not be permitted.
1182. The shutdown of the dephenolising scrubber for repair shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction.
1183. During the operation of the dephenolising scrubber, the following shall not be permitted: switching on the fan with the throttle valve open; supplying cold water or cold phenolates into the operating scrubber, to avoid creating a vacuum in it; closing the cock on the hydraulic seal of the scrubber.
1184. During shutdowns for repair of the benzene scrubbers with metal packing, the process instruction shall be followed.
1185. The monitoring of the flow rate of the coke oven gas shall be carried out for each stage of the scrubbers.
1186. Not less than once per shift, the drains from the apparatus and gas pipelines into the hydraulic seals and condensate traps shall be checked, and the drain lines into the hydraulic seals and from them shall be steamed.
1187. The start-up and shutdown of the technical devices of the chemical products recovery shops shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction.
1188. The gas blower operator shall be notified of the switching-on or switching-off of the gas apparatus, and an entry to this effect shall be made in the process log of the operation of the blowers.
1189. The ignition of the burners in the tube furnaces shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction providing for a check of the tightness of the gas fittings, the ventilation (purging) of the fireboxes and the taking of an air sample from the combustion space for the content of combustible substances in it. If combustible substances are present in the sample, the ignition of the burners shall not be permitted until they are completely removed. The ignition of the burners shall be carried out in the presence of the shift supervisor.
1190. When a leak is detected in the tubes of the oil coils of the tube furnace, the supply of coke oven gas shall be stopped immediately and steam shall be supplied into the firebox of the furnace, and also the supply of absorption oil into the coils shall be stopped. The coils shall be drained, and steam is supplied into them.
1191. In the event of cessation of the supply of absorption oil into the tube furnace, the supply of coke oven gas into the firebox shall be automatically stopped.
1192. During the shutdown of the tar distillation still or the tube furnace for repair, shut-off blanks shall be installed on the gas pipelines supplying gas to the burners.
1193. The steaming of the product and material pipelines shall be carried out before and after pumping.
1194. Before supplying steam for the steaming of the pipelines and apparatus, the steam line shall be purged to remove the steam condensate from it.
1195. The supply of steam for the steaming of the apparatus and pipelines shall be carried out with slow opening of the shut-off fittings. Before the steaming of the apparatus and containers, the pipelines shall be checked for their throughput and the absence of possible deposits of process products.
1196. On pipelines under pressure, the performance of work that may lead to a breach of their tightness shall not be permitted.
1197. During the operation of the drum crystalliser (cooler), bringing the knife that cuts off the crystals close to the drum shall not be permitted.
1198. The naphthalene bunkers, chutes and conveyors shall be cleaned with a tool that does not produce sparks.
1199. Putting the vacuum filters into operation when the bath is filled with the naphthalene fraction shall not be permitted.
1200. The discharge of pitch from the stills and pitch quenchers in the absence of gravity flow shall be carried out under steam pressure or by means of a pump-out pump. The use of compressed air for this purpose shall not be permitted.
1201. During the start-up of the continuous tar distillation unit, discharging the product into the start-up reservoir when there is water in it shall not be permitted.
1202. The release of pitch from the still shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction, with serviceable safety valves, shut-off cocks on the still and pressure gauges, clean pitch pipelines, serviceable shut-off cocks in the required position on the pitch lines, the availability of free space in the pitch quenchers and the absence of water in them.
1203. The charging of pitch into the pressure tanks and mixers for preparing varnish and prepared tar when there is water and oil in them shall not be permitted.
1204. The fireboxes of the stills and tube furnaces shall be ventilated before igniting the gas in accordance with the process instruction. A steam supply for fire-fighting shall be provided to the chambers of the return bends, the stills and the fireboxes of the tube furnaces.
1205. The loading of pitch into the tank car and its unloading from the tank cars shall be carried out at the discharge and filling points. The filling points shall be equipped with signalling devices for the limit filling level of the tank cars. The discharge points shall be equipped with means for heating the tank car. The product level in the tank car may be measured with a wooden rule not less than 3 m long.
1206. Before filling or discharging, the tank car shall be secured with brake shoes or the parking brake; the tank car and the filling (discharge) device shall be earthed.
1207. The operation, repair, preparation for discharge (filling), and also the servicing during the discharge (filling) of the tank cars for molten pitch, shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction.
1208. The use of compressed air for transporting naphthalene, and also the purging of the naphthalene pipelines, shall not be permitted.
1209. The wheels of the trolleys used in the naphthalene shops shall be made of a material that does not produce sparks.
1210. The loading of pressed naphthalene into railway wagons shall be mechanised.
1211. To protect against static electricity, during the loading of liquid naphthalene into railway and road tank cars, the body of the tank car, the loading pipeline and the removable loading branch pipe shall be earthed. The transport of liquid naphthalene shall be carried out by special transport.
1212. Benzene-containing process products shall be stored in sealed steel reservoirs connected to the gas recovery system, which shall be regularly checked and steamed. The results of the check shall be entered in the shop log of inspection and repair of the apparatus and equipment.
1213. Entering the enclosed store of crude benzene and its processing products and performing any work in it is permitted only under the supervision of a gas rescuer. The doors of the enclosed stores of crude benzene and its processing products, and also the gates in the fences of the open stores, shall be locked.
1214. The wheels of the vehicles used in the crude benzene rectification shops shall be made of a material that does not produce sparks.
1215. To protect against static electricity, during the loading of benzene products, the filling device and the receptacles shall be earthed. In addition, the rails of the railway tracks at the loading and unloading points, and also the stationary unloading and loading platforms, shall be earthed. When loading the tank cars with benzene products, the air displaced from them shall, before being released into the atmosphere, be cleaned or pass through a pipeline into the container from which the loading is carried out.
1216. The loading and unloading of benzene products shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction.
1217. Sampling and measurement of the liquid level in the vacuum stills shall be carried out under vacuum.
1218. Putting the tar pouring and cooling conveyors into operation when the ventilation is not operating shall not be permitted.
1219. When packing indene-coumarone and styrene-indene resins into bags, workers shall use PPE conforming to the standards.
1220. The operating personnel shall be present in the shop premises only when the ventilation system is operating, ensuring that the content of harmful substances in the air of the working area does not exceed the design values.
1221. The places for washing the receptacles and for pouring pyridine and quinoline products shall be equipped with devices that prevent the release of harmful substances into the working area. If the concentration of harmful substances in the working area increases above the permissible norm, the work shall be carried out by not fewer than two workers wearing isolating apparatus under the supervision of a gas rescuer.
1222. The receptacle filled with pyridine product shall be connected to the duct of the local exhaust. The limit fill value of the receptacle is not more than 90 per cent.
1223. During the storage, transport, loading and unloading of the vessels (drums) filled with pyridine and quinoline products, they shall be protected against direct sunlight and local heating, and their dropping, impacts and damage shall not be permitted. The drums shall bear the markings: "Poisonous" and "Flammable".
1224. In the event of accidental spillage of pyridine and quinoline products, the cause of the spillage shall be eliminated immediately and the products shall be cleaned up. The clean-up shall be carried out with mandatory use of isolating apparatus. This work shall be carried out under the supervision of gas rescuers. Before the start of the clean-up, the pyridine bases shall be neutralised (bound into pyridine sulphate) with a 15 - 20 per cent solution of sulphuric acid. On completion of the clean-up, the spillage site shall be washed with an abundant stream of water. Throughout the entire clean-up, the room shall be ventilated (aired).
1225. The process apparatus, vessels and communications for pyridine products shall be made of corrosion-resistant materials.
1226. The operation and technical maintenance of the process equipment for the production of alumina from natural raw materials shall comply with the requirements of the operating instruction for the process equipment of alumina production.
1227. Repealed from 1 September 2025. - Order of the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service (Rostechnadzor) No. 5 of 14 January 2025.
1228. The drive mechanism for rotating the sintering and calcining furnaces shall be equipped with a standby motor with an independent power source.
1229. Automatic gas analysers shall be installed on the waste gas ducts of the sintering and calcining furnaces to monitor the carbon monoxide content in them.
1230. The process of dehydration of carnallite in rotary furnaces and fluidised-bed furnaces (hereinafter - KS) shall be carried out under vacuum in accordance with the process instruction. 1230(1). The stoking of the material in the KS furnaces is carried out at a vacuum in the furnace that prevents the ejection of flame, gases and material into the working area through open hatches. (paragraph 1230(1) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025) 1230(2). The opening of the hatches on the fireboxes and gas distribution chambers during the operation of the KS furnaces shall not be permitted. (paragraph 1230(2) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025)
1231. The metal casings of the furnaces and mixers shall be electrically insulated from the current-carrying parts, from the foundation and from the service working platforms. The insulation resistance of the casing shall be monitored by continuously operating signalling-type devices and shall be not less than 0.5 kOhm. 1231(1). The switches on the local control panels and the central control board shall be equipped with light signalling. (paragraph 1231(1) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025)
1232. The metal pipelines and the exhaust gas ducts for production and sanitary-technical gases at the boundaries of the working platforms of the stationary continuous carnallite electric furnaces (hereinafter - SKN) and the chlorinators, and also the anode chlorine gas pipelines, shall have electrical insulation inserts. 1232(1). The control of the SKN furnaces and the chlorinators shall be carried out from the central control board, and the control of the hydraulic system of the mixers of the SKN furnaces - from a control panel located directly on the working platform within sight of the tap holes of the mixers. (paragraph 1232(1) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025) 1232(2). When the transformers of the electric furnaces are switched off by the automatic protection of the networks, re-switching-on shall be carried out only from the control panel after the causes of this switching-off have been identified and eliminated. (paragraph 1232(2) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025)
1233. The busbars of the chlorinators in their service zones shall be guarded against accidental contact. 1233(1). The flexible busbar packs connecting the electrodes to the rigid busbar shall not touch the casing, the working platforms or the building structures when the mixer of the SKN furnace is rotated throughout the entire sector of rotation. (paragraph 1233(1) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025) 1233(2). Before discharging the melt and sediment from the mixer of the SKN furnace, and the sediment through the lower tap holes of the chlorinator, the voltage shall be removed from the electrodes. (paragraph 1233(2) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025)
1234. When performing work on the mixers, furnaces and chlorinators using lifting mechanisms, and during the pouring and mixing of the melt and the removal of sludge, the voltage shall be removed from the electrodes. 1234(1). Each chlorinator shall be equipped with signalling that operates when the chlorine pressure in the supply chlorine lines falls below the value established by the process instruction. (paragraph 1234(1) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025) 1234(2). The presence of people under the mixer of the SKN furnace and between it and the SKN furnace during the discharge of the melt from the mixer shall not be permitted. (paragraph 1234(2) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025)
1235. The drums for pouring fluxes shall first be cleaned of debris and foreign objects and dried. 1235(1). The place for pouring fluxes shall be equipped with a gas exhaust system. (paragraph 1235(1) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025) 1235(2). Transport of the filled drums with flux is permitted after the melt has completely solidified. (paragraph 1235(2) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025) 1235(3). The ladles for transporting molten carnallite along open corridors and passageways shall be equipped with closing lids. The transport of melt in boxes shall not be permitted. (paragraph 1235(3) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025)
1236. The use of rubber hoses for transporting liquid pitches shall not be permitted.
1237. The temperature of the pitch during its transport through the pipelines shall not exceed 80 per cent of the self-ignition temperature.
1238. The thermal tank cars, discharge pipes, pitch receivers and pipelines for pumping pitch shall be earthed.
1239. The use of compressed air for forcing out liquid pitch shall not be permitted. The lids and hatches of the thermal tank cars, after the discharge of pitch, shall be closed not earlier than 1 hour after they have been completely emptied.
1240. The use of open flame and smoking shall not be permitted in pitch warehouses and in the zones of its discharge from thermal tank cars.
1241. Aspiration enclosures and exhaust air ducts shall be cleaned periodically, in accordance with a schedule, of tarry deposits and coal dust.
1242. The design of transoms, sashes and roof lanterns of electrolysis buildings shall prevent the ingress of atmospheric precipitation. The transom control mechanisms shall be operable and covered with electrical insulating material. Water leaks into the buildings shall be eliminated.
1243. The casings of electric motors installed on electrolysers shall be connected by earthing conductors to the metal structures on which they are installed. The cabinets of the starting equipment of the electric motors shall be insulated from the building structures of the buildings and from the floor.
1244. The electrical insulation system of the equipment of structural elements and utility lines in electrolysis buildings shall preclude the possibility of an "earth" potential arising in the servicing zone of the electrolysers and busbars. If an "earth" potential arises in the servicing zone, measures shall be taken to restore the electrical insulation.
1245. Flexible hoses for supplying compressed air to workplaces shall not have metal reinforcement. Metal-reinforced hoses may be used for the arrangement of vacuum lines, in which case electrical insulating breaks shall be provided.
1246. The crane runways in electrolysis buildings shall be earthed. The resistance of the earthing devices shall not exceed 4 Ohm. The hook suspension of an overhead crane in an electrolysis building shall have at least three stages of electrical insulation from the earthed structures. For new cranes and cranes that have come out of capital repair, the resistance of each insulation stage, measured with a megohmmeter at a voltage of 1000 V, shall be at least 10 MOhm; its reduction during operation down to 1.5 MOhm is permitted. Checking of the insulation resistance of the hooks of overhead cranes and of the rods of the gripping mechanism of pin cranes, as well as of the gripper of the mechanism for repositioning baked anodes and of the cabin column on integrated anode cranes with a low-set cabin, shall be carried out every shift, and of other parts of the cranes - at least once a month.
1247. The casings of electrolysers and in-shop busbars shall be electrically insulated from earth and from building structures by at least two stages of insulation.
1248. The resistance of each electrical insulation stage of electrolysis installations (electrolysers, busbars, shut-off valves, pipelines, working platforms and other metal parts) shall be at least 500 Ohm per volt of the maximum voltage of the process current, measured at the output of the converter substation.
1249. The ladder or device for the emergency evacuation of the crane operator directly from the cabin of the overhead crane to the floor of the electrolysis building, bypassing the landing platform, shall be insulated.
1250. Electrolysis and casting buildings, auxiliary section blocks and amenity premises shall be connected by covered corridors and galleries for the transport of materials and melts and for the movement of people along established routes. 1250(1). Tools, fixtures, the submersible parts of centrifugal pumps, the intake device of vacuum ladles, siphons and other equipment for working with melts shall be dried and preheated. (paragraph 1250(1) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025) 1250(2). Vacuum ladles, crucibles, boxes, crystallisers, ingot moulds and other vessels for the melt shall be cleaned of debris before the melt is poured into them. The intake device of a vacuum ladle shall be dry before being lowered into the melt. (paragraph 1250(2) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025) 1250(3). The component parts of production equipment, including pipelines, hoses and electric cables, shall be protected against the possible ingress of melt onto them. (paragraph 1250(3) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025) 1250(4). During the design and construction of electrolysis buildings, electrical insulation of their internal walls to a height of at least 3 m and of columns to a height of at least 3.5 m from the level of the working platforms, foundations and supporting structures of the electrolysers, underground ducts and inter-floor ceilings shall be provided. The insulation resistance shall be at least 0.5 MOhm. (paragraph 1250(4) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025) 1250(5). The metal covers of the hatches of underground gas flues and the floor ventilation gratings in electrolysis buildings shall be installed on an electrical insulating base. (paragraph 1250(5) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025) 1250(6). Electrical distribution devices of power and lighting networks with a solidly earthed neutral in electrolysis buildings shall be located no closer than 6 m from unguarded busbars and parts of electrolysers that are under direct-current voltage. The power supply of alternating-current electrical equipment operating in electrolysis buildings (with the exception of overhead cranes and lighting networks located higher than 3 m above the servicing platforms of the electrolysers) and located closer than 6 m to the direct-current busbars and the projecting parts of the electrolysers shall be provided through isolating transformers. The earthing of this equipment shall not be permitted. Distribution devices for electric welding networks and for the drying of electrolysers, connected through isolating transformers, may be located in a zone no closer than 1 m from the busbar parts of the electrolysers. (paragraph 1250(6) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025) 1250(7). Metal pipelines, protective pipes and boxes shall have electrical insulating inserts at the entry to and exit from the building, at the points where the networks branch off to the electrolysers and where they connect to the electrolysers. Metal pipelines laid along electrolysis buildings at a height of less than 3.5 m shall have electrical insulating inserts every four electrolysers, and those laid vertically or across the electrolysis series - every 3 m. The design of the insulating inserts is determined by the design documentation. (paragraph 1250(7) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025) 1250(8). Metal pipelines, protective pipes, boxes and armoured cables located at a height of less than 3.5 m shall have two stages of electrical insulation from the building structures of the electrolysis building. (paragraph 1250(8) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025) 1250(9). The risers of the busbars at the exit from and entry to electrolysis buildings shall be guarded to a height of at least 3.5 m from the level of the servicing platforms of the electrolysers. Busbars located within 2.5 m of the zone of the landing platforms of overhead cranes shall be guarded. The guards shall be made of non-electrically-conductive materials or shall be electrically insulated from the busbars. (paragraph 1250(9) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025) 1250(10). The requirements for the liquid used for cooling the elements of the electrolysers shall be reflected in the instructions. (paragraph 1250(10) introduced by Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025)
1251. In electrolysis buildings, periodic monitoring of the content of hydrogen fluoride in the air of the working zone shall be carried out.
1252. If the concentration of hydrogen fluoride exceeds the maximum permissible level, actions shall be applied to reduce the concentration and to protect personnel from the effects of hydrogen fluoride.
1253. The covers of the openings between electrolysers in the ceiling of the second floor, as well as the coverings of the openings of electrolysers undergoing reconstruction, shall be electrically insulated from the casings of the neighbouring electrolysers.
1254. The electrical insulation system in electrolysis buildings shall preclude the presence of an "earth" potential in the repair zones of floor rail machines and in the places where they are loaded with raw materials, up to the level of the crane girders.
1255. The insulation resistance of devices and structural elements shall be at least the values specified in the design developed for the given production.
1256. The rails of floor machines for servicing electrolysers shall have electrical insulating inserts between electrolysers adjacent in a row. The rail sections in the electrolysis zone shall have the potential of the cathode casing, and in the sections of the repair zones - the potential of the cathode of the electrolyser at the end of the row. The insulation resistance of the inserts shall be at least 0.5 MOhm.
1257. The insulation resistance of the elements of floor rail machines shall be at least the values specified in the design developed for the given production.
1258. Checking of the electrical insulation resistance of the busbar assembly and structures of the electrolyser relative to "earth" shall be carried out after installation and capital repair.
1259. The condition of the electrical insulation of equipment shall be checked at least once a month. Detected insulation defects shall be eliminated immediately.
1260. Before carrying out the operation of repositioning the pins on electrolysers with an upper current lead to a self-baking anode, signs prohibiting entry into the hazardous zone shall be posted, or a light projection of a stop sign shall be installed.
1261. When extracting and lifting a pin from the anode socket, during the first two minutes from the start of the lifting, the presence of people on the anode, on the anode platform and at a distance closer than 6 m from the anode shall not be permitted.
1262. During the elimination of the anode effect on an electrolyser, other work on it shall not be permitted.
1263. Entrances to the general-shop administrative premises from electrolysis buildings shall be arranged through vestibules that prevent the ingress of harmful gases into the administrative premises.
1264. When water is used for cooling the elements of electrolysers, the possibility of its ingress into the electrolyser shall be precluded.
1265. Checking of the electrical resistance of the pipelines supplying water for cooling the elements of electrolysers and of those draining it shall be carried out at least once a month.
1266. The electrical insulation resistance of the assemblies and parts specified in the manufacturer's documentation shall be subject to mandatory checking. The results of the measurements of the electrical insulation resistances shall be recorded in a special log. The insulation resistance of the parts of the electrolysis installation and of the structural elements of the electrolysis building shall be at least the values specified in the design.
1267. The frequency of checking of equipment, portable transformers and their parts, direct-current busbars and building structures is established by the design.
1268. Metal tools used in electrolysis buildings shall be made of non-magnetic metal.
1269. Before pouring the melt, extracting metal and removing electrolyte, light and sound signals shall be given to the basement of the electrolyser being serviced. The presence of people in the basement, in the zone of the electrolyser being serviced, shall not be permitted.
1270. The procedure for starting and stopping electrolysers, the checking of the tightness of the devices for transporting anode gas and the removal of salt sublimates from the chlorine lines shall be carried out in accordance with the instructions for starting and stopping the units (technical devices).
1271. The connection and disconnection of electrolysers to the common busbar without removing the electrical load on the series shall not be permitted.
1272. Ceramic chlorine lines shall be cleaned of salt sublimates in accordance with the requirements of the production instructions.
1273. When cleaning the chlorine lines and the gas flues of the local exhaust on an operating electrolyser, no more than one cleaning hatch shall be opened.
1274. All work on connecting and disconnecting electrolysers for drying and heating by means of dry portable transformers shall be carried out by electrical personnel with the voltage on the transformer removed.
1275. The replacement of electrodes on operating electrolysers shall be carried out in accordance with the process instructions.
1276. In organisations that have shops producing and consuming anode chlorine gas, quality control of the chlorine gas shall be arranged.
1277. In the organisation, persons responsible for the safe arrangement and operation of the inter-shop communications of anode chlorine gas shall be appointed, and in the shops - persons responsible for the safe operation of the equipment, communications and devices on the anode chlorine gas lines.
1278. The operation of electrolysers with insufficient extraction of anode chlorine gas shall be prohibited. The requirements for the working vacuum shall be reflected in the process instructions. The system for the extraction and compression of anode chlorine gas shall have standby equipment provided for by the design.
1279. The metal bodies of refining units (mixers, heating and melting furnaces), as well as refining crucibles, shall be earthed. The earthing of portable metal crucibles shall be carried out with the voltage removed from the heating elements. The operation of this equipment with faulty earthing shall not be permitted. The power supply cables of the mixers and electric furnaces shall be protected against water, melt, thermal radiation and mechanical damage. The cable ducts shall be laid at a distance of at least 1 m from the discharge chutes and the charging and inspection windows of the electric furnaces and mixers. The exposed parts of the current leads shall be guarded.
1280. The places of the overflow of metal from mixers into furnaces shall be guarded.
1281. On electric furnaces with a current voltage above 40 V, the operations of introducing alloy components and additives, stirring the melt, removing slag, extracting sludge, and cleaning the internal cavity of mixers and furnaces with open direct-heating heaters shall be carried out with the voltage removed.
1282. The casting conveyor shall be equipped with emergency "Stop" buttons located at its head and tail sections.
1283. The pouring of metal into the crystalliser of a semi-continuous casting machine shall be performed only after the start of water cooling and in the absence of moisture on the crystalliser pan and the casting table. The starting of the platform travel of a semi-continuous casting machine is permitted only when the level of metal in the crystallisers is the same. The starting of a hydraulic semi-continuous casting machine is permitted only in the absence of oil leakage in the pipelines and its absence in the caisson.
1284. Casting ladles and crucibles for the manual pouring of metal, regardless of their volume, shall be filled with metal up to the level specified in the process instructions. The manual transport of molten metal in ladles (crucibles) shall be carried out along passages of a safe width established by the design.
1285. Checking of the condition of moulds and ingot moulds for the casting of metals shall be carried out every shift. The operation of ingot moulds that have cracks shall not be permitted. The rejection of crucibles, casting moulds and ingot moulds shall be carried out in accordance with the process or production instructions. Crucibles for melting magnesium and magnesium alloys, tools and fixtures for mobile crucibles, after manufacture, shall be accepted in accordance with the procedure established by the administrative documents of the operating organisation.
1286. Magnesium and its alloys shall be stored in separate buildings or premises isolated from the main production, enclosed by continuous non-combustible partitions. The distance from the magnesium warehouse to the room with melting furnaces shall be at least 20 m. The stock of solid magnesium near the melting units shall not exceed the daily requirement. The storage of metallic lithium used for the preparation of alloys with aluminium shall be arranged in accordance with the technical documentation of the manufacturing organisation.
1287. The removal of waste of metallic magnesium and its alloys to a landfill shall not be permitted. The waste shall be disposed of in accordance with the design technology in places specially designated for these purposes.
1288. The extinguishing of ignited light metals and their alloys shall be carried out with the following dry powder materials: flux, potassium chloride electrolyte or dehydrated carnallite. The use of water, foam and carbon dioxide for extinguishing burning metal shall not be permitted.
1289. Finished products in the casting shops of the section shall be stored on areas specially provided for this purpose. The height of the stacks of pigs, ingots and wire bars and the width of the passages between them shall be established by the design. The storage premises for storing finished products shall be dry. In these premises, the use of stove heating and the storage of easily flammable materials and chemically active substances shall not be permitted.
1290. The raw materials for the protective treatment of pigs shall be stored in factory packaging in separate premises or specially allocated places.
1291. The transport of potassium dichromate to the place of preparation of the working solution shall be carried out in closed containers.
1292. The addition of acid to the solution during the regeneration of potassium dichromate by the ion-exchange method shall be carried out in accordance with the process instructions.
1293. Coils of wire rod or strip removed from the winding device shall be placed in places specially designated for cooling. The cooled coils of finished products shall be stacked in stacks, the height of which is specified in the production instructions.
1294. The entire system of the pulverising installation, before the mill is put into operation, shall be preheated to the temperatures specified in the process instructions.
1295. In the premises for the preparation and storage of powdered reducing agents, the use of electric heating appliances of unprotected design and of open flame shall not be permitted.
1296. Extinguishing or removing a smouldering dust seat from equipment with a jet of water, gas or by any other method that causes intensive dust formation shall not be permitted.
1297. The extinguishing of an open smouldering seat shall be carried out with sand. Extinguishing with water is permitted only when it is finely sprayed or atomised.
1298. The cleaning of dust from walls, pipelines and equipment, as well as from floors, platforms, stairwells and other building structures, shall be carried out according to a schedule. During manual cleaning, preliminary wetting of the dust with water by spraying shall be carried out.
1299. The storage of timber shall be carried out in accordance with an approved layout.
1300. The sawing of logs and the production of wood chips shall be carried out in compliance with the safety measures specified in the process instructions.
1301. The live elements at all sections of the furnace shall have a guard that precludes the possibility of the operating personnel touching them. The passages into the guarded places shall have doors interlocked with signalling and voltage-disconnecting devices. The doors shall be equipped with self-locking locks.
1302. The hook of the lifting mechanism for extending electrodes shall have at least two consecutive stages of insulation from "earth" if the work is carried out without removing the voltage. The value of the electrical insulation resistance of each stage shall be at least 0.5 MOhm. The measurements shall be carried out before the start of lifting work by a responsible person of the electrical personnel of the shop, with an entry in the operational log.
1303. Work on the extending of electrodes and on the servicing and repair of the live parts of the short networks shall be carried out from insulated platforms equipped with interphase insulating partitions in accordance with the technical documentation of the electric furnace installation. The value of the resistance of the insulating platforms shall be at least 1 MOhm. In the absence of an insulation system for the hook of the lifting mechanism and of insulating platforms, the work on the extending of electrodes and on the servicing and repair of the short networks shall be carried out with the voltage removed from the electrodes.
1304. The electric burning-through of the tap hole and the servicing of the shunt switches of the electric burning-through device shall be carried out from special electrically insulated stands. The shunts of the electric burning-through device shall be earthed and shall be switched on only for the time of the burning-through of the tap hole. When the electric burning-through device is switched on, the illuminated display board "Melt discharge in progress" shall be switched on automatically.
1305. Silicon ingots shall be stacked stably on a special cooling area. Their transport shall be carried out in boxes (process containers).
1306. The crushing of silicon ingots shall be carried out by a mechanised method on a specially allocated and equipped area. The design of the guards shall preclude the scattering of pieces beyond the boundaries of the area.
1307. The water-cooled elements of metallurgical units, directly before their installation and after repair, shall be subjected to hydraulic tests at a pressure exceeding the working pressure by 1.5 times.
1308. For each water-cooled element, a data sheet shall be drawn up by the manufacturer.
1309. The water supplied for cooling shall be purified of mechanical impurities. The temperature of the water leaving the water-cooled elements shall be below the temperature at which deposits precipitate.
1310. Gas-cleaning installations for capturing chlorine shall be equipped with continuous-action gas analysers for determining the chlorine content in the cleaned gases before their discharge into the atmosphere.
1311. The technological processes for producing powders and fine powders shall be carried out in accordance with the process instructions.
1312. Before switching on a spraying nozzle after it has been switched off for more than 12 hours, the pipeline to the nozzle shall be purged with inert gas until moisture and oil are completely removed from it.
1313. During the operation of a spraying nozzle, the cleaning of the nozzle plate, the flared outlet and the dust settler shall not be permitted.
1314. The cleaning of oil filters of sediment shall be carried out at least once a month; a corresponding entry shall be made in the shift acceptance and handover log.
1315. The condition of the welded seams and the walls of the dust settler shall be checked during the capital repair of the spraying installation, but at least once every two years. The results of the check shall be documented in a report.
1316. Pneumatic-separation grinding installations and polishing drums, during separate polishing, shall be equipped with automatic gas analysers (for determining the oxygen content in the nitrogen-oxygen mixture) with an alarm that is triggered when the limit concentrations are reached, with means for regulating pressure, as well as with instruments for measuring the temperature and pressure of the dust-gas mixture in the installations and drums.
1317. Pneumatic-separation grinding installations and polishing drums, before the start of work, shall be purged with a nitrogen-oxygen mixture with an oxygen content of 2 to 8 per cent (by volume). After purging, the oxygen content in the pneumatic-separation grinding systems and polishing drums shall not exceed 8 per cent (by volume).
1318. On the pipeline supplying the nitrogen-oxygen mixture to the grinding and powder-polishing sections, a gas analyser with a light and sound alarm device shall be installed, the alarm being triggered when the oxygen content in the mixture is more than 8 per cent or less than 2 per cent (by volume).
1319. The bodies of electric furnaces and crucibles shall be earthed.
1320. New crucibles, as well as repaired ones, may be operated only after the results of the inspection have been documented.
1321. Welded crucibles shall be inspected after each melt. If cracks, cavities or destruction of the welded seam are found in the crucibles, and also if the wall thickness is reduced by 25 per cent or more, their operation shall not be permitted.
1322. The accumulation of scale on the internal surface of the shaft of a crucible furnace shall not be permitted.
1323. The processing into powder of rings that have cracks, flux and slag inclusions after casting and rough machining shall not be permitted.
1324. The sampling from the pipelines of the pneumatic-transport system from the milling machines for monitoring the concentration of magnesium powder and dust-air mixture shall be carried out according to a schedule.
1325. Checking of the condition of the air ducts and their cleaning shall be carried out in accordance with a schedule, but at least twice a month.
1326. If a fault is detected in the pneumatic-transport system for magnesium powder, the milling machines shall be stopped.
1327. The oil used in oil filters shall not contain water-soluble acids and alkalis. The ignition temperature of the oil shall be not lower than 150 °C.
1328. The operations of closing the matte and slag tap holes, siphon openings, tapholes and slag windows of melting furnaces shall be mechanised. On stationary-type furnaces, a standby tap hole for the discharge of melt shall be provided and maintained in working condition.
1329. All operations for replacing tap-hole plates and frames and the current repair of the tap-hole brickwork shall be carried out under the supervision of a person appointed, by an order for the shop, as responsible for carrying out this work.
1330. For the removal of crusts from ladles and bowls and for loading them by means of an overhead crane, a special place shall be allocated in the shop. The unloading of hot crusts from ladles onto damp areas shall not be permitted.
1331. The temperature of the furnace brickwork shall be monitored. The locations for installing thermocouples are determined by the design.
1332. Manual measurement of the melt level shall be carried out with the furnace switched off; in this case, the pouring of melt into the furnace and the discharge of the products of melting shall not be permitted.
1333. On the servicing platforms of electric furnaces, light signalling shall be provided to warn the personnel that the unit is under voltage. The light signalling shall be interlocked with the high-voltage switch. Before the furnace is put into operation, a warning sound signal shall be given.
1334. The hook of a crane or other lifting device used for loading electrode paste without switching off the furnace shall have at least two consecutive stages of insulation from the earthing electrode. The value of the insulation resistance shall be at least 0.5 MOhm for each stage. The measurement of the value of the insulation resistance shall be carried out by the electrical personnel of the shop (section) before the start of lifting work, with an entry in the operational log. The value of the insulation resistance shall be at least 0.5 MOhm for each stage. The measurement of the value of the insulation resistance shall be carried out by the electrical personnel of the shop (section) before the start of lifting work, with an entry in the operational log.
1335. When the electric burning-through device is switched on, the light signalling shall be switched on automatically.
1336. The energy-technological units of autogenous smelting complexes with the production of elemental sulphur shall be equipped with seals that preclude air leakage. The frequency and methods of checking the tightness shall be determined by the process instructions.
1337. AAP - furnaces of flash smelting, oxygen-flame smelting, oxygen-flash smelting, and oxygen-flash cyclone smelting with an electrothermal finishing stage (KVTsET) - shall be equipped with systems for the automatic monitoring and regulation of the "charge - oxygen" ratio and for shutting off the blast when the supply of charge ceases, and also when the supply of natural gas, fuel oil or pulverised-coal fuel, fed for the reduction of sulphur dioxide in the process gases, is cut off.
1338. AAP with a water-cooled tuyere shall be equipped with a device for the automatic shutting off of the blast when the supply of water to the tuyere ceases.
1339. PZhV shall be equipped with devices that prevent the entry of melt into the tuyeres when the blast pressure falls below the regulated values.
1340. The manifolds of the oxygen-air mixture supplied into the Vanyukov furnace shall be equipped with explosion valves, as well as with shut-off devices that ensure the automatic shutting off of the supply of natural gas to the furnace tuyeres when methane appears in the manifold. The monitoring of the presence of methane in the manifold shall be carried out by automatic gas analysers.
1341. In the case of the use of plain bearings, the wear of the trunnions of converters in all dimensions shall not exceed 10 per cent of their original dimensions. Checking of the trunnions by the non-destructive testing method shall be carried out upon completion of the installation and capital repair of the converter. The results of the check shall be documented in a report.
1342. For the entire period of the process, overhead cranes and other lifting mechanisms shall be removed from the granulation zone.
1343. The speed of the transport for carrying slag on the discharge tracks, crossings, unguarded level crossings and in the places of shunting of trains shall not exceed 5 km/h.
1344. The discharge of slag without uncoupling the locomotive from the slag-carrier train is permitted if there is a railway buffer platform between the slag carrier and the locomotive.
1345. The working of the dump shall be carried out in accordance with the design, according to the process instructions, which provide for safety measures when performing combined work.
1346. When clearing the mouth of a converter or an anode furnace by means of an overhead crane, special fixtures with safety devices for limiting the load shall be used. The design of the fixtures shall ensure a mechanical connection with the crane hook in the event of destruction of the safety element. The use of the turning mechanism (drive) of the converter or anode furnace for tearing off the accretion from the mouth shall not be permitted.
1347. When loading anode furnaces with recycled materials, lightweight materials shall be loaded first, then anode residues, scrap of electrolytic production, and other materials in accordance with the process instructions.
1348. When working with an electric capstan, the number of trolleys pulled up simultaneously shall be determined by the process instructions.
1349. The procedure for supplying air for the oxidation of the steam-fuel-oil mixture or gas for reduction shall be determined by the process instructions.
1350. During the operation of the casting machine, stepping onto the moving structures and ingot moulds shall not be permitted.
1351. The elimination of leaks in detachable joints shall be carried out after switching off the pumps and emptying the pipelines.
1352. The serviceability of the fittings, instrumentation and safety devices shall be checked periodically in the manner and within the periods provided for by the process instructions.
1353. Opening the covers and removing the plugs from the branch pipes of autoclaves without fully relieving the pressure in the apparatus shall not be permitted.
1354. For the lubrication of equipment directly connected with the operation of the autoclave, lubricants that are resistant and fire-safe in an oxygen-air mixture shall be used.
1355. The operating procedure at autoclave installations shall comply with the process instructions.
1356. The loading, stirring and unloading of material from chamber furnaces, as well as the inspection and repair of the furnaces, shall be carried out with the voltage removed in accordance with the process instructions.
1357. The inspection and cleaning of insulators shall be carried out from platforms and ladders insulated from the floor.
1358. The metal frames of the launders shall be insulated from "earth" and shall have electrical insulation breaks: those arranged along the baths - between every two baths; those arranged across the shop - between every two rows of baths.
1359. The connection and disconnection of electrolysis baths to the busbars, and the replacement of electrodes on regenerative baths, shall be carried out only after the power supply has been switched off. The servicing of regenerative baths shall be carried out using non-electrically-conductive tools.
1360. In electrolysis shops and sections, monitoring of the insulation resistance value of technical devices shall be provided. The monitoring scheme and the frequency of measurements shall be determined by the process instruction.
1361. The electrolysis baths (series) shall be numbered. The numbers of the installed baths shall correspond to the sequential numbers of the baths on the equipment layout diagram (plan).
1362. The bodies of the baths shall be waterproofed. The operation of baths with damaged waterproofing shall not be permitted.
1363. The preparation of solutions of cyanide compounds (salts) used for the galvanic-resistant coating of foil shall be carried out in separate rooms by specially trained personnel.
1364. In shops and areas where the release of hydrocyanic acid vapours is possible, automatic gas analysers shall be installed, interlocked with an audible signal notifying of an exceedance of the maximum permissible concentration of the specified vapours in the air of the working area.
1365. The layout of the process chain of the apparatus for applying the galvanic-resistant coating, and their design and arrangement, shall preclude the mixing of solutions of cyanide compounds with acidic solutions.
1366. The washing of filter cloth contaminated with acidic, cyanide and chromium solutions shall be carried out separately by a mechanised method. The washing rooms shall be equipped with exhaust ventilation.
1367. Containers and vessels for the transport of cyanides and hexavalent chromium compounds shall, after emptying, be treated with neutralising solutions.
1368. In the event of an emergency shutdown of the circulation pumps, the power supply to the baths shall be switched off.
1369. The equipment for drying, screening, transfer and packing of nickel, copper and cobalt powders, and the aspiration systems, shall be protected against static electricity.
1370. When the hydrogen content in the air of production premises exceeds 1 per cent (by volume) (25 per cent of the lower explosive limit), the process equipment operating in that premises shall be stopped.
1371. The hydrogen pressure at the inlet to the furnace (autoclave) shall be maintained within the limits established by the process instruction. In the hydrogen supply system to the furnace (autoclave), an automatically closing valve shall be provided, interlocked with an audible signal warning of a pressure drop. The design of the electric furnace shall preclude contact of the heating elements with the autoclave.
1372. Before start-up and after shutdown, the furnace, autoclave, pipelines, hydrogen afterburning candles and other devices shall be purged with nitrogen or wet steam. The completion of the purge shall be determined by analysis of the composition of the purge gas. Hydrogen shall be absent from the purge gas after shutdown, and the oxygen content in the purge gas before start-up shall not exceed 4 per cent (by volume).
1373. Technical devices of the hydrometallurgical production and pipelines that are not used in the process shall be dismantled or disconnected from the operating system by a visible break. Blanking plugs shall be installed at the ends of the pipelines.
1374. The admission of hydrogen into the units is carried out after a control analysis. The hydrogen concentration shall be not less than 95 per cent (by volume).
1375. Process apparatus operating under a hydrogen pressure below 0.07 MPa (0.7 kgf/cm2), after a major overhaul and newly installed, before being put into operation shall be subjected to a tightness test at a pressure of 1.25 Prab, but not more than 0.1 MPa (1 kgf/cm2).
1376. The reaction furnaces for the reduction of nickel oxide and the gas ducts shall be provided with explosion safety devices.
1377. The carbonyl production shall be equipped with automatic gas analyser-alarms monitoring the content of nickel tetracarbonyl vapours and carbon monoxide in the air of the production premises.
1378. In the production of nickel powder by the carbonyl method, technical devices and pipelines, before toxic and explosive substances are fed into them, shall be purged with nitrogen to remove oxygen. The completion of the purge shall be determined by analysis of the purge gas for the oxygen content, which shall be not more than 0.4 per cent (by volume).
1379. The rooms for drying, calcining and reduction of powder in a hydrogen atmosphere (reducing agent) shall be equipped with automatic gas analysers for monitoring the hydrogen content in the atmosphere of the rooms. The gas analysers shall be interlocked with emergency exhaust ventilation and alarm.
1380. After tightness tests with nitrogen have been carried out, the technical devices and pipelines, before being put into operation, shall be filled with carbon monoxide. After filling, a control check of the tightness of the joints shall be carried out using carbon monoxide indicator tubes at the working pressure.
1381. Work with liquid nickel tetracarbonyl shall be performed in accordance with the process instruction, using personal protective equipment.
1382. The draining of nickel tetracarbonyl shall be carried out into special vessels only under a layer of water. The transport of nickel tetracarbonyl and of production wastes containing nickel tetracarbonyl for neutralisation (destruction) shall be carried out in special, hermetically sealed vessels.
1383. The accumulation of metal dust on live parts shall not be permitted.
1384. The extinguishing of smouldering seats of dust inside technical devices, and the extinguishing of open smouldering seats of dust, shall be performed in accordance with the process instruction by means that do not cause the raising of dust.
1385. For extinguishing smouldering dust and suppressing dust combustion in the bunkers, a supply of nitrogen or saturated steam shall be provided. Nitrogen or saturated steam shall be fed into the upper part of the bunker to avoid swirling of the dust in it.
1386. In the event of an emergency shutdown of the chlorine-capturing unit, all processes associated with the release of chlorine shall be stopped in accordance with the process instruction.
1387. The placement of tanks with fuel oil above furnaces, boilers and other technical devices with an elevated surface temperature shall not be permitted.
1388. Waste-heat boilers shall be equipped with means for the mechanised cleaning of the heat-exchange surface.
1389. The separator drum shall be equipped with safety valves, alarms for the limit levels of water and of its pressure, a periodic blowdown line, a steam and water sampler and other devices in accordance with the design.
1390. The loading and unloading of baths shall be carried out after the shunts have been installed. The shunts may be removed only after the completion of loading, verification of the correct arrangement of the electrodes and filling of the bath with electrolyte.
1391. In the event of an emergency shutdown of the circulation pumps, the power supply to the baths shall be switched off.
1392. The transfer points for crushed nickel, copper and cobalt powder shall be equipped with aspiration units. 1393 - 1395. Repealed as of 1 September 2025. - Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025.
1396. The hydrogen pressure at the inlet to the furnace (autoclave) shall be maintained within the limits established by the process instruction. In the hydrogen supply system to the furnace (autoclave), an automatically closing valve shall be provided, interlocked with an audible signal warning of a pressure drop. The design of the electric furnace shall preclude contact of the heating elements with the autoclave.
1397. During the installation and removal of the autoclave from the electric furnace, the furnace shall be switched off.
1398. Repealed as of 1 September 2025. - Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025.
1399. Work in gas-hazardous places, for example, during the depressurisation of technical devices or communications, shall be carried out by a work team of not less than two persons.
1400. The power supply to the baths shall be switched off in the event of an emergency shutdown of the circulation pumps.
1401. The technical devices for drying, screening, transfer and packing of nickel, copper and cobalt powders, and the aspiration systems, shall be protected against static electricity.
1402. Shaft furnaces shall be equipped with pits or special platforms ensuring the reception of the melt in the event of possible accidents. The melt reception places shall be dry.
1403. The design and the magnitude of the slope of the launders for tapping the melting products shall preclude the overflow of the melt over the sides.
1404. Repealed as of 1 September 2025. - Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025.
1405. The throat platform of shaft furnaces shall have not less than two exits.
1406. The temperature of the furnace lining shall be monitored. The locations for installing the thermocouples are determined by the design.
1407. Manual measurement of the melt level shall be carried out with the furnace switched off, and at that time the discharge of the melting products shall not be permitted.
1408. In shops where evaporative cooling systems are installed, persons responsible for their safe operation and serviceable condition shall be appointed by an order of the enterprise.
1409. Before pouring the melt into the converter, a warning signal shall be given, and in all passages into the hazardous zone the illuminated sign "Melt pouring" shall be switched on.
1410. The converter shall be equipped with a light and sound alarm system ensuring the automatic issuance of a warning signal about the turning of the converter to pouring or blowing.
1411. The platform of the converter-tuyere operator shall have not less than two exits located on opposite sides. Above the platform of the converter-tuyere operator, a protective guard shall be provided to protect the worker from falling solid particles and from splashes of the melt from the mouth and the hood of the converter.
1412. The converter turning drive shall have not less than two motors. The motors shall be powered from independent sources.
1413. In the event of a cessation of the power supply to one of the turning motors, or burn-through of the tuyeres or the shell of the converter, the converter shall be immediately moved to the non-operating position and measures shall be taken to eliminate the faults.
1414. The drive of the horizontal converter shall be equipped with an automatic turning system that operates when the blast pressure drops below the regulated value and is accompanied by an audible signal.
1415. Inspection hatches and manholes on the covers of the apparatus shall be provided with gratings or tightly closing covers.
1416. Process apparatus for treating solutions at atmospheric pressure shall be equipped with overflow pipes connected to reserve vessels, or provided with signalling devices warning of overfilling of the apparatus.
1417. The operation of apparatus with open hatches, and the performance of repair and preventive work on operating equipment, shall not be permitted.
1418. Deep decopperising of mother liquors by the electrolysis method shall be performed in a separate room equipped with a supply-and-exhaust ventilation system. Monitoring of the arsine content in the air of that room shall be carried out by automatic gas analysers with a light and sound alarm device. In the absence of automatic gas analysers at the production facility, monitoring of the arsine content in the air of the working area shall be carried out by an analytical method, in accordance with a schedule and the process instruction, and also by an indicator method.
1419. If the arsine content in the air of the production room exceeds the maximum permissible concentration, the servicing personnel shall be removed from the room, and the room shall be ventilated.
1420. The electrolysis baths and the service platforms shall be installed on insulators, and the walkways between them shall be made of dielectric materials.
1421. The insulators under the electrolysis baths shall be protected against the ingress of solutions onto them during overflows.
1422. Repealed as of 1 September 2025. - Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025.
1423. The supply of solution into the baths shall be carried out through pipelines with tips made of dielectric materials.
1424. Repealed as of 1 September 2025. - Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025.
1425. Between the outer walls of the baths, the floors and the transfer walkways there shall be an air gap, the magnitude of which is determined by the design.
1426. The bodies of the baths shall be waterproofed. The operation of baths with damaged waterproofing shall not be permitted.
1427. The metal communications of the steam-and-water supply, compressed air and ventilation systems in the electrolysis halls shall be placed at a height of not less than 2.5 m from the working platforms, insulated from earth or guarded, and shall have electrical insulation breaks along the length of the shop, and also at the entrance to and the exit from the building.
1428. The connection and disconnection of electrolysis baths to the busbars, and the replacement of electrodes on regenerative baths, shall be carried out only after the power supply has been switched off. The servicing of regenerative baths shall be carried out using non-electrically-conductive tools. The regenerative baths shall be equipped with an exhaust system, or the surface of the electrolyte in them shall be covered with a protective layer.
1429. The basement floors of the electrolysis shops shall have lighting in accordance with the design.
1430. In electrolysis shops and sections, monitoring of the insulation resistance value of technical devices shall be provided. The monitoring scheme and the frequency of measurements are determined by the process instruction.
1431. Electrolysis shops and sections shall be equipped with remote means for the emergency disconnection of the power supply of the series of baths from the control panel of the shop (section).
1432. The jumpers (shunts) for disconnecting the baths shall be rated for the permissible current and stored on special racks.
1433. Repealed as of 1 September 2025. - Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025.
1434. The lifting mechanisms in the electrolysis halls shall have a three-stage system of electrical insulation of the load hook from earthed metal structures, assemblies and mechanisms.
1435. The height of the stacks of cathode starting sheets shall correspond to the technical parameters of the process equipment and shall be determined by the process instruction.
1436. The height of the stacks of anode residues placed on transport trolleys shall not exceed 1 m.
1437. In case of a power supply outage, a pressure tank shall be installed that ensures the supply of water for 15 minutes from the moment of failure of the circulating water cooling system.
1438. The operation of the furnace with a disruption of the cooling water supply to the tap-hole blocks and with a faulty alarm shall be prohibited.
1439. Water-cooled elements, before their installation, shall be subjected to a hydraulic test at 1.5 times the working pressure of the cooling liquid.
1440. The start-up of the cooling water supply system shall be carried out before the furnace is heated. The resumption of the water supply to any of the water-cooled components of the furnace shall be prohibited if the temperature of these components exceeds 150 °C.
1441. At the control panel of the furnace there shall be a diagram of the gas exhaust duct with the parameters of the gas cleaning and a diagram of the shut-off and control valves.
1442. The tap holes and the taphole openings shall be regularly cleaned of accretions.
1443. The opening of hatches, water seals and safety valves of the gas exhaust duct while the furnace is operating shall not be permitted.
1444. The water supply and gas supply systems of the furnace shall be equipped with a light-and-sound alarm.
1445. The tuyere winch shall be equipped with a system for the automatic emergency withdrawal of the tuyere from under the blast into the upper position.
1446. In the event of overheating of the furnace and a malfunction of the water-cooling elements, the resumption of the supply of cooling liquid is permitted only after the furnace has cooled to 150 °C.
1447. If foaming (over-oxidation) in the furnace bath is suspected, the workers shall be withdrawn to a safe zone, the charge feed and the tuyere blast shall be stopped, and coal shall be supplied.
1448. The settling of the foaming slag shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the process instruction.
1449. The feeding of charge with a moisture content of more than 8 per cent by mass shall be prohibited.
1450. To achieve the maintenance of the temperature parameters of the refractory lining and the melt, as well as the parameters of the waste-heat boiler, the furnace is equipped with a standby gas-air burner.
1451. The heating-up of the furnace after a major overhaul shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction.
1452. The moisture content in the charge materials loaded into the electric ore-smelting furnace shall not exceed the limit provided for by the instruction.
1453. The bunkers shall be covered with safety gratings with cells of a size not exceeding 250 x 250 mm.
1454. The adjustment of the width of the crusher gap, the tightening of springs and bolts, and also the pushing and raking of material, are carried out only with the crusher stopped and its start-up interlocked.
1455. Crushers shall have guards and closing inspection windows.
1456. The shell of the electric furnace shall be earthed.
1457. To prevent rupture of the shell of the electric furnace during expansion of the lining, a compensating system shall be provided.
1458. On the throat platform of the furnace, a light alarm shall be provided warning the personnel that the furnace is energised. Before switching on the furnace, an audible signal shall be given.
1459. The furnace control panel shall be equipped with two-way communication with the platform for extending the graphitised electrodes.
1460. The platforms on which the electrodes are extended, and the platforms at the throat and the hearth of the furnace, shall be lined with fireclay brick, and moisture shall be absent.
1461. Electric furnaces shall be equipped with gas-extraction devices ensuring the removal of gases formed at the hearth during the tapping of metal and slag.
1462. The graphitised electrodes with the electrode holders in the upper part shall be electrically insulated from one another.
1463. The electrode movement mechanism shall have travel limiters that operate automatically when the electrodes are raised or lowered to the set limit level.
1464. During the assembly of graphitised electrodes, the connecting nipples shall be screwed tightly into the sockets of the electrodes. The use of graphite connecting nipples having cracks or chipped threads shall not be permitted.
1465. Work on the electrode platform shall be carried out with the electric ore-smelting furnace switched off.
1466. The flexible current lead of the short network, when in its extreme positions, shall not touch the shell of the furnace, the working platform or other metal structures.
1467. During the burning-through of the taphole and the tapping of the melt, the presence at the hearth of persons not connected with its servicing shall not be permitted.
1468. The tools and fixtures used for raking and for opening the taphole shall be dry.
1469. The water-cooled elements of the furnace, before their installation and after repair, shall be subjected to a hydraulic test.
1470. The cooling system of the furnace shall be equipped with means for monitoring the temperature of the cooling water, interlocked with an alarm that operates when the temperature of the cooling water rises to the limit values determined by the instruction.
1471. The shut-off valves installed on the water inlets to the water-cooled elements shall be marked.
1472. The supply of cooling water shall be carried out to the lower part of the cooled elements, and the discharge of the heated water - from the upper part.
1473. The cooling water communications shall be laid in places that preclude the possibility of molten metal and slag getting onto them.
1474. The pipelines of the cooling system of the live parts of the electric furnace shall have electrical insulation breaks. The hose connections of the water-cooling system shall be thermally insulated.
1475. For visual monitoring of the operation of the cooling system, a drain funnel (collector) shall be installed near the electric furnace, with the water-discharge tubes from all the cooled elements of the furnace connected to it.
1476. The control of the electrical part of the furnace shall be automated and shall have remote control from a common control panel.
1477. Electric furnaces shall be provided with instruments ensuring the monitoring of the safe conduct of the processes, including monitoring of the temperature of the walls and the bottom of the furnace.
1478. Work on extending the electrodes and measuring the depth of the bath shall be performed with the electric ore-smelting furnace switched off and with the servicing personnel in possession of the key-tag.
1479. The removal of electrode fragments shall be carried out only after the furnace has been switched off.
1480. The electrode holders and electrodes, and also the current-supply systems to the furnaces, shall be inspected every shift. In the event of a disturbance of the contacts or the detection of other faults, the furnace shall be stopped and the faults eliminated.
1481. Operation of electric furnaces operating under negative pressure beneath the roof is permitted only when the smoke exhauster is switched on.
1482. Removal of skulls from the throat of an electric furnace shall be carried out with the furnace switched off.
1483. Before tapping metal and slag from the furnace, the runner shall be cleaned.
1484. The wear of the trunnions of the slag moulds shall be regulated by the design documentation.
1485. Platforms shall be provided for servicing the tap holes of the furnaces.
1486. The lining in the area of the furnace tap hole shall be inspected visually every shift, with the inspection results recorded in a log. If a defect is detected, repair shall be carried out.
1487. Oxygen lines used for burning through the tap hole with oxygen shall be degreased. Burning through the tap hole is permitted with a tube length of not less than 4 m, and, where a protective guard (a fixed shield) is present, with a tube length of not less than 2 m.
1488. Delivery of trolleys with moulds to the furnace hearth shall be mechanised.
1489. The presence of persons closer than 5 m to the tracks and the tensioning rope shall not be permitted during the conveyance of trolleys with moulds or ladles filled with metal or slag.
1490. The design of the moulds and their arrangement in the cascade shall preclude the possibility of metal or slag flowing out during their filling.
1491. For the cooling of moulds with metal and slag in the ore-thermal furnace section, a special platform shall be provided.
1492. Tracks for the conveyance of molten metal and slag shall be equipped with trolley travel limiters.
1493. Extraction of slag and metal from the moulds shall be mechanised and carried out after their solidification.
1494. During the tapping of metal and slag from the furnace, the presence on the tapping platform of persons not involved in the process shall not be permitted.
1495. Charging of the burden into the chlorinators shall be mechanised.
1496. The receiving hoppers of the chlorinators shall be equipped with devices preventing dust release into the shop premises.
1497. The arrangement of pneumatic conveying systems shall preclude the possibility of dust deposition in them during the conveyance of the burden for chlorination.
1498. The design of the current-carrying busbars of the chlorinators shall preclude the possibility of accidental contact with the busbars.
1499. Before voltage is applied to chlorinators with graphitised electrodes, an audible signal or a notification over the public address system shall be given.
1500. Chlorinators, as well as furnaces for processing copper-vanadium pulps, shall be equipped with safety valves.
1501. In the event of a drop in the pressure of the anode chlorine gas or a cessation of its supply to a chlorinator containing melt, audible and visual alarm signalling shall be activated.
1502. Pipelines conveying anode chlorine gas under pressure up to the distribution point at the chlorination installations shall have a full reserve.
1503. Draining of the melt from the chlorinators is carried out into dry boxes or into special dry containers. Extraction of the melt from the boxes shall be carried out after solidification of the melt.
1504. Draining of the melt from a furnace for processing copper-vanadium pulps is carried out into a room with floors that ensure removal of the solidified melt.
1505. Draining of the melt from a chlorinator with subsequent hydraulic removal shall be carried out into a bath filled with water up to the overflow level; water shall be supplied to the bath continuously.
1506. Opening of chlorination devices and apparatus of condensation systems that are under pressure shall not be permitted.
1507. Shop-wide gas ducts (collectors) shall have a full reserve. Gas ducts in which liquid products may condense shall be equipped with devices for the discharge and collection of condensate.
1508. Shop-wide collecting gas ducts shall be equipped with sealed hatches. The distance between the hatches shall be not more than 12 m.
1509. Cleaning and washing of removable equipment shall be carried out in premises specially provided for this purpose and equipped with exhaust ventilation. The air, before being discharged into the atmosphere, shall be cleaned.
1510. Vessels (tanks) for producing the pulp of lower titanium chlorides shall be equipped with safety valves.
1511. In the batch process for producing lower titanium chlorides, the charging of aluminium powder into the tank shall be carried out only when titanium tetrachloride is present in the tank; the temperature of the tank walls and of the titanium tetrachloride shall not exceed 40 °C.
1512. Reactors for producing lower chlorides shall be equipped with a system for the extraction of vapours and gases from the volume of the reaction zone.
1513. The system for supplying anode chlorine gas to the reactors shall be equipped with a device for stopping the supply when the pressure in the reactor rises above the permissible limit provided for by the instruction.
1514. Storage of aluminium powder in the shop or section shall be carried out in a specially designated place equipped with fire-extinguishing means. For extinguishing aluminium powder, sand, asbestos (basalt) blankets, dehydrated carnallite and fire-extinguishing powders based on chlorides of alkali and alkaline-earth metals are used. The use of water and other extinguishing agents for these purposes shall not be permitted. The room shall be dry. To prevent spontaneous ignition of the powder, ingress of moisture onto it shall not be permitted. The procedure for storing containers of aluminium powder is established by the process instruction.
1515. For the conveyance of aluminium powder, closed, dry and clean containers shall be used. Containers of aluminium powder shall not be placed closer than 0.8 m to heating systems.
1516. When working with aluminium powder, non-sparking tools shall be used.
1517. Cleaning of the production premises of the section for producing lower titanium chlorides shall be carried out not less than once per shift. Spillages of aluminium powder shall be cleaned up after the completion of the work operation.
1518. Switching on and off of the heating devices of the distillation stills shall be carried out automatically or remotely from the control panel.
1519. The electrical terminals of the heating elements of the distillation stills and rectification columns shall have solid guards preventing access by non-electrical personnel.
1520. The contacts of the current leads to the resistance furnaces shall have solid guards preventing access by non-electrical personnel.
1521. Where control panels are located in a separate room, two-way communication with the furnace section shall be provided.
1522. During cleaning of the furnace shaft, the voltage shall be removed from it.
1523. Repair and cleaning of shaft resistance furnaces shall be carried out by not fewer than two workers, one of whom is an observer.
1524. For the installation and dismantling of the reduction and vacuum separation apparatus, special stands shall be provided.
1525. Reduction apparatus and circulating retorts shall be tested for tightness (leak-tightness) in accordance with the instruction.
1526. Removal of the reduction and vacuum separation apparatus from the furnace and their installation into the furnace shall be carried out with the voltage removed from the furnace electric heaters. After installation into the furnace, the apparatus shall be earthed.
1527. Movement of the reduction and vacuum separation apparatus shall be carried out by lifting mechanisms using load-gripping devices.
1528. When hot work is carried out on the retorts of apparatus filled with reaction mass or titanium sponge, measures shall be provided to preclude ignition of the contents of the retorts.
1529. Dismantling of the vacuum separation apparatus shall be carried out after the water has been removed by compressed air from the cooling jacket of the retort flanges and the cover.
1530. Cutting off and welding on of the tailpieces and caps of the retorts shall be carried out in a specially designated place equipped with local extraction.
1531. For emergency draining of the melt from ladles and apparatus installed in the reduction furnace, fixed or mobile emergency boxes shall be provided. The emergency boxes shall be dry and clean.
1532. Pouring of magnesium into the reduction apparatus shall be carried out in the absence of moisture on the working platform directly at the furnace.
1533. The pressure of argon in the shop network shall be regulated automatically or manually and shall not exceed the limits determined by the instruction.
1534. Ladles and boxes for draining magnesium chloride and sludge shall be dry.
1535. Tools used when pouring magnesium into the reduction apparatus shall be dry and preheated.
1536. The presence of unauthorised persons beneath the tailpieces of operating reduction apparatus shall not be permitted.
1537. The design of the device for draining magnesium chloride from the reduction apparatus shall preclude spontaneous draining.
1538. Conveyance of magnesium and magnesium chloride shall be carried out in closed ladles. The filling level of the ladle is determined by the instruction.
1539. Unloading of magnesium chloride from the moulds (boxes) shall be mechanised and carried out only after its complete solidification.
1540. During installation, dismantling and removal of titanium sponge from the retorts, their movement from the horizontal position to the vertical and back, as well as the turning-over of other units of the apparatus, shall be carried out only with the use of special devices.
1541. Before the opening of the vacuum units and vacuum branch pipes of the apparatus, after the reduction and vacuum separation processes, passivation of the sublimates in them shall be ensured by a method provided for by the instruction. The opening of the vacuum units and vacuum branch pipes shall be carried out without the use of an open flame.
1542. Additional charging of a crucible or of a reduction apparatus containing molten magnesium with condensate from the separation apparatus, or with pieces of magnesium directly onto the melt, shall not be permitted.
1543. Where trolleys driven by winches are used for conveying retorts, their motors shall have two switches. The stopping points of the trolleys shall be provided with travel limiters. Switching on of the winches shall be carried out from the workplace.
1544. Installations for extinguishing titanium sponge that are located in the titanium sponge processing section shall be equipped with enclosures and an argon supply system.
1545. Baths with acid for pickling of equipment shall be equipped with local extraction.
1546. The supply of acid with a concentration of more than 15 per cent into the pickling baths shall be carried out only after they have first been filled with water in accordance with the production instruction.
1547. The pickling section and the warehouses for storing acid shall be provided with means for rendering first aid in the event of acid burns.
1548. The placing of oxygen cylinders near an operating reduction furnace shall not be permitted.
1549. When process operations with powders are carried out, technical actions to limit dust formation shall be provided.
1550. At the places of sieving and magnetic separation of powders, wet cleaning of the workplaces, platforms and floors shall be carried out not less than once per shift.
1551. For loading and conveyance of porous titanium powders and titanium sponge, clean and serviceable containers shall be used that preclude their spontaneous opening and moistening.
1552. The quantity of metallic titanium in processing shall be the minimum necessary and shall be determined by the conditions for the safe conduct of the process established by the instruction.
1553. In the premises for processing, packaging and storage of porous titanium powders, only non-sparking tools may be used.
1554. For the manufacture of technical devices coming into contact with porous titanium powder, non-sparking materials shall be used, or the creation of an environment precluding ignition of the material is provided for.
1555. In the premises for processing and storage of porous titanium powders, flammable and explosive substances shall not be stored.
1556. The operation of ammonia refrigeration units and systems associated with the processes of obtaining and producing metals is carried out in accordance with the mandatory requirements established by paragraphs 451, 531, 533, 534, 542, 632, 634, 636, 638 - 642, 645, 647 - 649, 652 - 654, 657, 658 of the Federal Norms and Rules in the Field of Industrial Safety "Safety Rules for Chemically Hazardous Production Facilities", approved by Order of the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service (Rostechnadzor) No. 500 of 7 December 2020 (registered by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on 22 December 2020, registration No. 61706) (in accordance with paragraph 2 of Order No. 500 of the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service of 7 December 2020, this act is in effect until 1 January 2027). 1557 - 1572. Repealed as of 1 September 2025. - Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025. The title excluded as of 1 September 2025. - Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025 1573 - 1598. Repealed as of 1 September 2025. - Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025. The title excluded as of 1 September 2025. - Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025 1599 - 1608. Repealed as of 1 September 2025. - Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025.
1609. The accompanying documentation for the initial explosive and flammable powder materials and their mixtures shall contain the following information: for explosive and flammable powder materials - the lower concentration limit of explosion and ignition, the ignition temperature of the air suspension and the self-ignition temperature in a layer, the maximum explosion pressure; for mixtures, in addition to the above, the capacity for self-sustaining combustion; for mixtures containing oxidisers, the calculated specific heat and combustion temperature, and the sensitivity to mechanical action (friction, impact), shall also be indicated.
1610. Conveyance and storage of explosive and flammable powder materials and mixtures shall be carried out in closed, sealed containers (drums, barrels, cans, boxes) that preclude the possibility of accidental spillage of the mixture and ingress of moisture. During conveyance and unloading, collision of the containers and impacts against transport or other objects shall be prevented.
1611. Conveyance and storage of flammable powder materials and mixtures together with acids and alkalis shall not be permitted.
1612. Flammable powder materials and mixtures shall be stored in closed warehouses, in buildings and premises of the appropriate category of explosion and fire hazard.
1613. In the warehouse premises, the materials shall be placed in stable stacks, separately by type of substance.
1614. In the premises for storage of flammable powder materials and mixtures, sorting, mixing and other work involving the preparation of materials and the making of mixtures shall not be permitted.
1615. In the premises where unpacking of flammable powder materials and mixtures is carried out, explosion-hazardous zones shall be defined in accordance with the design.
1616. In the event of ignition of powder materials and mixtures, extinguishing shall be carried out using the standard fire-extinguishing means provided for by the design and the manufacturer.
1617. In the production of hard alloys and refractory metals, as well as electrodes for hard-facing work, the use of the following shall not be permitted: mixtures whose combustion process turns into an explosion; mixtures capable of self-sustaining combustion and having a specific heat of the combustion process of more than 50 kJ/mol; mixtures whose sensitivity to mechanical action (impact) is 19.6 J or less, and that of the active component 9.8 J or less.
1618. In-plant and in-shop conveyance of liquid aggressive reagents shall be carried out in accordance with the design.
1619. Service tanks shall be filled with reagents to not more than 3/4 of their volume.
1620. Small quantities of liquid aggressive reagents may be carried and decanted using special containers that preclude the possibility of accidental spillage. Decanting of liquid reagents shall be carried out using automatic siphons.
1621. The quantity and conditions of storage of aggressive reagents in production premises shall be determined by the process instruction. Reagents shall be placed at a distance of not less than 5 m from sources of open flame and not less than 1 m from heating devices.
1622. Inspection and repair of technical devices and pipeline communications for liquid aggressive reagents shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the process instruction and with the use of PPE.
1623. Purging of the filter presses before disassembly, and the disassembly and assembly of the filter presses, shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the process instruction.
1624. Sampling of solutions from the reactors shall be carried out with a special sampler in accordance with the process instruction.
1625. In the extraction section, emergency discharges of flammable liquids shall be carried out into tanks provided for by the design.
1626. The actions of the operating personnel in the event of ignition of the sleeves of the electrostatic precipitators (ignition of pyrophoric dust) shall be determined by the process instruction.
1627. Furnaces with a hydrogen atmosphere shall be purged with inert gas before start-up and after installation. After purging, the hydrogen content in the purge gas at the furnace outlet shall be equal to zero. The oxygen content in the purge gas (before start-up of the furnace) shall not exceed 4 per cent (by volume).
1628. During the operation of the reduction and carbidisation furnaces, a hydrogen pressure ensuring constant and stable burning of the flame shall be maintained in them. The parameters of the hydrogen (flow rate and pressure) shall be indicated in the process instructions.
1629. The reduction and carbidisation furnaces shall be equipped with devices for the discharge and regeneration of the gaseous products formed during the reduction and carbidisation process. The reduction furnaces shall be equipped with hydrogen regeneration installations.
1630. Wet-grinding mills shall be equipped with a cooling system. The switching-on system of the mills shall provide for interlocking of the mill start-up in the absence of a supply of cooling water.
1631. All metal structures and elements of technical devices shall be earthed.
1632. Unloading of mixtures from the mixers shall be carried out using tools that preclude sparking.
1633. The places where work is carried out to fill the working cavities of the moulds with powder mixture shall be equipped with local extraction.
1634. Loading of articles into the boats and their unloading from the boats with the use of protective backfills shall be carried out in fume cupboards.
1635. Loading and unloading of articles from the furnace when there is a vacuum in it shall not be permitted.
1636. If the boats become stuck in the furnace, their removal shall be carried out with the voltage removed and with a reduced hydrogen flow rate in accordance with the process instruction.
1637. Melting furnaces shall be equipped with optical devices for observing the melting process.
1638. Cleaning of the crystallisers shall be mechanised and carried out with the local extraction switched on.
1639. During the charging of the burden into an induction furnace, removing slag, taking samples and stirring the metal shall not be permitted.
1640. If a "bridge" of unmelted burden forms in the upper part of the furnace, the furnace shall be stopped and the "bridge" eliminated.
1641. Inspection and repair of equipment located beneath the furnace, with the furnace in the raised position, may be carried out only when the raised furnace is additionally secured with special standard stops and the voltage is removed.
1642. When uninsulated metal tools are used in servicing induction furnaces, the voltage shall be removed from the furnace.
1643. All types of repair work on the presses shall be carried out only after the high-pressure line has been disconnected and the pressure has been released from the hydraulic system of the press.
1644. Machine tools on which semi-sintered blanks are machined shall be equipped with local extraction.
1645. In "wet" grinding of articles, the use of abrasive wheels with a mineral bond shall not be permitted.
1646. Working on the side surface of abrasive wheels, if they are not intended for the given operation, shall not be permitted.
1647. Removal of uncured resin from the surface of technical devices with the use of toxic solvents shall not be permitted.
1648. The stock of flammable substances in the premises for preparing electrode-coating compound shall not exceed the requirement for a single charging of the mixer. Spilt resin or scattered pulver-bakelite powder shall be removed.
1649. The storage of alcohol, phenol-formaldehyde resin, lead chromate and other fire-and-explosion-hazardous and harmful substances in production premises shall be prohibited. These substances shall be stored in specially equipped premises.
1650. Conveyance and storage of liquid and gaseous halide of transition metals shall be carried out in vessels made of stainless steels with a capacity of not more than 200 l.
1651. Loading of halides into the evaporator is carried out by forcing them out of the vessel with inert gas. During the forcing-out, contact of the halide with air shall be prevented.
1652. Splashing of trichloroethylene, titanium tetrachloride, other toxic substances and abrasive materials onto technical devices and workplaces shall be prevented.
1653. Coating installations, before hydrogen is supplied to them and after completion of the working process, shall be purged with inert gas (nitrogen) in compliance with safety requirements.
1654. All work with solid halides shall be carried out in special boxes in an inert gas environment.
1655. All process emissions, as well as emergency releases, of harmful substances from the technical devices for applying coatings shall be captured, cleaned and neutralised.
1656. Process gates and hatches shall ensure the tightness of technical devices (vessels and apparatus) and shall be fitted with interlocks.
1657. When the heating hood is removed, the operating personnel shall remain behind a heat-protective screen. Unloading of the plates shall begin after their temperature has been reduced to 45 °C.
1658. Work on degreasing the plates shall be started only after the ventilation system that prevents solvent vapours from entering the air of the working area has been switched on.
1659. Draining of solvent from the degreasing baths shall be carried out into closed vessels.
1660. Installations for applying wear-resistant coatings shall be operated by a work team of not less than two persons.
1661. Electric furnaces for melting charge materials, precious metals and alloys shall conform to the design.
1662. Water-cooled elements of melting furnaces shall, before installation, be tested for tightness at a pressure 1.5 times greater than the working water pressure.
1663. Water-cooling systems for the elements of electric furnaces shall include instruments for monitoring the temperature and flow of water with automatic light and sound signalling of a disturbance of the cooling regime or with automatic disconnection of the furnace from the electrical mains. To ensure safe operation of electric furnaces, the water-cooling systems of the most important elements shall have not less than two water inlets or a reserve tank of sufficient capacity.
1664. The floors of working platforms near electric furnaces shall be covered with electrically insulating flooring.
1665. Loading of the charge and the performance of process work using uninsulated metal tools shall be carried out with the electric furnace switched off.
1666. The furnace inductor shall be electrically insulated from the casing and metal structures. The insulation resistance shall be not less than 1000 ohms per 1 V of rated voltage in the power supply network.
1667. The insulation of the inductor relative to the furnace casing shall withstand, for 1 minute, a test voltage which is 2 times greater than the rated voltage (where the rated voltage is up to 1000 V) and 1.3 times greater than the rated voltage (where the rated voltage is more than 1000 V).
1668. The crucibles of induction furnaces shall be dried in accordance with the process instruction.
1669. In rooms with high electromagnetic field intensity, periodic monitoring of the electromagnetic field strength shall be carried out according to a schedule.
1670. The supply of water to the water-cooling system of a high-frequency installation shall be carried out continuously from the moment the installation is switched on until the parts have fully cooled after it is switched off.
1671. In the event of automatic disconnection of the installation during operation, re-switching-on shall be carried out only after the cause of the disconnection has been identified and eliminated (by electrotechnical personnel), followed by an entry in the operating log.
1672. Operation of high-frequency installations shall not be permitted with the guard removed, with the screens damaged, or with faulty interlocking and earthing.
1673. High-frequency installations in which hydrogen is used as the melting medium shall be equipped with devices for the removal and afterburning of hydrogen leaving the installations. The design of the afterburner candle shall preclude detachment and extinguishing of the flame.
1674. The switching-on of a high-frequency installation shall be interlocked with the hydrogen afterburner candle. Operation of the furnace shall not be permitted with a faulty or non-energised coil of the afterburner candle.
1675. If a hydrogen leak from the chamber is detected or if the coil burns out, the voltage shall be immediately removed from the installation, the supply of hydrogen to the installation shall be shut off, and the chamber shall be purged with nitrogen or inert gas.
1676. When melting a metal charge in an arc furnace with a non-consumable electrode, the tungsten electrode shall not touch the molten metal.
1677. When a vacuum arc furnace is switched to the melting regime, water shall first be supplied to the water-cooling system.
1678. For short-term disconnection of an arc furnace (slipping, replacement or extension of electrodes), the control system shall provide an interlock ensuring switching-off of the high-voltage transformer.
1679. Each process section shall have an emergency tank for collecting solutions.
1680. In each shop, a schedule shall be drawn up for the monthly flushing of the equipment and pipelines of vacuum systems.
1681. The jackets of water-cooled moulds and crystallisers shall, before being put into operation and after repair, undergo hydraulic testing at a pressure 1.5 times higher than the maximum working pressure.
1682. Casting of metal shall not be permitted when the water supply has stopped.
1683. Tanks with acids and acidic pickling solutions shall be equipped with overflow pipes and level indicators.
1684. When quenching hot metal in water or aqueous solutions, measures shall be taken to prevent the spraying of hot water droplets.
1685. Electric furnaces for annealing products in a hydrogen environment shall be equipped with explosion safety valves and devices for the removal and afterburning of gas (afterburner candles).
1686. Loading and unloading of metal into the chamber annealing furnace shall be carried out after it has been disconnected from the power supply network.
1687. Rooms in which furnaces for annealing semi-finished products in a hydrogen environment are located shall be equipped with emergency exhaust ventilation, signalling and automatic gas analysers for monitoring the hydrogen content in the atmosphere of the rooms.
1688. Where the hydrogen content in the air of a production room exceeds 1 per cent (by volume), the signalling and emergency exhaust ventilation shall be switched on automatically, and the equipment in the section shall be immediately stopped.
1689. Before being supplied to the installations, hydrogen shall undergo a control analysis. The hydrogen content shall be not less than 95 per cent.
1690. The hydrogen pressure at the furnace inlet shall conform to the process instruction and shall be monitored by instruments. When the hydrogen pressure in the line drops below the set value, the valve on the hydrogen supply line shall close automatically and the sound signalling shall be switched on.
1691. Before start-up and after shutdown, the furnace, container or autoclave, the pipelines and the afterburner candles shall be purged with inert gas or nitrogen. The completion of the purging shall be determined by analysis of the composition of the purge gas. The oxygen content in the purge gas shall not exceed 4 per cent (by volume), and after the furnace is shut down there shall be no hydrogen in the purge gas.
1692. Apparatus operating under a hydrogen pressure below 0.07 MPa shall, before being put into operation and after major overhaul, undergo a leak-tightness test at a pressure of 1.25 times the working pressure, but not more than 0.1 MPa.
1693. Pipelines and equipment of the hydrometallurgical stage that are not used in the process shall be disconnected from those in operation by a visible break and shall be blanked off or dismantled.
1694. When a filter press is purged with compressed air, it shall be covered with dense material to avoid spraying of the solution. Before the filter press is disassembled, the taps supplying the pulp, steam or compressed air shall be closed.
1695. Electrolytic baths and service platforms shall be installed on insulators, and the walkways between them shall be made of non-electrically-conductive material.
1696. The supply of solution to the baths shall be carried out through pipelines with tips made of non-electrically-conductive materials.
1697. Equipment for drying, sieving, transferring and packaging powders of precious metals shall be earthed and protected against static electricity.
1698. In shops, sections and areas where the release of arsenous hydrogen is possible, monitoring of the state of the air environment shall be carried out by means of automatic gas analysers with light and sound signalling devices.
1699. The use of oxygen-enriched blast shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction.
1700. A shaft furnace operating on gaseous fuel shall be equipped with automatic protection ensuring shut-off of the gas supply in the cases provided for in the furnace operating instruction.
1701. On the working platforms of electric furnaces and electric settlers, light signalling shall be provided to warn personnel that the unit is energised. Bringing the furnace into operation shall be accompanied by a warning sound signal audible at all levels where it is serviced. The light signalling shall be interlocked with the high-voltage switch.
1702. Furnaces shall be equipped with emergency tanks capable of receiving the entire melt from the furnace in the event of possible accidents.
1703. Complete depletion of the charge from the charging hoppers of electric furnaces operating under pressure shall not be permitted. The level of the charge to be left in the charging hoppers shall be established by the process instruction.
1704. The caissoned partition of the furnace melting chamber shall, before installation, undergo hydraulic testing. Inspection of the condition of the partition during operation shall be carried out according to a schedule. The results of the inspection shall be documented.
1705. The working platform for loading the charge shall be equipped with a gas analyser for determining the carbon monoxide content.
1706. To suppress the combustion of dust in the hoppers, a supply of inert gas or steam at a pressure of not more than 1.5 MPa shall be provided.
1707. Dust-preparation installations shall be equipped with safety valves. The design, number and location of the valves shall be determined by the design.
1708. The serviceability of the safety valves shall be checked according to a schedule approved by the technical manager of the subdivision.
1709. The overflow chutes from one kettle to another shall be hermetically closed.
1710. Repair work on mixers, pumps and other equipment installed on operating refining kettles shall not be permitted.
1711. The opening of drums with alkalis and the crushing of alkali shall be mechanised and carried out in places provided for these purposes, using personal protective equipment.
1712. Sodium shall be stored in a special room in compliance with safety measures. Storage of sodium at the refining area in a quantity exceeding the daily requirement shall not be permitted.
1713. Start-up and shutdown of furnaces for roasting materials shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the instruction on the procedure for starting up and shutting down the unit.
1714. Operation of furnaces shall not be permitted in the event of disturbances of the manometric regime established by the process instruction.
1715. The procedure for shutting down the furnace in emergency situations shall be determined by the instruction on the procedure for starting up and shutting down the unit.
1716. During the leaching of cinder, dusts and oxides in pachucas, provision shall be made for a sound or light signal warning of a drop in the air pressure in the apparatus below the established value.
1717. The supply of acidified solutions to copper-cadmium purification shall not be permitted.
1718. The supply of solution to the bath shall be carried out through pipelines, chutes and hoses made of non-electrically-conductive material.
1719. Series of electrolytic baths shall be numbered. The number shall be clearly visible.
1720. The drive mechanism of a Waelz kiln shall be equipped with an emergency motor powered from an independent current source.
1721. A Waelz kiln shall be fitted with instruments for monitoring and signalling the longitudinal displacement of the kiln.
1722. Water-cooled elements of metallurgical units shall, before their installation and after repair, undergo hydraulic testing at a test pressure exceeding the working pressure by not less than 1.5 times.
1723. In elements where a disturbance of normal cooling entails the possibility of their damage or a hazard to the operating personnel, the water-cooling system shall be fitted with instruments for monitoring the temperature of the cooling water, interlocked with signalling that is activated when the temperature of the outgoing water rises above the established value, as well as upon sudden cessation of water circulation.
1724. In shops where evaporative cooling systems are used, a person responsible for the safe operation and serviceable condition of the evaporative cooling systems shall be appointed by an order of the enterprise.
1725. Start-up of the evaporative cooling system shall be carried out under the direction of the person responsible for this system. The condition of the evaporative cooling system shall be checked every shift. The results of the check shall be entered in a log.
1726. The service fuel tanks of metallurgical units shall be equipped with instruments for monitoring the temperature of the fuel oil, level gauges ensuring automatic regulation of the fuel level in the tanks, exhaust pipes with safety brass glasses for the removal of fuel vapours, a system for emergency discharge of fuel into reserve tanks, and overflow pipelines.
1727. Switching-on of the furnace shall be carried out only with the electrodes raised, after checking the absence of operating personnel near live parts, and after warning of the switching-on over the loudspeaker communication system.
1728. Operation of metallurgical units using natural gas as fuel shall not be permitted with the automation system switched off or faulty.
1729. In the event of automatic disconnection of the furnace or activation of the protection system, re-switching-on shall be carried out only after the causes of the disconnection have been eliminated.
1730. To monitor the temperature of the water in the water-cooled elements, monitoring and measuring instruments shall be installed that provide a signal when the temperature of the outgoing water rises above the permissible value.
1731. Electric burning-through of boreholes shall be carried out by two workers, one of whom shall be an observer. The worker carrying out the burning-through of the borehole shall stand on insulated walkways and use goggles with a light filter.
1732. The electric burning-through apparatus shall be equipped with light signalling of the switching-on/switching-off of the apparatus, and shall also have a disconnector and be switched on only during the burning of the tap-hole.
1733. The metal tubes and flexible hoses used to supply oxygen when burning the tap-hole shall be dry and free of traces of oils. The metal tubes shall have a length of not less than 3 m.
1734. Oxygen burning of the borehole shall be carried out by not less than two workers. One worker shall be positioned at the oxygen cylinder or at the valve of the oxygen pipeline, and the other shall carry out the electric ignition of the oxygen tube and the burning of the borehole.
1735. The electric ignition of the oxygen tube shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the process instruction.
1736. Ladles shall be operated in accordance with the requirements of the process instruction.
1737. The moisture content in the charge loaded into ore-thermal furnaces is established by the process instruction.
1738. Removal of electrode fragments, measurement of the depth of the melt bath, tapping of matte and metal from the furnace, and cleaning of the gas ducts are permitted only when the voltage has been removed from the furnace.
1739. If local overheating of the casing is detected owing to wear of the lining, the voltage shall be removed from the furnace and the lining shall be repaired. Cooling of the overheated areas of the casing shall be carried out with compressed air or air supplied from ventilation systems.
1740. During inspection and repair of equipment located beneath the furnace, the raised body shall be secured by means of special stops.
1741. The quality of the cooling water (hardness) and the water temperature at the inlet and outlet of the inductor shall conform to the requirements of the design. The inductor tubes shall undergo hydraulic testing. The test pressure shall exceed the working pressure of the cooling water by 1.5 times.
1742. Switching-on of the electric furnace for producing antimony trioxide shall be carried out with the water-cooling system in operation.
1743. Removal of slag and inspection of the working space of the furnace shall be carried out from working platforms with a dielectric covering (mats, stands).
1744. The tools for removing slag and cleaning the furnace shall be dry.
1745. Unloading of melting products from the kettles is permitted only after they have fully solidified. The holding time for each product is determined by the process instruction.
1746. In hydrometallurgical shops, the microclimate characteristics shall preclude fog formation during the cold season.
1747. Ventilation ducts made of metal shall have electrical insulation breaks and, at their entry into the electrolysis room, shall be insulated from the ventilation installation located outside the electrolysis room.
1748. Electrolysis processes shall be carried out with the addition to the electrolyte of surface-active substances that reduce the release of alkali vapours into the shop atmosphere.
1749. When working at electrolytic baths, precautionary measures shall be observed that preclude short-circuiting of two adjacent blocks of baths.
1750. The insulators installed beneath the baths and service platforms shall have a covering that prevents electrolyte solutions from reaching them in the event of accidental spills. The metal ladders used when cleaning the insulators shall be insulated from the floor and metal structures.
1751. The technical devices and operating conditions in the areas for decomposing Schlippe's salt, as well as the processes of drying, grinding, separating and packaging antimony pentasulphide, shall preclude the possibility of spark formation or the occurrence of open flame.
1752. Workers performing the operations of leaching, centrifuging Schlippe's salt, decomposing the salt and centrifuging the paste of antimony pentasulphide shall use protective clothing and personal protective equipment.
1753. During the work of pouring acid into the measuring tanks and squeezing out the paste of antimony pentasulphide from the reactor, only personnel engaged in this work shall be present in the shop.
1754. Before the specified work is carried out and for the entire time it is carried out, the warning signalling shall be switched on.
1755. The hydrogen sulphide released during decomposition of the salt shall be directed to neutralisation (absorption by alkaline solutions) or to disposal (combustion).
1756. Carrying out work on the decomposition of Schlippe's salt shall not be permitted where the gas-cleaning, aspiration and supply-and-exhaust ventilation system is ineffective.
1757. Upon completion of the operation of decomposing Schlippe's salt, an express analysis of the air in the room for hydrogen sulphide content shall be carried out with remote sampling.
1758. In the event that the maximum permissible concentration of hydrogen sulphide in the air is exceeded, the emergency ventilation shall be switched on.
1759. If it is necessary to enter the Schlippe's salt decomposition room during the operation of squeezing out the paste, the operating personnel shall use the appropriate personal protective equipment.
1760. The technical devices used for grinding, separating and packaging antimony pentasulphide shall be leak-tight.
1761. For grinding antimony pentasulphide in a ball mill operating in a closed cycle with a separator, bronze balls shall be used.
1762. Transport of raw materials, concentrates and intermediate products across the territory of the organisation shall be carried out in leak-tight containers or using systems of mechanical, pneumatic or hydraulic transport.
1763. The processes of transporting, batching, loading and dosing concentrates, fluxes and other dust-generating materials shall be mechanised and equipped with dust-collection systems.
1764. The anti-corrosion protection of the building structures of buildings in which the release of aggressive gases is possible shall be restored as it wears out and loses its protective properties.
1765. In the production rooms for chlorination, a uniform air temperature conforming to the requirements of the design documentation shall be ensured in all periods of the year. At the same time, the design of the walls and roofs of the buildings shall preclude condensation of aggressive gases and vapours.
1766. In production rooms in which work with metallic sodium and calcium is carried out, the filling of window openings shall be effected with waterproof sashes.
1767. In production rooms in which a sudden ingress of large quantities of harmful or explosive substances is possible, an emergency ventilation system shall be provided. In addition to automatic switching-on of the emergency ventilation on a signal from the gas analyser, manual switching-on of the fans from starting devices located at the main entrance doors outside the room shall also be provided.
1768. In production rooms where metallic sodium and calcium are used, the installation of drinking fountains and wash basins shall not be permitted.
1769. Enterprises producing zirconium, hafnium and their compounds shall, for the discharge of industrial waste water, have one or several sewerage systems equipped with neutralisation installations.
1770. Removal of dust from dust-collection apparatus and collectors shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction.
1771. All work with pitches shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction.
1772. Cleaning of the rooms where work with pitches is carried out shall be performed by a wet method.
1773. The quantity of liquid chlorine simultaneously present on the organisation's premises, including warehouses, shall be minimal and shall be determined by the design.
1774. The acceptance, emptying and operation of vessel-type technical devices for liquid chlorine shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction that takes into account the safety requirements for the production, storage, transportation and use of chlorine.
1775. Sampling of liquid chlorine and checking of its quality shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the process instruction.
1776. The method of filling and draining liquid chlorine from technical devices shall be determined in accordance with the design documentation.
1777. When filling liquid chlorine into a vessel, the possibility of its overfilling above the established filling norm - 1.25 kg/dm3 - shall be excluded, which is achieved by equipping the vessel with pressure-monitoring instruments and two independent systems for measuring and monitoring the mass (level) of liquid chlorine with automatic activation of audible and visual signals in the control room and locally, as well as by installing an overflow branch pipe inside the vessel and a liquid-chlorine breakthrough detector on the off-gas discharge pipeline.
1778. Before each acceptance of liquid chlorine, the pipeline shall be purged with dry air (nitrogen). The supply of air (nitrogen) for purging technical devices and communications containing chlorine shall be carried out through a removable section of the pipeline.
1779. At liquid-chlorine warehouses, a reserve vessel (emergency tank) shall be installed, the capacity of which shall ensure, in the event of an accident, the evacuation of liquid chlorine from the vessel (tank) of the largest capacity.
1780. Vessels with liquid chlorine shall be equipped with safety devices. Discharges from safety devices containing chlorine, as well as the off-gases of purging and pressure transfer, before being released into the atmosphere shall be directed to a chlorine-capture unit.
1781. Servicing of the liquid-chlorine warehouse shall be carried out by no fewer than two workers using standard personal protective equipment. When performing work of increased hazard or emergency work (cleaning up spilled liquid chlorine or other hazardous substances), workers shall use PPE: isolating breathing apparatus, gastight suits, chlorine-leak detectors.
1782. The quantity of metallic sodium and calcium simultaneously present on the organisation's premises, including warehouses, shall be minimal and shall be substantiated by the design.
1783. Metallic sodium and calcium shall be stored in a dry, closed room in gastight containers (drums). The presence of water or condensed moisture in the warehouse room shall not be permitted.
1784. The building structures of warehouse rooms shall exclude the possibility of hydrogen accumulation beneath them. In the warehouse room, exhaust ventilation from the upper zone shall be provided.
1785. The storage of metallic sodium (calcium) in a warehouse together with other substances shall not be permitted.
1786. If damaged containers with sodium (calcium) are found in the warehouse, they shall be removed from the warehouse and destroyed in accordance with the process instruction.
1787. The opening of containers and the cleaning of oil or paraffin from the surface of metallic sodium (calcium) shall be carried out in a special room in accordance with the process instruction.
1788. During the transport and unloading of containers with sodium (calcium), the following shall be excluded: collision of the packaging and impacts against transport and building structures; the presence of containers in a high-temperature zone (open flame, other sources of heating); the possibility of water or solutions of acids and alkalis getting onto them.
1789. Production processes associated with obtaining zirconium, hafnium and their compounds shall be carried out in gastight technical devices and communications following a continuous process scheme with a closed cycle.
1790. Before the start-up of jet mills, audible and visual warning signals shall be given. The start-up devices of the mills shall be interlocked with the start-up devices of the feeders and conveyors.
1791. The start-up and protective technical devices (apparatus) of the mills shall be located in separate rooms. Apparatus installed in a production room shall be of dust- and water-tight design.
1792. In the cavity of drying drums, a negative pressure shall be maintained that excludes the possibility of gases being released into the working room.
1793. Sampling of the charge from the mixer shall be carried out with the mixer stopped, using a special sampler, in accordance with the process instruction.
1794. When pit furnaces are used, the loading of buckets with briquettes shall be carried out after the furnace is switched off.
1795. All live parts of the ShEP shall have guards and interlocks protecting the operating personnel from electric shock.
1796. Before voltage is applied to the ShEP, a warning audible signal shall be given.
1797. The ShEP shall be equipped with safety devices (explosion valves) in accordance with the design. Discharges from safety devices shall be led out above the working zone by not less than 2 m.
1798. After the actuation of the safety devices on the ShEP, the emergency exhaust ventilation shall be immediately switched on, and the supply of chlorine shall be stopped.
1799. When the pressure of the chlorine supplied to the ShEP falls below the pressure specified by the process regulations, the audible alarm shall automatically be switched on and the loading of the charge shall be stopped.
1800. The supply of chlorine to the ShEP shall be stopped in the event of an emergency shutdown of the tail fan, as well as upon detection of a malfunction of the instrumentation and control (I&C) instruments or a gas leak from the condensation system of the chlorinating units.
1801. The removal of unchlorinated hot cinders from the ShEP shall be carried out into dry buckets closed with gastight lids. The unloading area shall be fenced off.
1802. Repair (disassembly, cleaning and washing) of the removable equipment and communications of the chlorinating units shall be performed in a specially equipped room with separate cabins ("wet room") in accordance with the process instruction.
1803. The gas ducts of the condensation system shall be equipped with stationary cleaning devices that make it possible to clean the gas ducts without opening the elements of the system.
1804. Rectification sections shall be located in a special isolated room.
1805. The operation of rectification and distillation columns in the "outflow" mode is possible only when there is a negative pressure in the gas-extraction system, the magnitude of which is determined by the process instruction. When the negative pressure in the system falls below the permissible level, the columns shall be switched to the "onto-itself" operating mode.
1806. When the supply of refrigerant to the condenser-dephlegmator ceases, an audible signal shall automatically be given and the power supply to the electric heaters of the evaporator shall be switched off.
1807. Vessel-type technical devices with process products shall be gastight and connected to special closed (breather) systems. Filling of vessels with product to more than 80 per cent of their volume shall not be permitted.
1808. In the event of a spill of chlorides, measures for their neutralisation shall be taken immediately in accordance with the process instruction.
1809. All production waste shall be stored in gastight packaging in a special room equipped with exhaust ventilation.
1810. The fans supplying gases to the cleaning unit shall be interlocked with the tail fans. The tail fans shall be switched into operation before the switching-on of the fans supplying gas to the unit, and shall be switched off after they stop.
1811. Organic solvents and extractants shall be stored in tightly closed vessels in a dry and ventilated room with artificial lighting of explosion-proof design.
1812. When working in fire-hazardous rooms, organic solvents with a flash point of not less than 45 °C shall be used.
1813. The use of open fire in rooms for the storage and use of organic solvents shall not be permitted.
1814. In the event of a spill of tributyl phosphate, measures for its removal shall be taken immediately in accordance with the process instruction.
1815. During the distillation of fire-hazardous substances and extraction, electric heaters of the closed type shall be used.
1816. When developing the processes for producing zirconium and hafnium powders, and when designing production facilities and operating them, the high fire hazard of these products shall be taken into account.
1817. Cylinders, before being packed with the charge, shall be checked for the tightness of their seams and walls.
1818. The placing of cylinders into the furnace and their unloading from the furnace shall be carried out with the voltage removed from the furnace.
1819. During the process of reduction of the sodium and calcium-thermic charge, the presence of workers in the production room shall not be permitted. Monitoring of the progress of the reduction process shall be carried out remotely.
1820. The transport of hot cylinders after reduction shall be carried out on special trolleys, the design of which shall exclude the falling and arbitrary movement of the cylinders.
1821. The unloading of the reaction mass from the cylinders shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction.
1822. The cooling of cylinders shall be carried out in a specially equipped place. The cylinders shall be placed in a single tier.
1823. The quenching of the sinter cake shall be carried out in a cooler placed in a box with exhaust ventilation.
1824. The grinding of zirconium and hafnium powders shall be carried out by the wet-milling method.
1825. The portioning and packing of finished batches of zirconium and hafnium powders shall be carried out only in the daytime.
1826. When performing work with zirconium and hafnium powders, tools and fixtures made of non-sparking materials shall be used.
1827. Free vessel-type equipment in which powders have been processed shall be filled with water.
1828. The surface of technical devices that comes into contact with zirconium and hafnium powders shall be smooth and free of external defects (cracks, cavities, burrs).
1829. The transportation of powders shall be carried out in gastight packaging - in thick-walled glass jars tightly closed with a rubber, cork or plastic lid, or in hermetically sealed polyethylene bags placed in tin cans. The cans shall be placed in a box lined inside with non-combustible material and closed with a lid.
1830. The transportation of zirconium and hafnium powders across the organisation's premises shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction.
1831. Powders shall be stored only in a moist state. The relative humidity of the powders shall be within the range of 15 - 20 per cent.
1832. The reprocessing of powders in each individual case shall be carried out according to a special process instruction.
1833. When working with powders, the accumulation of metallic zirconium and hafnium dust on the surface of technical devices and building structures inside production rooms shall not be permitted. Wet cleaning of dust shall be carried out in accordance with the instruction.
1834. In the event of dust ignition in the communications of the exhaust ventilation system or in the chamber, the fan shall be immediately switched off and the gate valve on the gas duct shall be closed.
1835. The destruction of production waste contaminated with zirconium and hafnium powders and not subject to utilisation shall be carried out in accordance with the process or production instruction.
1836. Persons working in production rooms and powder storage rooms shall wear special footwear without metal nails and special clothing made of fire-resistant material.
1837. Work with metallic sodium and calcium shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction.
1838. The quantity of sodium and calcium stored in production rooms shall not exceed the daily requirement determined by the process instruction.
1839. The cutting and storage of cut sodium shall be carried out only under a layer of transformer oil. Transformer oil, upon arrival at the shop and during use, shall be monitored for moisture content. Oil with traces of moisture shall not be permitted for use.
1840. Calcium shall be cut in air and stored in dry gastight packaging.
1841. The rooms, technical devices and tools for cutting calcium, as well as the footwear and special clothing of the workers, shall be dry.
1842. Sodium waste and slags from remelting shall be subject to utilisation in accordance with the process instruction.
1843. The storage in a production room of ammonium nitrate used in the processes is permitted only in the form of a solution.
1844. Operations for the transportation, loading, unloading, charge mixing, dosing and preparation of raw materials, materials and products containing mercury, as well as the roasting of raw materials, the beating-out of mercury from stupp, its cleaning, pouring, preparation of packaging and other operations shall be mechanised and automated to the maximum extent and shall be carried out in gastight technical devices and closed communications.
1845. Work associated with the use of mercury shall be carried out in separate rooms equipped with forced supply-and-exhaust ventilation, in fume cupboards, in accordance with the process instruction.
1846. The design of the fume cupboards used for work with mercury and its compounds is developed by the design organisation.
1847. The pouring of mercury into vessels shall be automated and shall be performed in a special room in a fume cupboard.
1848. The operation of technical devices running on gaseous fuel shall be performed in accordance with process instructions that take into account the requirements of the safety rules in force for the gas facilities of metallurgical and coke-chemical enterprises and productions.
1849. The vapours formed during the process of obtaining mercury and its compounds shall be subjected to condensation with subsequent utilisation. If mercury gets onto the heated surfaces of technical devices, then, without switching off the exhaust ventilation, the heat source shall be switched off (removed), the surface shall be cooled and its demercurisation shall be carried out.
1850. The discharge of mercury-containing solutions into the sewerage network shall not be permitted.
1851. Technical devices and communications, before repair work is carried out, shall be cleaned of mercury-containing products in accordance with the requirements of the process instruction.
1852. The repair and cleaning of dust-and-gas cleaning apparatus shall be carried out on condition that they are disconnected from the technical device that is the source of mercury contamination and that the concentration of mercury vapours in the air of the working zone is reduced to a level permitting work to be carried out with the use of respiratory PPE.
1853. The place for cleaning and repairing sections of vacuum filters shall be equipped with a hydraulic-cleaning system and local extraction of contaminated air.
1854. The location of production rooms in which work with mercury and its compounds is carried out in residential or public buildings shall not be permitted.
1855. Independent production processes and operations during the performance of which contamination of the air with mercury vapours is possible are carried out in separate buildings equipped with their own amenity rooms.
1856. The building structures inside production and auxiliary rooms shall be finished with compositions (mercury-impermeable coatings) that exclude the sorption (absorption) and desorption (reverse release) of mercury vapours and that permit the wet cleaning (hydraulic washing) of mercury and substances containing mercury.
1857. The junction points of walls with one another, with the ceiling and the floor, the passage points of process and auxiliary pipelines, the joint points of building structures with foundations, supports or bodies of technical devices shall be gastight and rounded for the convenience of applying mercury-impermeable coatings and carrying out wet cleaning in the room.
1858. Process pipelines, air ducts and other communications shall be laid by a concealed method or, where possible, outside the production room.
1859. Electric cables shall be laid in pipes or in special cable wells. The wiring of lighting networks shall be carried out concealed or with special wires. The use of cables, cords and leads with aluminium conductors shall not be permitted. The electrical devices used shall be of an appropriate gastight design to make it possible to carry out hydraulic washing.
1860. All production rooms in which mercury may get onto the floor or the foundations of equipment shall be equipped with vacuum-cleaning systems and hydraulic-washing devices. For the drainage of liquid, the floors shall have a slope and channels equipped with mercury traps.
1861. For observation of the process where the release of mercury vapours takes place, production rooms shall be equipped with special observation cabins with a supply of clean air to them providing excess pressure. In cases where the control of the process is provided from remote control panels, the control-panel room (switch room) shall be located at the end of the building (shop) and shall communicate both with the mercury shop and with the amenity room. The entrance to the control-panel room (switch room) from the side of the mercury shop shall be equipped with an airlock vestibule in which the excess pressure of clean air is maintained.
1862. In rooms where the release of mercury vapours into the air occurs, the use of aluminium, copper and other passivating metals as construction materials for building structures shall not be permitted.
1863. At the exit from a room where there is a possibility of contamination of footwear with mercury, baths with a low side or machines for washing work footwear with demercuriser solutions shall be installed.
1864. Laboratory rooms in which work is performed directly with mercury (distillation of mercury, heating, washing, the presence of open surfaces of mercury), as well as work in which model (pilot) units with a mercury filling are used, shall be isolated from other production rooms, shall have a separate exit and shall be provided with their own amenity rooms.
1865. The design and materials of production and laboratory furniture shall exclude the sorption of mercury and shall ensure the possibility of carrying out demercurisation and wet cleaning.
1866. Auxiliary rooms of mercury productions shall be located in detached buildings, on the leeward side of the production buildings. In cases where separate location of a building is impossible, the auxiliary rooms shall be located at the end of the production buildings, separated from them by corridors and an airlock vestibule in which the excess pressure of clean air is maintained.
1867. Amenity rooms shall be isolated and located at the end of the production buildings. From the production rooms they shall be separated by a corridor, a stairwell or an airlock vestibule in which excess pressure of clean air shall be maintained.
1868. The provision of workers with special clothing and PPE shall be performed in accordance with the labour protection requirements.
1869. The territory of the production site, in places of possible contamination with mercury, shall have a coating that prevents the absorption of mercury by the soil, and slopes ensuring the drainage (runoff) of storm, melt and irrigation waters to the treatment facilities.
1870. Technical devices associated with the production of mercury and its compounds, during the operation of which the release of mercury vapours is possible, shall have built-in extractors or special devices for capturing mercury vapours at the place of their formation.
1871. The design of technical devices and communications shall exclude the possibility of condensation of mercury vapours, except for those devices in which, according to the conditions of the process, condensation of mercury occurs.
1872. The construction materials or coating materials of the outer surface of technical devices shall exclude the sorption of mercury and the chemical interaction of the surface material with mercury, and shall permit cleaning to be carried out.
1873. The design of a technical device and its installation shall exclude the accumulation of mercury on the surface of the technical device and beneath it, and shall ensure the possibility of cleaning up mercury and demercurisation.
1874. Technical devices shall be installed on pre-plastered foundations with a protective coating, having a streamlined shape that does not impede the runoff of washing solutions.
1875. Beneath the glands and detachable joints of centrifugal pumps that pump process solutions or mixtures of substances containing mercury, pans made of materials resistant to these substances shall be installed. The flange joints of pressure pipelines shall have protective devices.
1876. For the uncontrolled evaporation of mercury, laboratory technical devices shall not be located directly near doors, passages, window openings, in the vicinity of heating appliances and heated surfaces. The glass parts of mercury apparatus shall be placed inside fume cupboards both during its operation and during non-working time.
1877. Steel pans under production equipment shall have sides, be smooth on the inside (welding seams facing outward) and be coated with nitro-enamels both on the outside and on the inside.
1878. For connecting the taps and glass tubes of instruments and apparatus containing mercury, special rigid transitions and fastenings designed for a pressure exceeding the maximum working pressure by 10 - 15 per cent shall be used.
1879. Electric motors and electrical apparatus installed in rooms where the release of mercury vapours is possible, if they contain aluminium wires and parts, shall have a protective coating resistant to mercury.
1880. The storage of mercury shall be carried out in special warehouses equipped in accordance with the requirements applicable to production rooms the air of which may contain mercury vapours. The layout of the mercury storage warehouse shall provide for the organisation of one-way movement of mercury (acceptance of mercury-filled cylinders, their storage, issuance, storage of empty cylinders). All work in mercury warehouses shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction.
1881. The storage of mercury in warehouses and in production rooms is provided in special steel cylinders with screw-in steel plugs and a tap in the lower part for draining mercury. The tap handle shall have an interlock that excludes accidental opening of the tap.
1882. In production rooms, mercury may be stored for up to one day, with the exhaust system running, in hermetically closed thick-walled glass or other vessels resistant to mechanical, chemical and other effects. The vessel shall be placed in a case with a shock absorber and installed on a special pan.
1883. In laboratory rooms, mercury shall be stored in a fume cupboard in hermetically closed thick-walled glass or other unbreakable vessels placed in a case with a shock absorber on a special pan. Spent mercury shall be stored in compliance with the same requirements. In small quantities, mercury may be stored in sealed glass ampoules of 20 - 30 ml each in common laboratory cabinets. The ampoules in this case shall be placed in tight cases that prevent the spillage of mercury in the event of accidental damage to the ampoules.
1884. Model units, instruments and apparatus with a mercury filling, after the end of their service life or before being handed over for repair, shall be subject to demercurisation in accordance with the process instruction.
1885. The procedure for storing mercury ore, intermediate products of mercury production, mercury waste, broken ware and glass instruments containing mercury shall be determined by the process instruction and factory documentation.
1886. For the storage of solid mercury-containing waste, including used lamps with a mercury filling, special sites shall be equipped on the leeward side of the transport-and-storage zone of the production site, at a distance of not less than 100 m from production buildings.
1887. Storage facilities for the cinders of mercury productions (spoil heaps and dumps) shall be located on the leeward side of the production site, at a distance of not less than 200 m from production buildings.
1888. On the territory of the production zone, sites for the short-term storage of mercury-contaminated dismantled assemblies and parts of technical devices shall be provided. The sites shall have a mercury-impermeable coating and be equipped with channels with traps for collecting mercury from washing waters.
1889. The storage and transportation of mercury and of articles and waste containing mercury shall be provided in gastight packaging (containers, vessels) resistant to mechanical, chemical and other effects, excluding the formation of secondary sources of environmental contamination with mercury.
1890. The utilisation and burial of toxic mercury waste shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the building and sanitary norms and rules in force.
1891. The utilisation of defective articles containing mercury shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the process instruction in a special room technologically and territorially connected with the main production.
1892. The fume cupboards used for the destruction of defective articles containing mercury shall be developed by the design organisation and provided with lighting, energy carriers, an exhaust ventilation system, as well as the tooling and fixtures necessary for carrying out the relevant operations.
1893. Defective articles freed of mercury and cullet shall be carried in special containers to the rooms for the temporary storage of articles freed of mercury.
1894. The temporary storage of defective articles contaminated with mercury and subject to destruction shall be carried out in a fume cupboard with the exhaust ventilation running.
1895. The discharge of cinders from the bins of furnace units and their transport shall be carried out in accordance with the technological instruction approved by the technical manager of the organisation.
1896. The transport of cinder shall be carried out under conditions of maximum dust suppression (hydraulic transport, enclosure of dust-emission points and aspiration).
1897. At facilities producing mercury and its compounds, all work on routine and final demercurisation, including the demercurisation of protective clothing, shall be carried out in accordance with the technological instruction.
1898. Routine demercurisation of technical devices and communications, of the building structures of production and laboratory rooms, and of furniture and tooling shall be carried out: as planned, according to a schedule approved by the technical manager of the organisation; before work on the repair and dismantling of technical devices and communications; upon the detection of accumulations of mercury in the form of droplets or process solutions.
1899. Routine demercurisation shall be carried out throughout the entire period of production of mercury and its compounds by the operating organisation.
1900. Final demercurisation of technical devices and communications, of the building structures of production and laboratory rooms, and of furniture and tooling shall be carried out: after the completion of seasonal (cyclical) types of work; before the siting, on production areas contaminated with mercury, of processes not involving the use of mercury; upon a change in the process associated with the cessation of the use of mercury or its replacement with harmless or less toxic substances; upon the identification of facilities whose building structures contain sorbed mercury that is a secondary source of contamination and cannot be removed by routine demercurisation; upon the transfer of a facility where work using mercury was previously carried out from the jurisdiction of one organisation to that of another, regardless of the intended nature of the subsequent use of the facility.
1901. To determine the method of carrying out (the manner of performing) final demercurisation, before the start of work, all sources of secondary contamination of the air with mercury vapour shall be identified, their intensity and the depth of penetration of mercury into the material of the building structures shall be determined, and the nature of the subsequent use of the rooms contaminated with mercury shall be taken into account.
1902. In cases of the subsequent siting, on the production areas being treated, of technical devices associated with the use of mercury, final demercurisation shall include the performance of special work to protect the building structures from mercury.
1903. Production and laboratory rooms intended for work with mercury shall be equipped with supply and exhaust ventilation with mechanical induction.
1904. The design of ventilation systems shall preclude the possibility of condensation of mercury vapour and accumulation of mercury on the internal and external surfaces of ducts and other elements of the ventilation equipment.
1905. Exhaust ventilation ducts shall be provided with hatches for periodic cleaning.
1906. In production rooms in which harmful and hazardous substances are released, measures shall be provided to prevent the passage of air from these rooms into less contaminated rooms.
1907. The procedure for switching on general exchange ventilation systems and local exhaust systems for ventilating production rooms and working in fume cupboards shall comply with the requirements of the technological instructions.
1908. All ventilation systems, including standby ones, shall be interlocked with the process technical devices. The switching-on of the ventilation systems shall precede the start-up of the technical devices.
1909. The degree of air rarefaction in the ducts of the ventilation systems, as well as the air velocity in the working openings of the technical devices and in the working and inspection openings of the air intakes of the local exhausts, shall be determined by the design organisation.
1910. All mercury traps shall be equipped with local exhausts.
1911. Ventilation emissions shall be cleaned of mercury vapour.
1912. The surface temperature of heating appliances shall be no higher than 80 °C. The design of heating appliances shall be smooth, accessible for cleaning and shall preclude the possibility of accumulation of mercury on the surfaces. The use of finned tubes in heating appliances shall not be permitted.
1913. Work associated with cleaning up a spill of a large quantity of mercury (an emergency situation), work with the general exchange ventilation systems or local exhausts switched off, and also work in closed vessels and work with heated mercury and its compounds outside fume cupboards shall be carried out using respiratory protective equipment.
1914. The safety requirements for the gas facilities of metallurgical facilities apply to the gas facilities of metallurgical facilities being designed and in operation, to power facilities and to other facilities associated with the preparation, transport, consumption and utilisation of industrial gases used as fuel.
1915. The gas facilities of metallurgical facilities producing or consuming combustible industrial gases include: the networks, equipment and devices intended for carrying out metallurgical processes. The industrial gases of metallurgical facilities consist of natural, blast-furnace, coke-oven, converter, ferroalloy, reformer and other gases arising (used) in the course of metallurgical production, as well as mixtures of gases. The safety requirements for the gas facilities of metallurgical facilities apply to gas facilities with a gas gauge pressure of no more than 1.2 MPa, and to SGU with a gauge pressure of no more than 1.6 MPa.
1916. The requirements of these Rules apply to the inter-shop and shop gas pipelines of the specified gases, the gas equipment of furnaces, boilers and other gas-consuming equipment, installations for cleaning industrial gases, gas-discharge devices, gas-extraction, gas-boosting, gas-compressor and gas-turbine expansion stations, gas-mixing installations, gas control points and units, as well as inter-plant gas pipelines and gas pipelines to individual facilities of the enterprise located in separate territories.
1917. In an operating organisation that has gas facilities and produces and consumes combustible gases, control over ensuring the safe operation of the gas facilities shall be organised. Control over ensuring the safe operation of the gas facilities shall be carried out by establishing a gas shop, or by appointing responsible employees, or by concluding a contract with an organisation for the provision of maintenance and repair services for the gas facilities.
1918. Combustible process gases shall be cleaned of dust.
1919. The content of hydrogen sulphide in coke-oven gas in the plant networks of operating enterprises shall not exceed 4 g/Nm3, and that of naphthalene 0.5 g/Nm3. For newly constructed and reconstructed coke-chemical facilities, the content of hydrogen sulphide in coke-oven gas in the plant networks shall not exceed 0.5 g/Nm3, and that of naphthalene 0.2 g/Nm3. During gas-plasma treatment of metal in enclosed rooms, the content of hydrogen sulphide in coke-oven gas shall not exceed 0.02 g/Nm3, and that of naphthalene 0.05 g/Nm3 (in summer) and 0.1 g/Nm3 (in winter). Depending on the conditions of ferroalloy production, the content of hydrogen in ferroalloy gas may be up to 12 per cent, and the total content of hydrogen sulphide and sulphur dioxide, expressed as sulphur dioxide, shall not exceed 1 g/Nm3. The content of dust in ferroalloy gas entering the plant networks shall not exceed 20 mg/Nm3. In natural gas used as fuel, depending on the deposits, the content of hydrogen sulphide may be up to 25 mg/Nm3, and that of mercaptan sulphur up to 120 - 150 mg/Nm3. For individual facilities, where necessary, special cleaning of the natural gas used to remove sulphur compounds shall be provided.
1920. Gas pipelines and gas equipment for industrial gases, depending on the design gas pressure in them, are divided into: tanks for propane-butane (up to 1.6 MPa); high-pressure gas pipelines (above 0.3 up to and including 1.2 MPa); medium-pressure gas pipelines (above 0.1 up to and including 0.3 MPa); low-pressure gas pipelines (up to and including 0.1 MPa). Gas pipelines and gas equipment for natural gas are divided into: high-pressure gas pipelines of category 1a (above 1.2 MPa); high-pressure gas pipelines of category 1 (above 0.6 up to and including 1.2 MPa); high-pressure gas pipelines of category 2 (above 0.3 up to and including 0.6 MPa); medium-pressure gas pipelines (above 0.005 up to and including 0.3 MPa); low-pressure gas pipelines (up to and including 0.005 MPa).
1921. The maximum working pressure that may occur in gas pipelines and gas installations under operating conditions and for which they shall be designed is defined as the design pressure.
1922. The operation of gas pipelines and gas installations shall be carried out only with a gas gauge pressure in them. An exception is installations in which "rarefaction-pressure" fluctuations are permitted owing to the conditions of the process.
1923. Gas pipelines and gas installations shall be located in open areas, ensuring free ventilation of the space in the territory they occupy. The location of gas pipelines and installations in enclosed rooms may be permitted only in those cases where this is dictated by the conditions of the process or of servicing.
1924. Gas pipelines on the territory of the enterprise shall be constructed above ground. In shops, on the sections where gas is supplied to individual furnaces, installations and units, gas pipelines may be laid in ducts in compliance with the requirements of these Rules.
1925. The joining of the parts of gas pipelines and gas apparatus to one another shall be carried out by welding. Flanged joints are permitted only at the points where blanks are installed, where gas pipelines are connected to flanged equipment, fittings and apparatus, and on individual sections of gas pipelines in cases where this is dictated by the conditions of installation or operation. The use of threaded joints is permitted for the connection of instrumentation, as well as of fittings and equipment that are manufactured only with threaded joints.
1926. The choice of methods and means of protecting against corrosion the external surface of pipelines, the steel inserts of polyethylene gas pipelines, apparatus and supporting structures shall be determined by the design on the basis of the conditions of their laying and installation. Identification colouring shall be applied to the pipelines.
1927. Buildings and gas installations shall be equipped with lightning protection, earthing and ventilation in accordance with the design.
1928. All gas machines and apparatus shall be earthed regardless of their location. Gas pipelines shall be earthed at their entry into and exit from shop buildings, as a rule, to the earthing loops of the shop electrical installations. External gas pipelines shall be earthed every 250 m. The electrical resistance of the earth electrode to current dispersion shall be no more than 10 Ohm. At the points where flanged joints are installed, conductive bonds shall be provided.
1929. The installation of bronze cocks or gate valves with bronze rings on gas pipelines where the hydrogen sulphide content in the gas exceeds 20 mg/m3 shall not be permitted.
1930. Gate valves and cocks installed on gas pipelines and devices shall have an indicator of the open and closed position.
1931. For the tight disconnection of individual sections of gas pipelines, gas-consuming units and gas apparatus from gas pipelines in operation, sheet gate valves or blanks shall be installed after the disc gate valves (in the direction of the gas flow). The installation, inside buildings and shops, on gas pipelines, of sheet gate valves of any type without disc gate valves in front of them shall not be permitted.
1932. Sheet gate valves on gas pipelines with a diameter of more than 300 mm shall be equipped with a mechanised drive. Blanks shall be used during repairs, prolonged shutdowns, inspections and emergency conditions if sheet gate valves are not installed. A blank shall be installed in the direction of the gas flow between the far flanges of the gate valve.
1933. The blanking sheets of sheet gate valves and blanks with a diameter of up to 2 m shall be made from a single sheet. For larger diameters, welded sheets made of two parts may be used, with appropriate machining and testing of the tightness of the welds.
1934. The blanking sheets of blanks and sheet gate valves shall be designed for the corresponding gas pressure, taking into account the diameter of the gas pipeline, and their thickness shall be no less than 4 mm. Swing blanks ("Schmidt spectacles") may be installed. Removable blanks installed on pipelines shall be manufactured in accordance with the design documentation and have a passport (certificate) from the manufacturer. The passports (certificates) for removable blanks shall be kept by the person responsible for the technical condition of the given gas facility, or in the log of the installation and removal of blanks (hereinafter - the log). On the shank of each removable blank there shall be stamped the number of the certificate for the blank, the number of the blank, the material grade, the nominal pressure PN and the nominal diameter DN. The installation and removal of blanks shall be recorded in the log by the employee who gave the instruction to install or remove the blank. The log shall indicate the specific place of installation of the blank, the registration number of the pipeline, and the name and number, according to the process flow diagram, of the shut-off fittings before or after which the blank is installed.
1935. The siting, beneath inter-shop gas pipelines, of any rooms and installations not belonging to the gas facilities shall not be permitted. The locations of fittings and instruments requiring constant servicing shall be lit.
1936. The gas pipelines of enterprises are subdivided into inter-shop and shop pipelines. Inter-shop pipelines include the gas pipelines through which gas is directed to two or more shops up to the inlet shut-off fittings of these shops. Shop gas pipelines include the gas branches from the shut-off fittings of the inter-shop gas pipelines, the shop header, the branches from the shop header to the gas-consuming units, and the pipelines distributing gas to the corresponding equipment of the shop.
1937. For the removal of condensate from all low points of the gas pipelines of wet gases, and also from the gas pipeline of enriched coke-oven gas ahead of the main large consumer shops, condensate traps shall be installed; on the gas pipelines of dried gas, drain connections with valves or gate valves shall be installed.
1938. The minimum height of the water seal of the condensate traps of gas pipelines operating under gauge pressure shall be 500 mm of water column greater than the design gas pressure, but no less than 2000 mm of water column. Where necessary, to increase the height of the water seal, a condensate trap consisting of vessels installed in series, no more than three in number, may be installed. For gas pipelines under rarefaction, the minimum height of the water seal shall be 500 mm of water column greater than the design rarefaction in the gas pipeline, and the volume of the vessel of the condensate trap shall be twice the design volume of the drain line of the water seal.
1939. The heating of condensate traps in winter by introducing live steam into the vessel shall not be permitted, except in emergency situations. The discharge of condensate from the steam tracer of the condensate pot into the lower part of the vessel of the condensate trap is permitted. The discharge of waste water from condensate traps shall be carried out with an air gap between the drain pipe from the condensate traps and the receiving funnel at the outlet into the sewer, except for condensate traps in tunnels and in the room beneath the end and intermediate platforms of coke ovens. At the outlet into the sewer, after the receiving funnel, a water seal at least 200 mm high shall be provided. Waste water shall be discharged from the condensate traps of gas pipelines: (a) for blast-furnace, ferroalloy and converter gases - into the recirculation cycles of the corresponding gas-cleaning plants or into the industrial sewer; the discharge of waste water after the condensate traps of the specified gases, except ferroalloy gas, into the combined sewer of domestic and industrial waste water is permitted, provided that the entry of gas into the sewer is precluded and that their joint transport and treatment is possible; (b) for coke-oven gas and its mixtures - into the phenol sewer or the domestic sewer having biological treatment; the discharge of waste water after the condensate traps of coke-oven gas and its mixtures into specially arranged watertight reservoirs, with subsequent removal by tank trucks to treatment facilities, is permitted; the reservoirs shall have a vent pipe with a diameter of no less than 100 mm without shut-off fittings. The discharge into the sewer of waste water from condensate traps into the storm sewer shall be prohibited.
1940. The discharge of condensate from shop gas pipelines shall be carried out through condensate traps. Its discharge through the burners of furnaces and other equipment of the gas consumer shall not be permitted.
1941. The design of condensate traps installed in shop buildings shall preclude the possibility of gases entering the rooms.
1942. The sections of the pipes discharging condensate, as well as the condensate traps themselves, if the shop is not heated, shall be insulated.
1943. Stationary gas draw-off posts shall be placed in metal cabinets with openings for ventilation. The distance between the cabinets of the gas draw-off posts for oxygen and combustible gas shall be no less than 150 mm. The doors of the cabinets during operation shall be open. In the absence of the worker using the gas draw-off post, the cabinet shall be locked. The gas draw-off posts and cabinets shall have identification colouring.
1944. The pressure of combustible gases upstream of the gas-flame equipment is established taking into account the type of gas and the type of equipment (burners, cutters). The lower pressure limit for grade I acetylene-substitute gases shall be no lower than that specified in the characteristics of the burner or cutter, but no lower than 3.0 kPa.
1945. When gas draw-off posts are supplied with natural gas or LPG delivered by pipeline, the gas pressure in the pipeline shall not exceed 0.15 MPa. Where the gas pressure in the pipeline exceeds 0.15 MPa, a gas-regulating device (a reducer) shall be provided upstream of the safety liquid or dry seal or the non-return valve.
1946. When a gas draw-off post is supplied with gas from a cylinder, a reducer shall be installed on the latter to reduce the gas pressure.
1947. Only one cutter may be connected to one liquid seal, dry seal or non-return valve. If a gas draw-off post feeds a machine served by a single operator, then the number of burners or cutters installed on the machine is limited only by the throughput capacity of the seal or valve.
1948. The determination of the categories of rooms and buildings according to the degree of explosion and fire hazard is carried out in accordance with the requirements for determining the categories of rooms and buildings by explosion and fire hazard. The production category is determined during design. The classification of explosion-hazardous zones at gas installations sited inside and outside rooms, in relation to the electrical equipment located in these zones, is established in accordance with the requirements of the rules for the construction of electrical installations (PUE). In this case, external and intra-shop above-ground pipelines for combustible gases operating under gauge pressure (including the zones at the pipeline fittings, valves, flanged joints, and instrumentation and automation), the rooms of the blast-furnace-gas boosting stations at an outlet gas pressure of up to 15 kPa, the blast-furnace-gas cleaning plants, the condensate traps of all combustible gases and their mixtures, and the general-purpose cabinet-type GRP and GRU are classified as non-explosion-hazardous facilities. Gas pipelines and gas installations operating under rarefaction, and the condensate traps of all combustible gases and their mixtures that are sited in wells, are classified as explosion-hazardous facilities.
1949. The reduction of gas pressure and its maintenance at a set level in gas-supply systems shall be carried out at: GRP constructed on the territory of enterprises; GRU constructed in the rooms where the gas-consuming units are located.
1950. The requirements of this Section apply to: combustible-gas GPS with gauge pressure in the suction line, equipped with centrifugal blowers or gas blowers; combustible-gas GKS with gauge pressure in the suction line, equipped with reciprocating or centrifugal compressors; GTRS with the installation of gas recovery compressorless turbines intended for blast-furnace gas.
1951. The purging of gas blowers, blowers and compressors operating on coke-oven gas, as well as on mixtures with other gases, shall be carried out with steam or nitrogen, and direct contact of the specified combustible gases with air in the system being purged and ventilated shall be precluded. When operating on blast-furnace, ferroalloy and converter gases and their mixtures, the use of compressed air for purging gas blowers, blowers, compressors and gas recovery compressorless turbines is permitted.
1952. At the shaft seal points and other points of possible gas leakage from gas blowers, compressors and gas recovery compressorless turbines, there shall be local exhausts with the discharge of gas into the atmosphere through special vent pipes.
1953. The preparation of installation work, the inspection of compressors, their installation, testing and acceptance shall be carried out in compliance with the requirements of the technical documents for process equipment and pipelines.
1954. When the oxygen content in the gas in the pressure header of the gas-extraction station increases to 1.5 per cent (by volume), a light-and-sound signal shall be given, and when the oxygen reaches 2 per cent, the removal of gas from the electric furnace shall be immediately stopped.
1955. In converter shops, the complete (without blow-outs) removal of gases from the converters shall be ensured, with subsequent cleaning to remove dust to the required concentrations before their discharge into the atmosphere or their delivery for use.
1956. Converter gas coolers (OKG), dust-collecting devices (scrubbers, spray tubes, droplet catchers) and gas ducts shall have hatches and manholes and be equipped with devices ensuring the safe performance of repair work.
1957. When gases are removed without afterburning, the formation of stagnant unventilated zones in the gas-removal path shall be prevented. Where it is impossible to meet this requirement, the purging of the presumed stagnant zones with inert gas, for example nitrogen, shall be ensured (the oxygen content in the inert gas shall not exceed 2 per cent). On the inert-gas pipelines supplying each stagnant zone, regulating fittings and an instrument for measuring and recording the pressure downstream of them shall be installed, as well as shut-off fittings precluding the entry of converter gases into the supply lines.
1958. In each converter shop, an instruction shall be developed on ensuring the explosion-safe operation of the converter gas-removal paths. The explosion-safe operation of the converter gas-removal paths shall be ensured by automatic control of the main process and power parameters, alarm and interlocking.
1959. The design of the cooler shall ensure minimal adhesion of accretions and their easy removal (except in cases where it is necessary to form a wear-protective skull on the screen tubes). The openings in the cooler for the feeding of bulk materials shall be minimal (taking into account the need to ensure rapid descent of the materials into the converter). The opening in the cooler for the passage of the lance shall have a diameter no more than 3 times the diameter of the lance and be equipped with a sealing device (an aerodynamic curtain, air or nitrogen) preventing the blow-out of gases into the shop.
1960. The supply of feed water from the feed pump station to the OKG shall be carried out via two mutually independent water conduits. The throughput capacity of each feed water conduit shall provide 100 per cent of the shop's requirement for feed water. The quality of the feed water shall comply with the requirements of the standards.
1961. The temperature of the water at the outlet of the water-cooled elements of the OKG shall not exceed the value permissible under the conditions of precipitation of temporary-hardness salts.
1962. Where the use of supplementary firing of the converter gas coolers with additional fuel in the intermediate period is necessary and expedient, it may be carried out with any method of removing converter gases. In this case, the possibility of the formation of explosive gas mixtures in the gas-removal path shall be precluded, both during the period of supplementary firing and during transitional periods. For this purpose, the supplementary-firing burner of the OKG shall be equipped with a continuously operating pilot burner and a sight glass. The pilot burner shall ensure reliable ignition of the supplementary-firing burner. A light signal indicating the operation of the pilot burner and a sound signal indicating its extinguishing shall be brought out to the post of the operator of the gas-removal path. The possibility of using a manual igniter shall be provided.
1963. When gases are removed without afterburning or with partial afterburning, the OKG shall be equipped with a coupling (a "skirt") - a device for limiting the blow-out of converter gases, or another device of similar purpose.
1964. When gases are removed with complete afterburning, the content of carbon monoxide in the gases entering the electrostatic precipitator shall not exceed 1 per cent.
1965. In the case of the use of electrostatic precipitators when gases are removed without afterburning, the gas-removal path shall be designed taking into account the possible explosion of gases in the electrostatic precipitator, and the electrostatic precipitator shall be equipped with explosion relief valves.
1966. The supply of water to the gas-cleaning systems shall be carried out from the recirculation cycle via two independent water conduits interconnected by a disconnectable crossover.
1967. On the gas ducts from the gas-cleaning plant to the smoke exhauster and from the smoke exhauster to the chimney, moisture-catching elements and water drains shall be installed. All water outlets from the gas-cleaning plant and the drains of the gas ducts shall be provided with water seals. The supply of water to fill the water seals before the start-up of the gas-cleaning plant shall be provided. The design of the water seal shall prevent the possibility of communication of the elements of the gas-removal path with the atmosphere, taking into account an emergency cessation of the water supply to the gas-cleaning plant.
1968. When gases are removed without afterburning, the device regulating the operation of the smoke exhauster (blower) shall have adjustable stops limiting the maximum and minimum delivery of the smoke exhauster. The response speed of the drive (the time of full travel) shall be no more than 4 s.
1969. When gases are removed without afterburning or with partial afterburning, the path shall be equipped with an afterburning device.
1970. The afterburning device shall be equipped with a system of reliable remote ignition, comprising an ignition device (an electric igniter or a gas igniter), a device for transferring the flame (for example, a relay with internal or external flame transfer) and pilot burners. The use of the external-flame-transfer device as a burner is permitted.
1971. The afterburning device shall preclude the possibility of flame flashback into the gas-removal path (under turbulent combustion and taking into account the enrichment of the gases with hydrogen and oxygen), for which the minimum gas velocity shall exceed the flame flashback velocity. To reduce the flashback velocity, use may be made, for example, of a design of the outlet part of the afterburning device in the form of a battery of parallel tubes with a diameter of 80 - 100 mm and a length of 20 diameters, equipped with a confuser at the end. For such a design, the minimum gas outlet velocity shall accordingly be 19 - 24 m/s.
1972. For servicing the afterburning device, stationary platforms shall be provided. The fittings of the afterburning device shall be located in a heated room. The room shall have natural ventilation with a sixfold air exchange.
1973. The platforms of the afterburning device shall be lit. The platforms, guards and light fittings located in the radiation zone of the flame of the afterburning device shall be protected from its thermal effect.
1974. The installations for the removal, cooling and cleaning of converter gases shall be equipped with instrumentation, alarm, interlocks and an automation system and shall have centralised remote control necessary for safe operation.
1975. The values of the parameters at which the alarm or interlocks shall operate are established by the design.
1976. At the control post of the converter gas-removal path, there shall be a mnemonic diagram of it.
1977. All elements of the converter gas cooler and of the gas-cleaning plant cooled by service water shall be provided with indicating and regulating flow meters. Indicating and recording instruments for the temperature and rarefaction of the gases along the path (after the OKG, after the gas-cleaning plant, before and after the smoke exhauster) and for the temperature of the water supplied to the gas-cleaning plant shall also be provided. On the instrumentation panels of the gas-removal path, there shall be installed signalling devices for a drop in the water flow to the elements of the cooler and the gas-cleaning plant, signalling devices for the reaching of limit water levels in the bins of the gas-cleaning apparatus, and for a drop in the rarefaction before the smoke exhauster below the set value.
1978. To monitor the content of carbon monoxide in the products before the electrical gas-cleaning plant, when gases are removed with complete afterburning, apparatus shall be installed that signals to the converter operator's post a carbon monoxide content in the gases of 1 per cent and more and indicates and records its content within the range of up to 5 per cent.
1979. On the gas-removal paths of converters operating with complete afterburning and with any method of gas cleaning, when converter blowing is intensified, the installation of CO gas analysers (0 - 10 per cent) after the smoke exhausters shall, as a rule, be carried out to monitor the composition of the combustion products. A signal of a carbon monoxide content of 1 per cent and more shall be fed to the converter control post.
1980. Where gases are removed without afterburning, indicating and recording instruments shall be installed to measure the content of CO, CO2, O2 and H2 in the products of incomplete combustion upstream of the gas cleaning; CO and O2 downstream of the exhauster. The oxygen content in the gas shall not exceed 2 per cent (by volume) and the hydrogen content shall not exceed 3 per cent (by volume).
1981. The natural gas desulphurisation installation for producing reformer gas shall be equipped with quick-acting shut-off valves at the gas inlet to the installation, which are actuated when the gas pressure falls below or rises above the values established by the design.
1982. The desulphurisation installation shall have a supply of nitrogen and steam.
1983. Once every four years the desulphurisation gas pipelines are subjected to pneumatic testing.
1984. A layout diagram of the apparatus and pipelines shall be posted in a prominent place on the desulphurisation control panel. The desulphurisation installation shall operate in automatic mode and be equipped with interlocks that shut down the installation when the parameters deviate from the set values.
1985. Before the repair of the desulphurisation apparatus and gas pipelines, they shall be blanked off and ventilated. The CH4 content in two consecutively taken samples shall be not more than 1 per cent.
1986. Before start-up after repair, the desulphurisation apparatus and gas pipelines shall be tested for tightness and strength and purged with nitrogen until the O2 content is not more than 1 per cent in two consecutively taken samples.
1987. When starting the gas heater into operation, the burners shall be ignited only by means of an electric igniter through the branch pipe in the bottom of the gas heater, so that the electric spark touches the nozzle of the igniter. If the gas heater burners are out of operation for more than 30 minutes, a blank shall be installed on the fuel gas pipeline.
1988. The gas-relief candle of the desulphurisation installation shall be equipped with an automatic ignition device, upon the switching-on of which the pilot burners ignite in sequence, which shall be indicated by a light signalling on the control panel.
1989. The installation for producing reformer gas for the production of metallised hot-reduced iron shall have a nitrogen supply for its purging before start-up. Purging with nitrogen shall be carried out until there is not more than 1 per cent oxygen in the purging section.
1990. To protect against a rise of the gas pressure above the design value, safety relief valves shall be installed.
1991. To regulate the pressure of the reformer gas downstream of the cooler and to discharge it to the candle, control valves shall be installed that operate in manual or automatic mode.
1992. When the reformer gas production units are shut down, the supply of air and natural gas to the burners shall be shut off. Blanks shall be installed on the natural gas pipeline.
1993. Before igniting the reformer burners, its combustion space shall be purged.
1994. Purging with air of pipelines containing water that are connected to gas systems and units shall not be permitted.
1995. The installation for the storage and metered supply of carbon disulphide (CS2) into the reducing gas shall be automated and have remote control. The installation shall be equipped with quick-acting shut-off valves on the supply of carbon disulphide into the reducing gas, which are actuated when the gas pressure falls below or rises above the established values.
1996. The carbon disulphide installation shall have a nitrogen supply for purging the pipelines and forcing nitrogen into the metering line.
1997. An automatic deluge water-supply system shall be installed in the room of the carbon disulphide installation, which is actuated in the event of a spill of carbon disulphide into the room.
1998. A shower and a drinking-water fountain shall be installed in the room of the carbon disulphide installation for washing off carbon disulphide in the event of its contact with the skin or eyes.
1999. The requirements of the Rules for the Design and Safe Operation of Vessels Operating under Pressure apply to apparatus operating under pressure (the storage tank, the emergency and transport tanks, the carbon filters, the converter and other apparatus).
2000. The transfer of carbon disulphide from the transport tank to the storage tank shall be carried out in accordance with an instruction approved by the chief engineer of the enterprise, under a permit to work.
2001. A layout diagram of the apparatus, isolating and control fittings and pipelines shall be placed on the control panel of the carbon disulphide installation. The installation shall operate in automatic mode and be equipped with emergency interlocks that automatically shut down the installation in the event of an accident.
2002. Electrolysers shall be equipped with devices for the afterburning of carbon monoxide, tarry substances and benzopyrene.
2003. All tank-type gas-cleaning apparatus containing explosive dusts and gases shall be equipped with safety valves.
2004. Automatic gas analysers shall be installed in the rooms of exhauster stations, interlocked with automatic emergency exhaust ventilation systems that switch on when concentrations of harmful substances exceeding the maximum permissible concentration are formed in the air of the working area. In addition, the switching-on of the exhaust ventilation system shall be interlocked with the opening of the entrance door of the exhauster room. A signal that the exhaust ventilation system has been activated shall be sent to the control panel of the gas-cleaning dispatcher.
2005. All gas pipelines and gas installations, upon completion of construction, installation and welding work (including repair work) and the drawing-up of documents confirming the quality of the work performed, are subjected to external examination, testing for strength and tightness and, where necessary, additional leak-tightness testing with determination of the pressure drop. The additional leak-tightness tests are determined by the conditions specified in the design or design documentation.
2006. During the external examination the following are checked: the conformity of the installed gas pipelines, types of fittings and equipment to the design; the correctness of the performance of all installation work and its conformity to the design, including heat treatment and welding; the correctness of the installation of the fittings, the ease of closing and opening of the fittings; the presence and conformity to the design of the instrumentation and automation equipment; the presence of service platforms and stairways; the installation of all design fastenings and the presence of protective earthing; the completeness and correctness of the drawing-up of the installation documentation. The results of the examination shall be documented by a report. The purpose of the external examination is to verify readiness for testing.
2007. Testing of gas pipelines and gas installations is carried out by the construction and installation organisation with the participation of a representative of the enterprise. The procedure and methodology for conducting the test are determined by the performing authority, taking account of these Rules. The test programme shall be agreed with the technical management of the enterprise and approved by the management of the performing authority. The results of the tests shall be documented by a report.
2008. The type of test (for strength and tightness, additional leak-tightness test), the method of testing (hydraulic, pneumatic) and the value of the test pressure are specified in the design for each gas pipeline. In the absence of instructions on testing, the method of testing is agreed with the customer, and the value of the test pressure is taken in accordance with these Rules.
2009. Before testing for strength and tightness, the external gas pipelines shall be purged to clean the internal cavity. The cavity of the intra-shop gas pipelines shall be cleaned before their installation.
2010. When testing gas pipelines and gas installations, the pressure shall be measured by two pressure gauges that have passed calibration and are sealed. The accuracy class of the pressure gauges shall be not lower than 1.5, with a body diameter of not less than 160 mm and a scale for a nominal pressure of not less than 4/3 and not more than 5/3 of the value being measured. When developing the test programme for a gas-facilities object, the following values of test pressures for low- and medium-pressure gas pipelines are established: for the strength test - 0.4 MPa (a pressure gauge with an upper measurement limit of 0.6 MPa); for the tightness test: for gas pipelines with a working pressure of up to 0.1 MPa - 0.1 MPa (a pressure gauge with an upper measurement limit of 0.16 MPa); for gas pipelines with a working pressure of 0.1 to 0.3 MPa - 0.3 MPa (a pressure gauge with an upper measurement limit of 0.4 MPa); for the leak-tightness test: for gas pipelines with a working pressure of up to 0.1 MPa - 0.1 MPa (a pressure gauge with an upper measurement limit of 0.16 MPa); for gas pipelines with a working pressure of 0.1 to 0.3 MPa - 0.3 MPa (a pressure gauge with an upper measurement limit of 0.4 MPa).
2011. Testing of gas pipelines for strength and tightness is carried out by the pneumatic or hydraulic method. Testing of gas pipelines for strength and tightness is determined by the design or design documentation. In the absence of a design or design documentation for the gas pipeline, the tests are carried out in accordance with the following requirements: (a) low- and medium-pressure gas pipelines (up to 0.3 MPa) with an internal diameter of more than 300 mm shall be tested with air; in addition, the pneumatic method of testing may be used: where the load-bearing building structures or the gas pipeline are not designed for filling with water; at an ambient air temperature below 0 °C and the probability of freezing of individual sections of the gas pipeline; (b) for gas pipelines on which grey cast-iron fittings are installed, the value of the pneumatic test pressure for strength shall be not more than 0.4 MPa; (c) inter-shop and intra-shop high-pressure gas pipelines (0.3 MPa and above) with an internal diameter of up to 300 mm shall be tested by the hydraulic method. Their testing with air may be carried out subject to compliance with the special safety measures provided for by the requirements of these Rules; (d) the pneumatic method of strength testing shall not be permitted: for gas pipelines located in shops with operating units; for gas pipelines located on trestles and in channels where pipelines in operation are laid; (e) testing of gas pipelines for strength and tightness shall be carried out simultaneously, irrespective of the method of testing.
2012. Inter-shop and shop gas pipelines shall be subjected to testing separately. External shop gas pipelines laid on free-standing supports, along the walls on the outside of buildings and on roofs shall be tested separately from the intra-shop gas pipelines.
2013. The value of the proof pressure for strength Ppr (by the hydraulic or pneumatic method) is established by the design. In the absence of instructions in the design, the value of the proof pressure shall be: Ppr = 1.25P, but not less than 0.2 MPa, where P is the working pressure of the pipeline, MPa; - the allowable stress for the pipeline material at 20 °C; - the allowable stress for the pipeline material at the maximum positive design temperature. All inter-shop low-pressure gas pipelines shall be subject to testing for tightness only. Tightness testing of gas pipelines with a working pressure P <= 0.015 MPa shall be carried out at a proof pressure Ppr = 0.02 MPa, and at P from 0.015 to 0.1 MPa shall be carried out at Ppr = 1.25P, but not more than 0.1 MPa.
2014. The test pressure in the pipeline is maintained for 10 minutes (strength test), after which it is reduced to the working pressure, at which a thorough examination of the welded joints is carried out (tightness test). Upon completion of the examination, the pressure is again raised to the test pressure and maintained for a further 5 minutes, after which the pressure is again reduced to the working pressure and the pipeline is examined a second time. The duration of the tightness test is determined by the time for examining the gas pipeline and checking the leak-tightness of the detachable joints.
2015. Pneumatic testing shall be carried out with air or an inert gas (nitrogen) and only during daylight hours.
2016. Pneumatic testing of gas pipelines shall be carried out in accordance with an instruction providing for the necessary safety measures.
2017. For the duration of pneumatic strength testing, both inside premises and outside, a guarded zone shall be established. The boundaries of the guarded zone shall be marked. The minimum distance from the gas pipeline being tested to the boundaries of the zone shall be not less than 25 m; for gas pipelines of large diameters and gas pipelines of toxic gases located outside premises - not less than 50 m. For gas pipelines located inside premises, the guarded zone shall be established in agreement with the head of the relevant shop (facility), but not less than 10 m.
2018. During the raising of pressure in the gas pipeline and when the test pressure is reached in it, the presence of people in the guarded zone shall not be permitted.
2019. If the pneumatic tightness test was preceded by a hydraulic strength test, a guarded zone is not established. In this case the gas pipeline shall be purged with air until the remaining water is completely removed.
2020. The final examination of the gas pipeline is permitted only after the test pressure has been reduced to the working pressure. The elimination of the defects found shall be carried out after the pressure in the gas pipelines has been reduced to atmospheric.
2021. The results of the strength and tightness test are recognised as satisfactory if, during the test, no ruptures, visible deformations or pressure drop by the pressure gauge have occurred, and no air leaks have been found in the parent metal, welded joints, fitting bodies, detachable joints and in all tie-ins, and, in the case of a hydraulic test, no leaks or sweating have been found.
2022. Inter-shop and intra-shop gas pipelines, in addition to the usual strength and tightness tests, shall be subject to a pneumatic leak-tightness test with determination of the pressure drop during the tests. The need for additional tests is determined by the design. The test is carried out at a pressure equal to the working pressure.
2023. Additional leak-tightness testing of gas pipelines is carried out with air in the course of comprehensive commissioning of the facility together with the equipment after the completion of all installation work (strength and tightness tests, flushing, purging, installation of automation instruments and measuring diaphragms). Inter-shop gas pipelines are tested separately from the equipment.
2024. The duration of the additional tests for newly constructed gas pipelines shall be not less than 24 hours and shall be specified in the design. For periodic tests, and also after a repair involving welding and disassembly of the gas pipeline, the duration of the test is established by the technical management of the enterprise, but shall be not less than 4 hours.
2025. The pressure drop in the gas pipeline , per cent of the test pressure, during the test is determined by the formula: , where Pnach and Pkon are the sum of the gauge and barometric pressure at the beginning and end of the test, MPa; Tnach and Tkon are the absolute temperature of the air in the gas pipeline at the beginning and end of the test, K; n is the duration of the pipeline test, hours.
2026. The results of the additional pneumatic leak-tightness test are recognised as satisfactory if the rate of pressure drop over the test time is (for pipelines with an internal diameter of up to 250 mm inclusive): for intra-shop gas pipelines - not more than 0.1 per cent per hour; for inter-shop gas pipelines - not more than 0.2 per cent per hour. The rate of pressure drop for pipelines of large diameters is determined by multiplying the above values by a coefficient K, calculated by the formula: K = 250 / Dvn, where Dvn is the internal diameter of the pipeline being tested, mm. If the gas pipeline being tested consists of tubular elements of various diameters or includes tank equipment, then its average internal diameter and rate of pressure drop are determined by calculation.
2027. Upon completion of the additional leak-tightness test, a report is drawn up for each gas pipeline.
2028. Testing of the gas pipelines and gas equipment of the GRP and GRU shall be carried out for strength and tightness with air or an inert gas within the boundaries from the gate valve on the inlet gas pipeline to the gate valve on the outlet gas pipeline, with all the lines to the instrumentation up to the shut-off cocks in front of these instruments, in accordance with the requirements of these Rules.
2029. The control elements of the pressure regulators and the heads of the relief safety valves are disconnected during the strength (and tightness) test if, according to the passport data, they are not designed for these pressures.
2030. The norms of test pressures and the procedure for testing the apparatus and gas pipelines of the blast-furnace gas cleaning installation shall comply with the requirements of these Rules and the production documentation. Sheet structures of the pipelines and apparatus of the gas cleaning are tested for strength and tightness with compressed air. Test pressures for the apparatus and gas pipelines of the gas cleaning shall be taken in accordance with the table of Appendix No. 4 to the Rules.
2031. Testing of the gas cleaning and the gas pipeline for strength and tightness in sections may be carried out either using the installed equipment and fittings (if they have been previously tested at the test pressure corresponding to the section) or without the equipment and fittings, with the installation of special blanks designed for the corresponding maximum pressure adopted for testing the given section. The blanks may be installed instead of the shut-off valves of the candles and the sludge valves of the scrubbers, electrostatic precipitators and water separators, and also the gate valves of the scrubbers and electrostatic precipitators, if they are designed for a pressure of 1.25P, where P is the working pressure of the equipment.
2032. Testing of the apparatus of the gas cleaning installation and of the gas pipelines in sections for strength and tightness shall be carried out in two stages. In the first stage, the pressure in the section being tested is brought to 0.07 MPa, after which an examination and identification of defects is carried out. The elimination of the defects found shall be carried out after the pressure has been reduced to atmospheric. In the second stage, a strength check is carried out by bringing the pressure up to the test pressure, at which the section being tested is maintained for 5 minutes. After the strength check, the pressure is reduced to the working pressure and a second examination of the section being tested is carried out, with a check of the tightness of the welded and detachable joints and of the presence of deformations and ruptures of the gas pipelines and apparatus.
2033. The raising and reduction of pressure in the sections being tested shall be carried out slowly: in steps of 0.025 MPa with a delay at each step of not less than 5 minutes. Examination of the sections being tested is permitted only 10 minutes after a constant pressure has been established. During the raising of pressure, it shall not be permitted to examine the sections being tested, to tap individual joints, to correct defects or to carry out repair work.
2034. The duration of the tightness testing of the gas cleaning apparatus and gas pipelines in sections, with determination of the pressure drop, shall be not less than 1 hour.
2035. The section of the gas cleaning being tested is considered to have passed the tightness test if the pressure drop, calculated by the formula given in these Rules, does not exceed over 1 hour: when tested with equipment and fittings without blanks - 3 per cent; when tested with blanks without equipment and fittings - 2 per cent.
2036. External and internal (inter-shop and shop) gas pipelines completed by construction or reconstruction (hereinafter - gas pipelines) shall be tested for leak-tightness and strength, or a comprehensive test (combined test for strength and leak-tightness) with air shall be carried out. If the fittings, equipment and instruments are not designed for the test pressure, then, instead of them, spools and blanks shall be installed for the period of the tests. The testing of the gas pipelines shall be carried out by the construction organisation in the presence of a representative of the construction control on the part of the developer. The results of the tests are documented by an entry in the construction passport.
2037. Before testing for leak-tightness and strength, the internal cavity of the gas pipeline shall be cleaned in accordance with the work performance design. The cleaning of the cavity of the internal gas pipelines and of the gas pipelines of the gas reduction points shall be carried out by purging with air before their installation.
2038. For conducting the leak-tightness and strength test, the pressure drop in the gas pipeline shall be recorded with pressure gauges of accuracy classes 0.4 and 0.15, and also with liquid pressure gauges. When pressure gauges without an indicated accuracy class are used, their error shall not exceed the measurement threshold.
2039. When testing above-ground and internal gas pipelines, the safety measures provided for by the work performance design shall be observed.
2040. Leak-tightness testing of gas pipelines is carried out by supplying compressed air into the gas pipeline and creating the test pressure in the gas pipeline.
2041. The norms for testing steel above-ground gas pipelines of the technical devices of the GRP, and also of the internal gas pipelines of buildings, are presented in Table 4.
2042. The conditions for testing gas pipelines and technical devices of GRPB, GRPSh and GRU manufactured under factory conditions are established according to the testing norms for the GRP.
2043. When installing the GRU, the section of the gas pipeline from the isolating device on the inlet gas pipeline to the first isolating device inside the building is tested according to the norms for an above-ground gas pipeline. The section of the gas pipeline and of the technical devices of the GRU from the first isolating device to the pressure regulator is tested according to the norms provided for internal gas pipelines by inlet pressure. The gas pipelines and technical devices of the GRU after the pressure regulator are tested according to the norms provided for internal gas pipelines of the corresponding pressure.
2044. The results of the leak-tightness test are considered positive if, during the test, the pressure in the gas pipeline does not change, that is, no visible pressure drop is recorded by a pressure gauge of accuracy class 0.6, and, by pressure gauges of accuracy classes 0.15 and 0.4 and liquid pressure gauges, the pressure drop is recorded within one division of the scale. On completion of the tests of the gas pipeline, the pressure is reduced to atmospheric, the automation, fittings, equipment and instrumentation are installed, and the gas pipeline is maintained for 10 minutes under the working pressure. The leak-tightness of the detachable joints is checked with a soap emulsion. Defects found in the course of testing the gas pipelines shall be eliminated only after the pressure in the gas pipeline has been reduced to atmospheric. After the elimination of the defects found as a result of the leak-tightness test of the gas pipeline, a repeat test is carried out. Joints of the gas pipelines welded after the tests shall be checked by a physical method of inspection.
2045. To ensure the safe distribution of gas to the consumer shops, and also to increase the promptness of the management and control of the operation of the gas facilities, at an enterprise having several combustible industrial gases or high-pressure gas pipelines and gas installations, a gas-facilities dispatching point (DPGKh) of the organisation shall be organised.
2046. The DPGKh at enterprises shall be equipped with telemechanisation means. The scope of the measured indicators, the points of protection (signalling, interlocks) and the control functions transmitted to the DPGKh shall be determined by the design and shall provide the possibility of prompt intervention by the dispatcher (operator) in the management of the gas supply system. The DPGKh shall be equipped with communication devices for contact with the personnel of the shops producing and consuming gases, with means of operational radio communication and with dictaphones for recording the dispatcher's commands, and shall have transport. Guard signalling from the gas-facility objects operating without permanent service personnel shall be brought out to the DPGKh.
2047. The delimitation of the service areas between the gas shop and the subdivisions in whose charge the gas pipelines and installations are, and also between the subdivisions having a common gas pipeline, shall be documented in the procedure established in the organisation, with an indication of clear boundaries on the diagrams of the gas pipelines.
2048. The gas shop is a structural subdivision of the organisation (enterprise) carrying out work on the operation, maintenance and repair of the gas facilities. The scope of the functions of the gas shop is established by the administrative documentation of the operating organisation.
2049. When an enterprise is supplied with gas from main or municipal gas pipelines, the boundary of servicing of the gas pipelines shall be taken as the boundary of the entry of the gas pipeline onto the territory of that enterprise. In this case, in addition to the isolating device installed outside the boundaries of the enterprise and in the charge of the organisation supplying the gas, an isolating device shall be installed at the point of entry of the gas pipeline onto the territory of the enterprise. When gas is supplied by a metallurgical enterprise to another enterprise, the boundary of servicing of the gas pipeline is the boundary of the territory of the enterprise supplying the gas.
2050. The boundary of responsibility between the shop and inter-shop gas pipelines shall be the gate valve on the branch from the inter-shop gas pipeline to the consumer shop, or the counter-flange of the shut-off fittings at the outlet from the GRP (GRU).
2051. For each gas-facility object in the operating organisation there shall be a technical passport containing the main technical characteristics. During the operation period, all changes made to the object shall be indicated in the passport, with the drawings or diagrams of the change attached, and also data on the capital repairs carried out. The person responsible for maintaining the passports is the person responsible for the technical condition of the given gas-facility object.
2052. At the gas-facility objects there shall be manufacturer's passports for regulators of various purposes, automatic signalling devices and gas-contamination indicators.
2053. At individual objects of the gas shop, and also in shops which include gas-facility objects, a unit (repair) log shall be kept, indicating the repairs, inspections and adjustment of the instruments of the units carried out, and also an operating log, in which the faults identified during each shift are recorded, including violations of these Rules and of the labour safety instructions, and also the actions to eliminate the violations and the actual periods for their performance. The unit (repair) log shall be kept by the employee responsible for the technical condition of the given gas-facility object.
2054. All apparatus of the same type, and also assemblies and parts, including the columns of the gas pipelines, expansion joints, condensate traps, gate valves and candles at each gas-facility object shall be coded and numbered. The numbers and codes shall be written in prominent places on the equipment and structures. Directly at the unit or at the location of the service personnel, clear diagrams of the gas devices shall be posted, indicating the numbers and codes assigned to these devices.
2055. Gate valves, cocks and globe valves, before installation on gas pipelines, shall be subjected to inspection and testing, with the drawing-up of a report.
2056. Gas pipelines, gas installations and gas equipment shall be subjected to scheduled preventive examinations, inspection and repairs within the periods established by the schedules. When drawing up the repair schedules, the periods specified in the passports or instructions of the manufacturers shall be observed, taking account of the local operating conditions of each type of equipment. At the same time, an inspection with disassembly of the pressure regulator, safety valves and filters shall be carried out at least once a year; according to the manufacturers' passports of this equipment, more frequent inspections are not required.
2057. Repealed as of 1 September 2025. - Order of the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service (Rostechnadzor) No. 5 of 14 January 2025.
2058. The correct functioning of the automatic interlock and signalling shall be checked in accordance with the operating instructions for the instruments not less than once a month by means of simulation or the supply of a calibrated signal, and also during the scheduled shutdown of the gas-consuming unit when the set limit parameter is reached. Inspection of the automatic interlock and signalling systems shall be carried out within the periods specified in the passports or technical specifications of the manufacturers.
2059. The tightness of the connection of the impulse tubes and rubberised-fabric hoses to the connectors of the gas pipelines and instrumentation located in premises shall be checked not less than once a week, and, outside premises, not less than once a month. The check of tightness shall be carried out visually or with the aid of a gas analyser. According to the result of the check, an entry is made in the log of checks.
2060. For conducting examinations of the gas-facility objects, a permanently operating commission shall be set up for the subdivision by an administrative document of the head of the subdivision, comprising the following persons: the head of the subdivision, the employees responsible for the safe operation and technical condition of the gas facilities of the subdivision, and also for the safe operation and technical condition of the technical devices, structures and equipment. Examination of the gas pipelines, gas installations and gas equipment shall be carried out by the commission at the production site every 6 months. The examination shall include a check of: the condition and correct functioning of the shut-off gates, candles, condensate traps, expansion joints, regulators, dust-discharge devices, shut-off fittings, gas-burner devices and devices for purging and signalling; the tightness of the hatches and candles, and of the water seals; the tightness of the joints and flange connections of the gas pipelines and apparatus located inside buildings; the condition of the pipelines, the position of the pipeline fittings, the columns, their support saddles and shoes, the anchor bolts and the above-ground part of the foundations; compliance with the requirements of these Rules and of the production instructions on the safe operation of the gas equipment, and also the keeping of the unit and operating logs. The results of the examination shall be documented by reports, on the basis of which a directive for the subdivision is issued, indicating the necessary actions to eliminate the defects found and the works during the performance of scheduled preventive repairs. Concerning the works carried out in pursuance of the actions specified in the directive, entries shall be made in the unit log and a note in the passport (as appropriate).
2061. Painting of the external surfaces of inter-shop and shop gas pipelines, gas apparatus, and also flanges is carried out in accordance with the technology of the manufacturer of the protective paint coatings, in accordance with the guaranteed service life, except in cases of damage and (or) corrosion. A special anti-corrosion coating shall, as a rule, be applied not less than once every 3 years to gas pipelines and installations, including support structures, platforms and stairways located in areas of contamination by corrosion-active gases or vapours. The need for early application of such a coating is determined by the commission of the shop or production unit. On the basis of the inspection reports, a schedule is drawn up for the elimination of the defects and deficiencies identified.
2062. Repealed as of 1 September 2025. - Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025.
2063. Gas cutting and welding on operating gas pipelines and apparatus that are under vacuum shall not be permitted.
2064. After a tie-in into an operating gas pipeline, the completed weld shall be checked for tightness.
2065. To reduce the possibility of ignition of coke oven gas, before the commencement of work the surfaces of the gas pipelines, flanges and blanks shall be treated with milk of lime.
2066. When performing welding or gas cutting in rooms (places) where gas pipelines are laid and where gas-consuming units are located, a check of the air for gas contamination shall be carried out, and the oxygen content in the surrounding air shall be not less than 19 per cent by volume. Air sampling shall be carried out: for gas lighter than air (coke oven, natural and others) - from the upper zone; for gas heavier than air (propane-butane and others) - from the lower zone; for blast-furnace, ferroalloy and converter gases - from the upper and lower zones. Throughout the entire time of welding or gas cutting, the specified rooms (places) shall be ventilated.
2067. If it is necessary to disconnect a section of a gas pipeline or a gas apparatus with the subsequent performance of work inside it, the latter shall be separated from the operating gas pipelines by means of the available shut-off devices, and a plate blank shall be installed downstream of the shut-off device. If the shut-off device is a plate gate valve, installation of a blank is not required.
2068. To free the disconnected apparatus and sections of a gas pipeline from gas, they shall be purged with inert gas or air, and the gas pipelines of coke oven gas and of mixed gas with a coke oven gas component shall be purged with steam beforehand. The completion of purging of the apparatus and gas pipelines of toxic gases shall be determined by means of analyses in which the carbon monoxide content in two consecutively taken samples from the internal cavity of the gas pipelines or apparatus does not exceed 20 mg/m3. The completion of purging of a natural gas pipeline shall be determined similarly by analysis of the methane content, which in the samples shall be not more than 1 per cent by volume, or of the oxygen content, which in the samples shall be not less than 19 per cent by volume. The completion of purging of a liquefied gas pipeline shall be determined by the propane-butane content, which shall be not more than 0.5 per cent (by volume).
2069. Gas pipelines and apparatus, when being filled with gas, shall be purged until all the air is completely displaced. Purging is carried out only through purge stacks. Purging with the release of the gas-air mixture into the fireboxes of furnaces, boilers and other units shall not be permitted. Before purging a gas pipeline, the gate valves shall be set in the required position, the water seals filled with water, and all hatches, manholes and purge stacks tightly closed, except for the purge stack through which the purging is to be carried out. Purging of gas pipelines shall be carried out continuously and consecutively, section by section, with gradual approach towards the consumers. Ignition of the gas released during purging shall not be permitted. The completion of purging shall be determined only by analysis of the gas samples taken from the final purge stack to which the purging is being carried out. In this case, the oxygen content in the gas shall not exceed 1 per cent in two consecutively taken samples.
2070. During the period of purging of a gas pipeline, within a radius of 50 metres of the points of release of the gas-air mixture into the atmosphere, the movement of all types of transport shall be suspended, and the use of open fire, the performance of welding work, and the presence of persons not connected with the purging of the gas pipeline, shall be prohibited. For the duration of purging of gas pipelines and individual apparatus, posts shall be stationed at the points of gas release.
2071. The installation and removal of blanks, and also the replacement of measuring diaphragms on gas pipelines under gas pressure, shall not be permitted, except for the gas pipelines of production units and shops which, under the conditions of the process, it is impossible to shut down. The installation and removal of blanks, and also the replacement of measuring diaphragms on these gas pipelines, shall be carried out at an excess gas pressure in them of not less than 0.5 kPa and not more than: 4.0 kPa for blast-furnace gas; 3.0 kPa for coke oven gas and gas mixed with it; 2.0 kPa for ferroalloy, converter and non-toxic gases and gases mixed with them; 1.0 kPa for natural gas.
2072. The use of open fire shall not be permitted: for heating gas pipelines; for detecting a gas leak, with the exception of fittings in coke chemical production, the tightness of which may be checked with a torch in accordance with the safety requirements in coke chemical production. Checking of the tightness of the joints and fittings of gas pipelines, of threaded and flanged joints and of welds shall be carried out with a special soap solution or another foam-forming solution. At sub-zero temperatures, calcium chloride or sodium chloride shall be added to the solution.
2073. The minimum permissible gas pressure directly before the consumer (after the regulating instruments) shall not be below 0.5 kPa. If the gas pressure falls below the minimum permissible, the gas consumers shall be immediately disconnected. The disconnection shall be carried out manually even where an automatic shut-off device is present.
2074. Gas consumption by production structural subdivisions is established on the basis of the general gas consumption plan of the organisation, approved by the management of the organisation. Workers of the production structural subdivisions that produce and consume industrial gases shall immediately report to the gas facility dispatcher all critical changes in the mode of production or consumption of gas.
2075. The use of purge stacks for the release of excess gas into the atmosphere shall not be permitted, except in emergency cases.
2076. The condition of gas pipelines shall be monitored. The operation, inspections, surveys, testing, purging, levelling and repair of gas pipelines shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the production documentation.
2077. The intervals for inspecting the condition of gas pipelines and of the devices located on the gas pipeline are established by the enterprise depending on the specific conditions and condition of the gas pipeline communications, and also taking into account the factory requirements for the operation of the gas installations. The results of inspections of gas pipelines and of the devices located on the gas pipeline shall be recorded in the operating log, and the defects identified shall be eliminated.
2078. At the enterprise, the survey of gas pipelines is arranged with the participation of the persons responsible for the safe operation and technical condition of the gas pipelines. The scope of work carried out within the framework of the survey of gas pipelines is determined by the operating organisation on the basis of the design documentation and the documentation of the manufacturers of the devices located on the gas pipeline. The frequency of the survey is determined depending on the service life of the gas pipeline, the corrosion rate, the operating experience, and the results of inspection and of the previous survey. The intervals for carrying out surveys shall be not less frequent than: at a corrosion rate of more than 0.5 mm/year - once a year; at a corrosion rate of 0.1 - 0.5 mm/year - once every 2 years; at a corrosion rate of up to 0.1 mm/year - once every 4 years.
2079. In the event of a sharp drop in gas pressure in gas pipelines operating under excess pressure, measures shall be taken to maintain the excess gas pressure in the gas pipeline until the consumers have been notified and disconnected. In this case, the excess gas pressure in one of the inter-shop gas pipelines shall be maintained by bypassing gas from another gas pipeline. For the short-term maintenance of excess pressure in shop gas pipelines, the supply of steam into them is permitted, subject to compliance with the requirements of these Rules.
2080. The supply of steam into gas pipelines for steaming, purging and heating shall be carried out gradually in accordance with the factory instruction. The rise in gas temperature shall not exceed 15 °C per hour. A rise in the gas temperature in gas pipelines above 85 °C shall not be permitted.
2081. If the gas pressure in any section of a gas pipeline dropped to zero, the gas pipeline shall be purged with gas up to all the consumers located downstream in the direction of gas flow. Purging of gas pipelines shall be carried out in compliance with the requirements of these Rules.
2082. Careful monitoring of the deposition of naphthalene and the formation of ice in gas pipelines shall be established by means of periodic measurements of pressure differentials. The removal of ice plugs and naphthalene deposits from gas pipelines shall, as a rule, be carried out by heating with steam in compliance with the safety requirements.
2083. Levelling of inter-shop pipelines shall be carried out once every 5 years, and of newly constructed ones - annually, for two years after the completion of construction. The results of levelling shall be compared with the design data and the results of the previous levelling. Deviations of the pipeline from the design elevations that are identified shall be immediately eliminated. When carrying out work near the foundations of the supports of operating gas pipelines (work involving the digging of pits or trenches closer than 10 metres from the projection of the nearest pipe on the plan, or work on the repair of gas pipeline supports), the levelling of the gas pipelines in these sections shall be carried out at the same intervals as for newly constructed gas pipelines.
2084. Maintenance of the internal natural gas pipelines and gas-using equipment in the production buildings of enterprises shall be carried out not less than once a month, unless other intervals are established by the documentation of the manufacturers of the gas-using equipment. Work on the maintenance of gas-using equipment shall be carried out without disconnecting it. During the maintenance of internal gas pipelines and gas-using equipment, the following types of work shall be performed: checking the tightness of the detachable joints of the technical devices installed on the gas pipelines, with an instrument or a foam-forming solution; checking, by visual inspection, the integrity of the gas pipelines, their fastenings and supports; cleaning the gas pipelines and technical devices of contamination, checking the condition of their paintwork; checking the integrity of the shut-off valves and the operability of the closures; servicing the gas-using equipment in accordance with the requirements of the manufacturer's documentation; checking conformity with the operating charts and (where necessary) adjusting the parameters of the automation for process protection and regulation of gas-combustion processes (not less than once every 3 months); checking the tightness of the joints of the impulse gas pipelines with an instrument or a foam-forming solution; checking the integrity of the seals (where present), and the condition and verification intervals of the measuring instruments; lubricating the moving elements of the technical devices (where necessary); checking, by visual inspection, the condition of the electric lighting and ventilation in the rooms with installed gas-using equipment. Information on the performance of maintenance and on the defects and violations identified shall be recorded by entries in the operating log.
2085. During routine repair of natural gas pipelines and gas-using equipment, the elimination of the defects, malfunctions and violations identified in the course of maintenance is carried out. Gas leaks and impairments of the operability of the automation for process protection and regulation of gas-combustion processes shall be eliminated immediately after they are identified. During unscheduled repair, the causes and consequences of incidents (failures) in the course of operation of the gas-using equipment and the gas regulation unit (GRU) shall be eliminated, and the operability of the gas pipelines shall be restored following the elimination of accidents (emergency recovery work). During routine repair, the following types of work are performed: replacement of damaged sections of pipe and defective fittings of the gas pipeline; replacement (where necessary) of shut-off valves; replacement of the gaskets of flanged joints (within the intervals established by the manufacturers of the sealing materials); replacement of the automation for process protection and regulation of gas-combustion processes; replacement of fastenings and supports, painting of gas pipelines; replacement of worn parts and assemblies of the gas-using equipment; replacement of measuring instruments (faulty or requiring verification) with identical measuring instruments that are in working order and have undergone verification. The elimination of gas leaks from the detachable joints of the technical devices installed on the gas pipelines, and also the checking and restoration of the operability of the shut-off valves, shall be carried out in accordance with the production documentation. Information on the performance of capital repair shall be documented in the technical passport (operating passport).
2086. The ignition of a gas-consuming unit shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction or the instruction for the start-up and shutdown of the unit.
2087. Before the ignition of a gas-consuming unit, the gas pipeline in front of the manifold of the unit shall be purged with gas through the end purge stack. Purging of the gas pipeline and of the manifold of the unit shall be carried out with the gate valves at the burners closed.
2088. Immediately before the lighting of the burners, the presence of sufficient gas pressure in the gas pipeline in front of the gas-consuming unit shall be checked, and, where air is supplied from air-blast devices, the air pressure shall be checked. In addition, the presence of vacuum in the firebox or flue (upstream of the regulating valve) shall be checked, and the draught of the outgoing combustion products shall be regulated.
2089. The shut-off device on the gas pipeline in front of the burner may be opened only after an igniter, torch or other means for igniting the gas has been brought to the burner. The supply of gas without bringing an igniter, torch or other igniting means is permitted (except for boilers) if the temperature of the brickwork in the heated flame-ignition zone exceeds 800 °C. Units with a temperature in the working space below 800 °C shall be equipped with means for monitoring the flame of each burner, with an audible-visual signal being relayed to the heat-engineering control panel when the burners are extinguished.
2090. On the gas supply line to each unit with air-blast burners, fast-acting cut-off valves shall be installed which are actuated when the gas or air pressure falls below the established limits. One valve may be installed on the common gas supply line to a group of gas-consuming units (not more than three) where their total thermal capacity is up to 12.6 * 106 kJ/h. The choice of the type of fast-acting valve is made by the organisation designing the automation system of the furnace. Fast-acting cut-off valves shall be of normally closed design, that is, they shall be actuated when the power supply is switched off. The use of electrically driven gate valves, throttles and other devices as fast-acting cut-off valves shall be prohibited. Fast-acting cut-off valves shall be interlocked with the signalling devices for the drop in gas and air pressure to the unit and shall have manual control for their opening. For units equipped with injection burners, the installation of fast-acting cut-off valves is not required; gas-pressure-drop signalling devices shall be installed on them. On multi-zone gas-consuming units, signalling devices are installed on each zone. For units with a thermal capacity of up to 12.6 * 106 kJ/h, the installation of one signalling device is permitted, irrespective of the type of burner. Pressure-drop signalling devices shall be audible and visual. The location of the impulse take-off point for the pressure-drop signalling device is determined by the design. When lighting the burners, the minimum quantity of air for the complete combustion of the gas shall be supplied, and lift-off of the flame from the burner shall be prevented. The draught shall be limited. The burners shall be lit in the order provided for by the process instruction. The fast-acting cut-off valve on the gas pipeline shall be put into operation after stable operation of the burners has been achieved. If, when supplied through the first burner, the gas does not ignite or, having ignited, is extinguished in the course of regulation, the gas supply shall be stopped, the firebox and flues ventilated, the gas and air pressure checked, and, after the faults have been rectified, re-ignition commenced. When lighting and regulating the burners, the gas and air shall be supplied gradually and only at steady pressure. When the load on the burner is increased, first the gas supply shall be increased, then the air; when the load is reduced, first the air supply shall be reduced, and then the gas. The setting of the operating fuel flow rates shall be carried out as the firebox or working space warms up.
2091. The ignition of boiler equipment has the safety requirements specified in this Section, but is carried out in accordance with the documentation of the manufacturer of the boiler equipment.
2092. During the repair or prolonged shutdown of gas-consuming units with a drop in pressure in them below the nominal value, the gas pipelines of the units shall be disconnected from the operating gas pipelines by shut-off devices and plate gate valves or blanks downstream of them.
2093. The purge stacks shall remain in the open position after the gas pipeline is disconnected.
2094. The start-up of a unit after a prolonged shutdown, or a shutdown for the performance of repair inside the unit, is permitted where there is a report on the inspection of the unit itself, the gas pipelines, the flues and the control and measuring instruments, in accordance with the purging procedure and in compliance with the requirements of these Rules.
2095. The inspection and repair of the fireboxes of units with persons present in them are carried out in accordance with the safety rules for the performance of work in the gas facilities of metallurgical sites.
2096. The shutdown of gas-using equipment for repair shall, in all cases except for emergency shutdown, be carried out after obtaining the written permission of the person responsible for the safe operation of the gas-using equipment.
2097. Gas-using equipment, when taken out of service for a period of more than three days for repair work or when transferred to standby mode, shall be disconnected with the installation of blanks on the gas pipelines, except in cases of transfer to standby mode of boilers operating in automatic mode that are operated without the constant presence of operating personnel. The blanks installed on the gas pipeline shall correspond to the diameter of the gas pipeline and to the maximum gas pressure in the gas pipeline. On the shank of the blank projecting beyond the flanges, there shall be stamped the number of the certificate for the blank, the number of the blank, the grade of material, the nominal pressure PN and the nominal diameter DN.
2098. When taking gas-using equipment out into standby or during repair, measures shall be taken for the preservation of the heating surface in accordance with the manufacturer's documentation.
2099. The shutdown of gas-using equipment for repair shall be carried out by the consecutive performance of the following work: disconnection of the pilot gas pipelines of the gas-burner devices; disconnection of the gas-burner devices (when disconnecting gas-burner devices operating with forced supply of air for combustion, the supply of gas to the burners shall be reduced, then stopped, after which the air supply shall be stopped; when disconnecting injection burners, first the air supply shall be stopped, then the gas supply); disconnection of the gas pipeline downstream of the shut-off valves and freeing it from gas by purging with air; ventilation of the firebox and gas ducts of the gas-using equipment.
2100. The shut-off devices on the purge pipelines and safety pipelines shall remain in the open position after the gas pipeline is disconnected.
2101. The gas ducts of boilers, furnaces and other gas-using equipment shall be disconnected from the common breeching by means of dampers or blank partitions.
2102. The drives of the shut-off devices shall be de-energised.
2103. Before putting gas-using equipment into operation after repair or when taking it out of standby, the technical condition of the flues and the verification intervals of the measuring instruments shall be checked.
2104. Before the ignition of the burners of gas-using equipment, the fireboxes and gas ducts shall be ventilated. If, during the ignition of a burner or in the course of regulating the combustion of gas, lift-off, flashback or extinction of the flame occurs, the supply of gas to the burner and to the protective-ignition device shall be immediately stopped. Re-ignition of the burner shall be carried out after the cause of the fault has been eliminated, the firebox and gas ducts have been ventilated for not less than 10 minutes, and the tightness of the closure of the shut-off valve in front of the burner has been checked.
2105. After the ignition of the burner, commissioning work shall be carried out to ensure the operation of the gas-using equipment in the working mode in accordance with the operating chart, as well as the adjustment of the automation for process protection and regulation of gas-combustion processes.
2106. The putting of gas-using equipment into operation after repair or when taking it out of standby shall be documented by a report.
2107. Information on the routine and unscheduled repairs of gas pipelines and gas-using equipment that have been carried out shall be recorded by entries in the unit (repair) logs. Information on the capital repairs carried out is entered in the technical passports (operating passports).
2108. The operating-mode adjustment of gas-using equipment shall be carried out not less than once every three years, with correction of the operating charts when the operating parameters of the equipment change.
2109. Unscheduled operating-mode adjustment of gas-using equipment shall be carried out in the following cases: after capital repair of the gas-using equipment or the introduction of design changes affecting the efficiency of gas use; in the event of systematic deviations of the monitored operating parameters of the gas-using equipment from the operating charts.
2110. Servicing of the systems for monitoring gas contamination and the level of carbon monoxide content in the rooms with installed gas-using equipment shall be carried out not less than once a year by specialised organisations or by the manufacturer's service departments.
2111. Checking of the technical condition of the ventilation ducts in buildings (rooms) with installed gas-using equipment shall be carried out every 6 months. Dust removal and disinfection of the ventilation ducts shall be carried out not less than once every three years.
2112. Checking of the technical condition of the industrial flue-gas exhaust devices (the gas ducts of the gas-using equipment, the flues and the chimneys) and the cleaning thereof shall be carried out every 6 months, and also before putting the gas-using equipment into operation after repair or seasonal shutdown (irrespective of the time of the previous check) and when an impairment of draught is identified. The results of the checking and cleaning are documented by a report.
2113. Work on gas cutting, welding and other types of gas-flame treatment of metals, and also the use of open fire from other sources, are permitted at the following minimum distances (horizontally): to group gas-cylinder installations - 10 metres; to individual cylinders with oxygen and combustible gases - 5 metres; to pipelines of combustible gases, and also to gas-drawing posts: for manual work - 3 metres, for mechanised work - 1.5 metres.
2114. When mobile gas-drawing posts fed from individual cylinders are in operation, the installation, on a single trolley of special design, of a cylinder with combustible gas and a cylinder with oxygen is permitted. The cylinders shall be secured to prevent them from colliding or falling. During operation, cylinders with liquefied gas shall be in a vertical position; cylinders with compressed gases may be installed in an inclined position with the valve directed upwards.
2115. The maximum permissible temperature of a liquefied-gas cylinder shall comply with the requirements of the factory documentation. The heating of a cylinder with liquefied gas by direct sunlight or by other sources of heat above the temperature specified by the manufacturer shall not be permitted.
2116. The length of the hose shall, as a rule, not exceed 30 metres. It shall consist of not more than three separate pieces connected to one another by special double-sided nipples.
2117. When a mobile working post is fed with liquefied gas from a cylinder, the drawing of gas from the cylinder when the working pressure in it falls below the required value shall not be permitted.
2118. Coke oven gas used for the gas-flame treatment of metal in enclosed rooms shall undergo additional purification to remove hydrogen sulphide and naphthalene, and the content shall not exceed: for hydrogen sulphide in the purified gas, 0.02 g/m3; for naphthalene, 0.01 g/m3 in winter and 0.05 g/m3 in summer.
2119. When lighting a manual burner or cutting torch, first the oxygen valve shall be opened slightly, then the combustible-gas valve opened, and, after a brief purging of the hose to remove air, the combustible mixture of gases shall be ignited.
2120. During operation, the flame of the burner (cutting torch) shall be directed to the side opposite the gas-supply source. Where it is impossible to fulfil the specified requirement, the gas-supply source shall be shielded with metal screens or screens made of non-combustible materials.
2121. The purging of a combustible-gas hose with oxygen or of an oxygen hose with combustible gas, and also the interchanging of the hoses during operation, shall not be permitted.
2122. When connecting posts for the performance of gas-flame work, protective devices, including flame-arresting devices (non-return flame-arrestor valves), are installed between the pressure reducers and the tool (burners, cutting torches).
2123. In category A rooms, checking of the tightness of the flanged and threaded joints of gas pipelines, fittings and instruments with a soap emulsion shall be carried out within the intervals provided for by the factory instruction, but not less than once a month.
2124. On each door of a category A room, the category of the room and the class of the explosion-hazardous zone shall be indicated. In these rooms, extracts from the plans of actions for the localisation and elimination of the consequences of accidents at the hazardous production facility, and lists of essential telephone numbers, shall be posted in prominent places.
2125. Work on the repair of electrical equipment in category A rooms shall be performed after de-energisation of the electrical network. Where necessary, portable battery-powered explosion-proof lamps shall be used.
2126. In category A rooms, the storage of wiping and lubricating materials is permitted in a quantity not exceeding the daily requirement, in metal, tightly closing cabinets or boxes.
2127. The storage of wiping and other combustible materials in the gas regulation point (GRP) room shall not be permitted.
2128. Smoking, and the use of open fire, sparking tools, equipment and communication devices, and materials capable of accumulating static electricity, in the vicinity of outdoor installations, and also in the vicinity of and inside a category A room, shall not be permitted, and safety signs to this effect shall be installed in prominent places.
2129. The operating mode of the GRP and GRU shall be established in accordance with the design developed for these installations.
2130. When performing work in the GRP room, the locks on the main and emergency (where present) exits shall be open.
2131. Servicing of the equipment of the GRP and GRU shall be carried out within the intervals provided for by the schedule. In doing so, not less than once a year, routine repair of the equipment shall be carried out, with disassembly of the pressure regulators, safety valves and filters, unless other servicing intervals are established for this equipment in the passports of the manufacturing plants.
2132. Checking of the setting and actuation of the safety shut-off and relief valves shall be carried out not less than once every two months, and also after each survey and repair of them. The procedure and intervals for checking the setting and actuation of the safety shut-off and relief valves, depending on the conditions of the process, shall be specified in the production documentation. Where safety shut-off valves are present in the GRP (GRU), the adjustment of their actuation shall be carried out at a pressure 15 per cent higher than the design pressure. The adjustment of the relief safety valves shall be carried out for the start of opening at a pressure increase of 5 per cent and full opening at a pressure increase of 15 per cent. The results of checking the setting and actuation of the valves are recorded in the operating log, and information on their setting is documented by reports by the persons responsible for the technical condition of the gas facilities.
2133. The supply of gas to consumers via the bypass line (bypass) of the GRP and GRU is permitted for the duration of the survey or repair of the equipment, on condition that an attendant is constantly present in the GRP or at the GRU, regulating the gas pressure at the outlet of the GRP or GRU. In this case, pressure gauges shall be installed on the bypass before and after the regulating gate valve and shall be clearly visible to the operating personnel. When a relief safety valve or a pressure gauge is removed for repair, a tested valve or pressure gauge shall be installed in place of it. The operation of the GRP and GRU without the specified equipment shall be prohibited.
2134. The gas pressure at the outlet of the GRP and GRU shall be regulated in accordance with the established pressure modes in the gas pipelines at the consumers. Pulsation of the gas pressure at the outlet of the GRP and GRU of more than 10 per cent of the specified working pressure shall not be permitted.
2135. Filters installed in the GRP or GRU shall, before being opened for cleaning, be disconnected by gate valves or backed up by blanks. The filter cover shall be removed after checking for the absence of pressure in the filter. The filter body, after removal of the filtering element (cartridge), shall be thoroughly cleaned. Disassembly and cleaning of the cartridge shall be carried out outside the GRP room.
2136. During the operation of GRP and GRU, the following shall be carried out: inspection of the technical condition (walk-round) within the periods established by the instruction, ensuring the safety and reliability of operation; checking of the actuation parameters of the safety shut-off and relief valves not less than once every 2 months, and also upon completion of equipment repair; maintenance not less than once every 6 months; routine repair not less than once a year, unless the manufacturers of the gas equipment establish other repair periods; overhaul upon replacement of equipment, measuring instruments, repair of heating, ventilation and lighting systems and building structures, on the basis of defect lists drawn up following the results of inspections and routine repairs.
2137. Repealed as of 1 September 2025. - Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025.
2138. During the technical inspection of GRP and GRU, the following types of work shall be carried out: external and internal inspection of the building (container-type units) or cabinet; checking the condition of the paintwork of the cabinets, enclosures, manifold gas pipelines and technical devices; external inspection of the gas pipelines and technical devices, and their cleaning from contamination; checking the position of the adjustment elements of the protective and safety fittings; external inspection of the engineering support systems (heating, ventilation, power supply and lightning protection); detection of gas leaks from detachable joints using an instrument or a foaming solution; checking the conformity of the gas pressure at the outlet of GRP and GRU with the operating schedule; checking the pressure differential across the filter; checking the presence of seals on the shut-off fittings of the meter bypass and on the counting mechanism; external inspection of the measuring instruments and monitoring of compliance with the periods for their verification; checking the air temperature in the room (during the heating season, where heating equipment is present); checking the condition of the adjacent territory and its cleaning from foreign objects.
2139. The results of the technical inspection shall be recorded by entries in the operating logs of GRP and GRU. Where a need is identified to eliminate defects of technical devices, to replace measuring instruments, or to repair the building or the engineering support systems, measures shall be taken to arrange the relevant work.
2140. During the maintenance of the process equipment of GRP and GRU, the following types of work shall be carried out: the work performed during the technical inspection; elimination of gas leaks from the detachable joints of technical devices; inspection of the filter and (where necessary) cleaning of the filtering element; checking the conformity of the setting parameters of the safety and protective fittings with the operating schedule; lubrication of the moving elements of the shut-off fittings (without dismantling); checking the operability of the shut-off fittings; checking the oil filling level of the meter, lubrication of the counting mechanism and topping up with oil (where necessary), flushing of the meter (where necessary); checking the operability of the measuring instruments by setting the pointer to the zero division of the scale and (where necessary) their replacement; cleaning of the room and the technical devices of the gas reduction points from contamination (where necessary); elimination of the identified defects and faults. Technical devices with defects and faults that do not allow the leak-tightness of closure or the required setting parameters of the operating regime of the gas reduction points to be ensured shall be replaced with serviceable identical technical devices.
2141. During routine repair, the following types of work shall be carried out: replacement of worn parts of technical devices; elimination of damage to the manifold gas pipelines of the process equipment; restoration of the paintwork of the cabinets of the gas reduction points, of the enclosures, of the manifold gas pipelines and of the technical devices. Unscheduled routine repair shall be carried out upon the occurrence of incidents (disturbances of the operating regimes or of the operability of technical devices) during the operation of GRP and GRU.
2142. The results of the maintenance shall be recorded by entries in the operating logs of GRP and GRU.
2143. Overhaul shall be carried out within the periods established by the manufacturer. Unscheduled overhaul may be carried out where necessary on the basis of defect lists drawn up following the results of monitoring of the technical condition, maintenance and routine repair of the gas reduction points. During overhaul, the following types of work shall be carried out: replacement of faulty technical devices with a change of their characteristics; replacement of worn technical devices whose service life has expired; replacement of the metering units, manifold gas pipelines, enclosures and cabinets of GRP and GRU.
2144. Information on the overhauls carried out is entered in the technical data sheets (operating data sheets).
2145. Before work on the repair and replacement of technical devices is carried out, measures shall be taken to ensure the uninterrupted supply of gas to the consumer by switching the operation of the gas reduction point to the bypass or to a reserve reduction line.
2146. From the start-up of each unit of GPS, GKS and GTRS until the completion of the adjustment of the operating regime or the emergency shutdown of the machine, an on-duty attendant shall be continuously present at the control panel, who, where necessary, shall stop the machine being started up at any moment.
2147. The operation of GPS, GKS and GTRS is permitted without workers permanently attending the stations, provided that they are fully automated and remotely controlled and monitored. The periodic walk-round and servicing of fully automated GPS, GKS and GTRS shall be carried out by workers according to an approved schedule. The operation of not fully automated GPS, GKS and GTRS shall be carried out by not less than two persons per shift. Leaving operating units without the supervision of the servicing personnel shall not be permitted.
2148. During the ventilation or purging of gas pipelines, the starting of the electric motors of the machines shall not be permitted.
2149. To maintain the excess pressure in the discharge systems of the station, the gate valves on the suction and discharge sides shall not be closed. The bypass between the suction and discharge headers shall also be open.
2150. The operation of the gas cleaning system shall be carried out only under an excess pressure of not less than 500 Pa (50 mm water column). During short-term shutdowns of one of the blast furnaces, its gas cleaning system shall be kept under excess pressure, either by means of the other furnaces when it is cut off from the furnace, or by supplying steam or nitrogen into it when all or some of the gas cleaning apparatus is cut off from the inter-shop gas pipeline. When only one furnace is in operation, the excess pressure in the gas cleaning system shall be maintained by bypassing blast-furnace, coke-oven or natural gas into the system.
2151. During the discharge of dust from the dry dust collectors of the blast-furnace shop, any work within a radius of 50 m in the territory of the gas cleaning system, on the platforms of the scrubbers and electrostatic precipitators, shall not be permitted.
2152. All work on servicing scrubbers, electrostatic precipitators, spray pipes, throttle groups and droplet catchers that are "under gas", as well as the cleaning of nozzles, the flushing of water seals, internal inspection, the replacement of corona electrodes, the cleaning of settling pipes and electrodes, and the cleaning and flushing of the trays and pipelines of waste water, are gas-hazardous and shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the instruction defining the procedure for the preparation and safe conduct of gas-hazardous work, developed in accordance with the requirements of Chapter IX of the Federal Norms and Rules in the Field of Industrial Safety "Ensuring Industrial Safety in Organising Work at Hazardous Production Facilities of the Mining and Metallurgical Industry", approved by Order of the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service No. 440 of 13 November 2020 (in accordance with paragraph 2 of the Order of the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service No. 440 of 13 November 2020, this act is in force until 1 January 2027). The supply of steam directly into the scrubber after its ventilation shall be carried out only with the vent stacks and hatches open and with measures taken to prevent the supply of water into the scrubber at that time.
2153. To prevent the formation of an explosive mixture in the gas pipelines and the apparatus of the gas cleaning system during purging and filling with gas, the gas shall be supplied only after the complete preliminary displacement of the air by steam or inert gas (where available). The completion of the filling of the gas tract with air is determined in accordance with the safety requirements. During the filling of the gas pipelines with gas, continuous monitoring of the oxygen content in the gas mixture shall be carried out.
2154. Before the start-up of the electric furnace and the supply of gas to the gas cleaning system, to prevent air suction, the positions of the shut-off devices on the gas tract and the purge vent stacks, as well as the leak-tightness of the hatches and manholes of the gas cleaning apparatus, shall be thoroughly checked.
2155. The discharge of combustible gases through the GSU without their combustion shall not be permitted.
2156. The presence of workers on the servicing platforms and stairways of the GSU during periods of discharge of combustible gases shall not be permitted. All work on servicing the GSU from the platform near the gas discharge valves shall be carried out with the automation switched off, with the gas discharge valves fully closed and with inert gas or steam supplied into the risers downstream of the valves. The entrance to the stairways shall be locked and shall bear an appropriate warning notice.
2157. All work on servicing the GSU is gas-hazardous.
2158. During operation, the instrumentation and control equipment shall undergo verification not less than once a year, unless another period is established by the data sheet of the instrumentation and control equipment. In addition, the working pressure gauges shall, not less than once every 6 months, be additionally checked by means of a reference pressure gauge, with the results recorded in a log. The keeping of the log in electronic form is permitted. In the absence of a reference pressure gauge, the verification may be carried out by means of another verified working pressure gauge. The instrumentation and control equipment shall not be permitted to be used in cases where: the instrument has no seal or stamp confirming the verification; the verification period has expired; there is damage or there are faults.
2159. Liquid pressure gauges may be used for periodic measurements only at a gas pressure of up to 0.03 MPa.
2160. The purging of the impulse gas lines shall be carried out with steam, compressed air or gas, with the instruments and sensors disconnected. Purging with steam shall be performed from the instrument towards the gas pipeline. Purging with compressed air is carried out towards the gas pipeline, with the impulse line disconnected from the gas pipeline and the air released into the atmosphere. Purging with gas is carried out towards the instrument to the vent stack, with the impulse line connected by means of a flexible hose.
2161. The safety requirements for the production and consumption of air separation products of metallurgical facilities apply to the air separation product facilities of metallurgical and coke-chemical production being designed and in operation, to the facilities of the power supply system and to other facilities connected with the preparation, transportation, consumption and utilisation of air separation products.
2162. The volume fraction of oxygen in the air of the production premises of air separation product production shall be not less than 19 per cent and not more than 23 per cent. It shall not be permitted for persons not connected with the operation of the ventilation systems to enter the ventilation rooms, to switch the fans on and off, or to open or close the fittings of the ventilation systems.
2163. In production premises where ignition of clothing or chemical burns to workers are possible, drinking water fountains, taps, wash basins, self-help baths or emergency showers shall be installed. The locations of these devices are determined by the design or by the production documentation of the enterprise.
2164. The inspection and cleaning of the sewerage networks and wells shall be carried out according to schedules and in accordance with the procedure for carrying out gas-hazardous work.
2165. For each facility of air separation product production/consumption, a technical data sheet containing the main technical characteristics shall be drawn up by the organisation (the customer). During the operation period, all changes made to the facility shall be indicated in the data sheet, with the drawings or diagrams of the change attached, as well as the data on the overhauls carried out. Responsibility for the storage of the data sheets shall lie with the person responsible for the safe operation; the maintaining of the data sheets is carried out by the person responsible for the sound technical condition of the given facility.
2166. At the facilities of the oxygen shop and in the shops that include air separation product consumption facilities, a unit (repair) log shall be kept, indicating the repairs, examinations and instrument adjustments of the units carried out, and an operating log, in which the faults identified during each shift are recorded, including violations of these Rules and of the labour safety instructions, the actions to eliminate the violations and the actual periods for their completion. The unit (repair) log shall be under the charge of the person responsible for the sound technical condition of the gas facility, and the operating log under the charge of the on-duty personnel, who shall make regular entries in it. The keeping of the logs in electronic form is permitted.
2167. Directly at the technical devices or at the places of their servicing and control, diagrams of the layout of the equipment and apparatus, of the process connections and of the utility lines shall be placed.
2168. The tools and appliances used for servicing the technical devices shall comply with the safety requirements and the requirements of the work being performed. The tools and appliances used in explosion- and fire-hazardous zones and rooms shall not produce sparks when working with them. A tool operating in an oxygen environment shall have a distinctive blue stripe. It shall be prohibited to use a tool intended for work in an oxygen environment for other work.
2169. At the workplaces, the tools and appliances shall be stored in specially designated places or in tool cabinets.
2170. When mechanised tools and appliances are used, the requirements of the operating documentation of the manufacturer shall be observed.
2171. Work on faulty technical devices, as well as the use of faulty appliances and tools, shall not be permitted.
2172. When working with radioactive air separation products (radioactive radon during the production of a krypton-xenon mixture and krypton), the requirements of the design and of these Rules shall be observed. Work with radioactive air separation products shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction.
2173. In places where sources of increased danger are present, warning placards shall be put up, safety signs shall be installed, or sound (light) signalling shall be arranged.
2174. Technical devices shall be subject to survey (diagnostics) and repairs within the periods provided for by the schedules.
2175. All work on the cleaning, servicing and repair of the equipment shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the Federal Norms and Rules in the Field of Industrial Safety "Ensuring Industrial Safety in Organising Work at Hazardous Production Facilities of the Mining and Metallurgical Industry", approved by Order of the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service No. 440 of 13 November 2020 (in accordance with paragraph 2 of the Order of the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service No. 440 of 13 November 2020, this act is in force until 1 January 2027).
2176. The inspection of the process pipelines and the technical devices of the air separation products shall be carried out by a commission at the production site not less than two times a year. The commission shall include the workers responsible for the safe operation and the sound condition of the air separation product facilities, and for the production control over the safe operation of the air separation product facilities within the subdivision. The inspection shall include checking: the condition and serviceability of the operation of the closures, vent stacks, condensate traps, compensators, regulators, dust discharge devices, shut-off fittings, burner devices and devices for purging and signalling; the tightness of the hatches and vent stacks, and of the closures; the tightness of the seams and flange joints of the pipelines and apparatus located inside buildings; the condition of the pipelines, the position of the pipeline fittings, the columns, their supporting saddles and shoes, the anchor bolts and the above-ground part of the foundations; compliance with the requirements of these Rules and of the production instructions for the safe operation of the air separation product equipment, as well as the maintaining of the unit and operating logs. The results of the inspection shall be documented by reports, on the basis of which a directive for the subdivision is issued, indicating the necessary actions to eliminate the identified defects and the work for carrying out the planned preventive repairs. Regarding the work carried out in fulfilment of the actions specified in the directive, entries shall be made in the unit log and a note in the data sheet (as appropriate).
2177. Technical devices stopped for repair shall be disconnected from the power sources and the process utility lines. Blanking plugs shall be installed on the pipelines. The technical devices shall be freed of process materials, and the devices containing harmful or explosive gases, vapours or dust shall, in addition, be purged. An analysis of the air environment for the content of oxygen and of harmful and explosive substances shall be carried out. Monitoring of the air for the content of harmful or explosion- and fire-hazardous gases in the places of their probable accumulation shall be carried out at the areas of the workplaces continuously during the performance of the work. The actions for installing and removing the blanking plugs shall be recorded in a special log under the signature of the person responsible for this work. The electrical circuits of the drives shall be dismantled. On the starting devices or on the handles of the knife switches, the placards "Do not switch on - people are working!" shall be put up, and measures shall be taken to prevent the erroneous or spontaneous switching on of the devices.
2178. Repair work inside heated technical devices is permitted after the air temperature in them has been reduced to 40 °C and they have been aired, and inside low-temperature technical devices - after they have been warmed up to positive temperatures (20 °C) and aired. At the place where the work is carried out, a check of the air composition is performed.
2179. The postponement of the periods for carrying out overhauls of the main process equipment is permitted only where there is a positive conclusion of an expert survey.
2180. The alternating use of technical devices and utility lines that operate with oxygen for work with air, nitrogen, argon and other gases shall not be permitted, except in cases provided for by the technological process.
2181. During the operation of oxygen technical devices, the flow of oxygen into the streams of other gases shall not be permitted. The mixing of oxygen with other gases shall be provided for by the design.
2182. The operation of technical devices with faulty systems for the control and monitoring of the technological processes, faulty emergency protection, signalling, communication and notification systems, as well as of instruments and devices whose service life has expired, shall not be permitted.
2183. During the operation of technical devices and utility lines, their leak-tightness shall be monitored. Upon detection of a leak of gaseous or liquid products, the operation of the technical device shall be suspended and the leaks eliminated.
2184. Upon detection of a leak of gaseous or liquid air separation products in the intra-block space of an air separation unit with perlite insulation, work on the unit shall be immediately stopped to eliminate the leak.
2185. The use of an open flame or of smouldering objects to determine the places of leaks of gaseous air separation products shall not be permitted.
2186. In each organisation, a list shall be drawn up of the rooms and places in which the oxygen content by volume fraction may be less than 19 per cent or more than 23 per cent (in an emergency situation), indicating the types and frequency of monitoring and the measures for normalising the air composition.
2187. During continuous automatic monitoring of the oxygen content in the air, the signalling devices shall give signals (light and (or) sound) when the volume fraction of oxygen decreases or increases to less than 19 per cent or more than 23 per cent.
2188. When the limit concentrations of oxygen in the air of the monitored rooms are reached, measures for normalising the air composition shall be carried out immediately.
2189. In the production premises of the facilities for the production and consumption of air separation products, only the workers directly engaged in operation or repair shall be present. Outside persons have the right to be present at the air separation product facilities when accompanied by a specialist of the given production.
2190. In the intra-block space of an air separation unit, of cryogenic complexes and in the storages of liquid air separation products, the use of structural elements made of materials that are explosive in liquid oxygen shall not be permitted.
2191. Work of increased danger includes the work carried out in the following rooms and places: the basement rooms of low-temperature technical devices (of the air separation unit, cryogenic complexes, storages of liquid air separation products); the intra-block space and compartments of low-temperature technical devices; pipelines, valves, wells, closed trenches, the pits of gasholders, platforms with equipment located outside the building, and structures near the discharge pipelines or at a distance of less than 10 m from the nitrogen-water cooling systems. Repair work in these places shall be carried out (applying the labour safety actions) with continuous monitoring of the volume fraction of oxygen in the air of the working zone during the performance of the work.
2192. The safety valves and other protective devices installed on the technical devices and utility lines shall be adjusted to the opening pressure and sealed. The adjustment and checking of the serviceability of the operation of the safety valves and other protective devices shall be carried out in accordance with the design and with the industrial safety requirements for the arrangement and safe operation of vessels operating under pressure. At the same time, the checking of the serviceability and the adjustment of the valves and other protective devices installed on the low-temperature technical devices shall be carried out at each scheduled complete warming up of the low-temperature equipment. In the development of technical devices and in their operation, measures shall be provided that prevent the freezing-over of the safety valves in the closed position.
2193. Closing and opening the fittings by means of blows shall not be permitted. The fittings shall be opened and closed smoothly, without jerks. During the opening and closing of the fittings, the presence of workers opposite the axis of the spindle shall not be permitted.
2194. Designations shall be applied to the process pipeline fittings in accordance with the process diagrams, and the direction of rotation of the handwheel and the extreme positions of the closure "Open" - "Closed" shall be indicated.
2195. The warming up of the pipeline fittings shall be carried out from the outside with hot air, steam or hot water. The use of an open flame for warming up the fittings shall not be permitted.
2196. Before disconnecting the impulse and other tubes of the instrumentation and control equipment systems from the fittings and utility lines located on the casing of a low-temperature technical device, it shall be ensured that the fittings shutting them off are closed.
2197. The protection against static electricity of the technical devices and utility lines shall be carried out in accordance with the design developed for these devices.
2198. The operation of portable vessels of liquid air separation products shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the process instruction, which takes into account the requirements of the vessel manufacturers, and of these Rules.
2199. At each air separation product production site, a device shall be provided on a platform outside the building for the safe draining and evaporation of liquid air separation products drained from portable vessels during the warming up of the air separation unit, after analyses of liquid products and other work have been carried out. In siting the device, conditions shall be ensured for its natural airing. The draining place shall have an enclosure. Near the device, appropriate safety signs shall be installed bearing the explanatory notice: "Place for draining liquid cryogenic air separation products. Danger!". The draining of liquid air separation products onto the floor in a production room, onto the ground or onto an asphalt surface shall not be permitted.
2200. The pipelines for draining liquid air separation products from the apparatus of the technical devices into the evaporator shall be warmed up to positive temperatures before and after each draining in accordance with the process instruction.
2201. Liquid air separation products shall be directed into the evaporator only after it has been switched on - the supply of the heat carrier (steam, water) or electric power.
2202. Upon completion of work with liquid oxygen or of work in places with an increased oxygen content, approaching an open flame (smoking) or red-hot objects within 30 minutes shall not be permitted. The clothing in which the work was performed shall be aired for 30 minutes.
2203. Work on gas welding and cutting of metal, when carrying out repair work, at a distance of less than 100 m from the air intake device and the suction chambers of the operating air compressors of the air separation unit shall be carried out only with the written permission of the head of the production (of the shop) and under a permit to work.
2204. In the room for parking vehicles with tanks for liquid cryogenic air separation products, work may be carried out without the use of welding and open fire, including work: on the servicing and repair of vehicles that do not require inspection pits; on the repair of vessels, pumps, evaporators, pipelines and fittings installed on the vehicles that operate with air separation products. Other types of repair and servicing of vehicles with vessels for liquid air separation products shall be carried out in rooms intended for vehicles only after the vessels have been emptied, warmed up and purged. In cases where residues of liquid air separation products are in the vessel, a permit to work for gas-hazardous work shall be drawn up for carrying out the repair work.
2205. The start-up of the air separation unit and of the cryogenic complexes shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction.
2206. Before the start-up of the air separation unit after installation or repair, all the work provided for by the design (for all parts of the design) or by the repair plan shall be carried out in full, and the tests and commissioning work of all the auxiliary devices and systems provided for by the design and by the technical documentation for the air separation unit shall be conducted, and the relevant documents shall be drawn up.
2207. To ensure the explosion-safe operation of the air separation unit, analytical monitoring of the content of explosive impurities in the process streams of the unit shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the process instruction.
2208. The concentration of explosive impurities in the liquid oxygen shall not exceed the limits established by the developer of the air separation unit for the various stages of the technological process.
2209. The sampling of liquid oxygen or liquid air for analysis shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction into special samplers or into metal cryogenic vessels with a light lid or with a narrow neck. The use of these vessels for other purposes shall not be permitted.
2210. The disconnection of instruments on the boards and control panels of operating equipment for their repair and verification shall be carried out only for a limited time in accordance with the schedule.
2211. The repair of the level gauges of the lower and upper columns, of the signalling pressure gauges and thermometers, of the differential pressure gauges and gas analysers with the regulators installed on them, and of other instruments shall be carried out only on condition that other instruments replacing them are installed.
2212. The data of the recording instruments shall be kept for not less than three months, and the process logs - until the overhaul of the unit. The keeping of the process logs in electronic form is permitted.
2213. On an operating air separation unit, the procedure for disconnecting the electric drives of the fittings for repair or examination shall be determined by the process instruction. The electric drives of the fittings for the supply of air (nitrogen) to the turbo-expanders, for the supply of air to the air separation unit, for the delivery of the product oxygen and nitrogen, as well as of the fittings of the nitrogen-water cooling and of the control valves, shall be repaired only with replacement of the drive. The pneumatic drives of the fittings shall be subject to repair only during shutdowns, except for the diaphragm actuators on the fittings with a manual override.
2214. The monitoring and automation system of the air separation unit shall provide light and sound signalling in the event of a disturbance of the operation of the systems and devices of the unit and of a deviation of the process parameters determined by the process instruction.
2215. The operation of the nitrogen-water scrubber in winter with visually observed carry-over of capital moisture or with the accumulation of ice on the roof of nearby buildings shall not be permitted.
2216. At the entrance to the platforms of the nitrogen-water cooling scrubber, where an increased nitrogen content is possible, a warning safety sign bearing the explanatory notice: "Nitrogen. Danger!" shall be installed.
2217. During short-term shutdowns of the air separation unit, the draining of liquid cryogenic products from the apparatus shall be carried out in the procedure provided for by the process instruction.
2218. During shutdowns of the air separation unit lasting more than 8 hours, the liquid oxygen and the bottom liquid shall be drained from the adsorbers, and the adsorbent regenerated.
2219. During the shutdown period of the air separation unit, uniform cooling of the heat- and mass-exchange apparatus shall be ensured.
2220. The start-up of the air separation unit after a shutdown, when the level of liquid oxygen (liquid air) in the main condenser-evaporators is below the nominal level, shall be carried out in the liquid accumulation mode.
2221. The duration of operation of the air separation unit between two complete warmings up shall be determined by the process instruction and shall not exceed the period established by the technical specifications of the developer of the air separation unit. The extension of the period of the working campaign is permitted only in agreement with the developer of the unit.
2222. The duration of continuous operation of the apparatus of the air separation unit, in which liquid oxygen is evaporated and the warming up of which during operation of the unit is provided for by the technological process, shall not exceed the periods determined by the process instruction, and shall also take into account the results of the analyses for the content of hydrocarbons in the liquid oxygen.
2223. The warming-up of the apparatus of the air separation unit shall be carried out until the temperature of the air leaving the apparatus, over a period of two hours, reaches the temperature determined by the process instruction.
2224. The evaporation of liquid cryogenic air separation products discharged from individual apparatus before their warming-up shall be carried out in special rapid-discharge evaporators provided for by the design separately for each unit. For a low-capacity air separation unit, the discharge of liquid cryogenic products from the apparatus may be carried out into portable cryogenic vessels with subsequent evaporation in a device for the discharge and evaporation of liquid air separation products.
2225. Combining pipelines for the discharge of liquid products from the air separation unit shall not be permitted.
2226. The operation of the technical devices forming part of the air separation unit, the cryogenic complexes and the storage systems for liquid air separation products shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the process instruction.
2227. The temperature regime of operation of the regenerators shall preclude the possibility of hydrocarbons being carried into the air separation block.
2228. The ingress of liquid oxygen into the valve boxes of the regenerators shall not be permitted. The absence of liquid oxygen in the valve boxes shall be monitored.
2229. When warming up the regenerators on an operating air separation unit, to prevent leakage of the heating gas into the cold apparatus of the separation block, the pressure in the regenerators being warmed up shall not exceed the pressure in the lower column.
2230. The adsorbers of the air separation unit shall be filled only with the adsorbent provided for by the technical documentation of the developer of the air separation unit. The moisture content and bulk density of the adsorbent shall be monitored before the adsorber is filled with it.
2231. To ensure effective purification of the process streams, periodic regeneration of the adsorbent shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction.
2232. The replacement of the adsorbent shall be carried out within the periods established by the process instruction. In addition, the adsorbent shall be replaced irrespective of its period of use in the event of a significant change in its original colour, and also where acetylene is systematically detected in the liquid oxygen at a concentration above the permissible level that is not eliminated after high-temperature regeneration of the adsorbent has been carried out.
2233. Where the air separation unit has only one adsorber on the bottom-liquid stream, the air separation block shall be shut down for the period of its regeneration. The operation of such units through a bypass line shall not be permitted.
2234. During the operation of air separation units, the through-flow of the condenser-evaporators shall be ensured in accordance with the process instruction.
2235. In units that do not produce krypton concentrate, the coiled condenser-evaporators with in-tube boiling of oxygen shall be flushed regularly with liquid oxygen. After flushing, the liquid oxygen is removed immediately from the liquid separator.
2236. The disconnection of external condensers for scheduled warming-up shall be carried out only where no acetylene has been present during the preceding day in the condensers located ahead of them. During the period of warming-up of an external condenser, analyses for the acetylene content in the liquid oxygen shall be carried out.
2237. The operation of cryogenic turboexpanders shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction after adjustment of the emergency protection system.
2238. If, in the event of liquid ingress into the turboexpander or a fall in the inlet gas temperature below the temperature specified in the process instruction, the automatic protection has not operated, the turboexpander shall be shut down immediately (the gas supply to the turboexpander shall be stopped) and the pipelines before and after the turboexpander shall be purged. The turboexpander may be started only after the causes that led to the shutdown have been eliminated.
2239. The operation of a turboexpander shall not be permitted with progressive icing of the insulation casing and of the drive of the capacity-regulating mechanism.
2240. The disconnection of the turboexpander motor-generator from the power supply shall be carried out only with the shut-off valves and the isolating valves on the gas-supply pipeline to the turboexpander closed.
2241. In the event of a sudden loss of voltage on the motor-generator of an operating turboexpander, the gas supply to the turboexpander shall be stopped immediately.
2242. During the operation of reciprocating and centrifugal pumps for liquid air separation products, icing of the pump support frame shall not be permitted, except at the points near the outlet fittings.
2243. When icing appears on the static and dynamic seals and glands of the pumps, measures shall be taken to reduce the gas leakage and air analyses for the oxygen content shall be carried out in the room where the pumps are located. In the event that the volume fraction of oxygen has risen to 23 per cent or fallen to 19 per cent (for nitrogen and argon pumps), the pump shall be shut down for repair.
2244. During the operation of the integrated air purification units, compliance shall be ensured with the working parameters of the air purification process and with the temperature regime of regeneration and cooling of the adsorbent provided for by the process instruction.
2245. The checking of the condition of the adsorbent in the integrated air purification units, provided that its serviceability is maintained, shall be carried out within the periods determined by the process instruction. This checking of the adsorbent condition includes examination of the adsorbent layer at the inlet of the air being purified into the apparatus. Where necessary, re-sieving and topping-up of the adsorbent shall be carried out. In the event that the adsorbent is oil-fouled, it shall be replaced. The replacement of the adsorbent is carried out immediately if, under the normal regeneration regime and with compliance with the working parameters of the purification process, a breakthrough of carbon dioxide above the permissible norms is observed. In the adsorption drying units, the condition of the adsorbent shall be checked not less than once a year. If the adsorbent is oil-fouled or has turned yellow, it shall be replaced. In units where the air compression temperature in any compressor stage is above 433 K (160 °C), the replacement of the adsorbent in the drying unit shall be carried out twice a year in accordance with the process instruction.
2246. The removal of oil from the air leaving the reciprocating expander shall be carried out in expander filters in accordance with the process instruction.
2247. In the absence of automatic purging of the moisture-oil separators of reciprocating compressors, their purging is carried out every 30 minutes.
2248. The content of impurities in the air and air separation products supplied to the suction of compressors and gas blowers, both during operation and during running-in, and also in the nitrogen (air) for fire-fighting of oxygen compressors, shall not exceed the standard values established by the developers of the compressor equipment. The oil content in the oxygen entering the compressors and gas blowers shall not exceed 0.02 mg/m3.
2249. During the operation of turbo-compressors, contamination of the compressed gases with oil shall be precluded.
2250. The use of oils in air filters shall not be permitted when purifying the air entering for compression into centrifugal, axial-centrifugal, axial and reciprocating air compressors operating without cylinder lubrication.
2251. The use of softened water and condensate obtained from the plant steam-supply system for the lubrication of the cylinders of reciprocating oxygen compressors shall not be permitted. For this purpose, distillate obtained from water of drinking quality shall be used.
2252. The use of crossheadless reciprocating compressors for supplying air for separation and for compressing air separation products shall not be permitted.
2253. For the lubrication of the piston group of compressors supplying air to air separation units, the oils recommended by the compressor developers shall be used.
2254. The use of oil extracted from oil-moisture separators for the lubrication of the piston group of compressors shall not be permitted.
2255. The operation of the oil-scraping glands shall be monitored. The ingress of machine oil into the cylinders shall not be permitted.
2256. The presence of carbon deposits in the valve boxes and pipelines of reciprocating compressors shall not be permitted. The checking and removal of carbon deposits shall be carried out in accordance with, and within the periods established by, the process instruction.
2257. The methods and periods for cleaning the water cavities of the coolers and the cylinder jackets of compressors from deposits shall be determined by the process instructions.
2258. The design of the purge headers of compressors and apparatus shall preclude the possibility of a pressure arising in the header that exceeds the design pressure in any of the compressor stages connected to the header and in any of the connected apparatus. The discharge to atmosphere of compressor purges without the removal of oil shall not be permitted.
2259. The starting of compressors operating on air with alkaline purification shall be carried out only with the alkaline-purification apparatus disconnected and the bypass open, in the manner provided for by the process instruction.
2260. During the operation of an air centrifugal compressor and air filter, the entry of operating personnel into the room of the chamber after the air filter (the clean-air chamber) shall not be permitted. Work in the chamber before the filter, while the filter and compressor are operating, shall be carried out by a work team of not less than two persons. The chambers located along the air flow before and after the filter shall be closed and provided with a safety sign prohibiting entry into the chamber.
2261. The operation of centrifugal, axial-centrifugal and axial compressors with anti-surge devices disconnected or not adjusted shall not be permitted.
2262. The starting, control and monitoring of the operation of centrifugal oxygen compressors shall be carried out remotely from a separate room. A panel with an additional button for emergency shutdown of the compressor shall be installed in the machine hall. Where the oil tank of a centrifugal oxygen compressor is located within the compressor foundation or directly adjacent to it, the monitoring of the oil level in the tank and the control of the oil top-up operations are carried out remotely. The ingress of oil onto the compressor foundation shall not be permitted.
2263. When connecting an oxygen compressor to two discharge headers, the connection to each header shall be made through a separate check valve that precludes the possibility of oxygen flowing over from one header to another.
2264. When two or more centrifugal compressors, or two or more reciprocating compressors (with an individual capacity of more than 2000 m3/h), operate onto a single oxygen discharge header, with an oxygen pressure in the oxygen discharge pipeline above 1.6 MPa (gauge pressure), a check valve and isolating devices (isolating valves) with remote control of the electric drive shall be installed after each compressor for disconnecting the compressor from the header and discharging oxygen to atmosphere.
2265. The automatic protection system of oxygen and nitrogen centrifugal compressors shall comply with the requirements of the standards applicable to air centrifugal compressors. In addition, on oxygen centrifugal compressors with a discharge pressure above 0.6 MPa, automatic protection of the compressor against ignition and automatic shutdown of the compressor shall be provided.
2266. The connection of nitrogen compressors to an air separation unit without gas holders may be permitted only where there are automatic devices and interlocks that preclude an increase in the nitrogen offtake above the values that ensure the specified oxygen content in the product nitrogen.
2267. On the lines supplying nitrogen to compressors or consumers (after the header), automatic gas analysers with an interlock system shall be installed that preclude the entry of nitrogen into the compressors or to consumers with an oxygen content exceeding the permissible value provided for by the design.
2268. When supplying oxygen-enriched air to compressors (gas blowers) or to consumers (if the mixing of oxygen with air is carried out after their compression in the compressors and gas blowers), a system shall be provided for automatically maintaining the specified oxygen content in the enriched air and for stopping the oxygen supply when its content increases above the established value.
2269. On each centrifugal oxygen compressor with a discharge pressure of more than 0.6 MPa, stationary devices shall be provided that allow the sampling for analysis of the gas leaving the labyrinth seals of the compressor. In doing so, the operating personnel shall be positioned behind a protective screen.
2270. A reduction of the pressure in the suction lines of compressors compressing air separation products below 0.5 kPa (50 mm water column) shall not be permitted. When the pressure falls below 0.5 kPa, the compressors shall be shut down automatically.
2271. Before starting a centrifugal oxygen compressor, the compressor oil tank shall be purged with dry nitrogen (dry air). The removal of oil vapours from the oil tank of each centrifugal compressor, irrespective of its purpose, shall be carried out through separate pipelines. At the lowest point of the oil-vapour removal pipeline, the installation of a drainage device for draining the condensed oil vapours shall be provided. The combining of drainage pipelines shall not be permitted. The location of the point of discharge of oil vapours to atmosphere shall preclude the ingress of these vapours into the air entering the suction branch pipes of the air compressors and ventilation systems.
2272. During the running-in of compressors, the possibility of oxygen entering the suction line shall be precluded.
2273. The switching on of a compressor (gas blower) that has been shut down owing to a stoppage of the cooling-water supply shall be carried out only after it has cooled down and the water supply has been resumed.
2274. Before carrying out repair work in the flow path of oxygen, nitrogen and argon compressors, the compressors shall be isolated by blanks from the discharge and suction headers, and also from other gas lines, and purged in accordance with the process instruction.
2275. The storage, gasification and transportation of liquid (cryogenic) air separation products shall be carried out in technical devices (vessels, apparatus, tanks) specially intended for the given product. Equipment that has been used for working with one air separation product may be used for working with another product only as agreed with the equipment developer.
2276. On the casings of stationary storage facilities and on the transport vessels (tanks) for liquid air separation products, inscriptions with the name of the stored product and distinguishing stripes shall be applied.
2277. All vessels filled with liquid cryogenic air separation products shall be equipped with filling-level indicators. The scales of the level indicators shall correspond to the product poured into the vessel.
2278. The cold sections of low-temperature equipment and lines located within the servicing zone shall be insulated or fenced off.
2279. Transport vessels for liquid air separation products shall, throughout the entire time they are in the garage, be connected to discharge pipelines led out to 2 m above the ridge of the garage roof. A separate discharge is provided for each vessel.
2280. Sections of liquid air separation product pipelines enclosed between two isolating devices shall be equipped with safety devices for protection against overpressure.
2281. The drainage lines of liquid air separation product systems shall ensure complete draining of the products.
2282. In the event of an emergency spill of liquid air separation products onto the floor or platform, the workers shall be led out to a safe place and shall act in accordance with the requirements of the plan of actions for the localisation and elimination of the consequences of accidents at hazardous production facilities.
2283. The arrangement of cylinder-filling shops (sections), discharge manifolds and cylinder storage warehouses for cylinders with air separation products shall be determined by the design and the requirements of these Rules.
2284. The filling of cylinders with gaseous air separation products shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction.
2285. Automatic monitoring of the air environment shall be maintained in the cylinder-filling room. Work in the cylinder filling, storage and discharging rooms shall not be permitted where the volume fraction of oxygen in the air is less than 19 per cent or more than 23 per cent.
2286. In the event of ignition of the valve of an oxygen cylinder or of the pipelines, the oxygen supply to the filling manifold shall be shut off (the discharge manifold shall be disconnected from the consumers) and the valve for discharge to atmosphere shall be opened.
2287. The gasket and sealing materials used in the valve-installation assemblies and in detachable joints shall comply with the design. In an oxygen environment, the use of gasket and sealing materials of organic origin shall not be permitted.
2288. The transportation of cylinders with air separation products shall be carried out in accordance with the recommendations of the manufacturers. The loading and unloading of containers shall be mechanised. Container-less transport of cylinders with air separation products may be carried out subject to compliance with safety requirements. Lifting devices shall be equipped with protective attachments that preclude the ingress of oil onto the cylinders.
2289. Between the filling room and the room from which the equipment supplying compressed air separation products for cylinder filling is controlled, two-way communication shall be provided.
2290. Operations for reducing and maintaining the oxygen pressure and for regulating its flow rate in oxygen-supply systems with flow rates above 6000 m3/h and pressure from 0.6 to 4.0 MPa shall be carried out in the KRP.
2291. The conditions for locating the KRP in a free-standing building or in separate rooms of the air separation product production facility and of the oxygen-consuming shops, and also their arrangement, are determined by the design.
2292. In the flanged connections of the isolating gate valves of each regulation line (before and after the regulator), gasket rings shall be installed on the regulator side, in place of which, when the regulating valves are disconnected for repair, blanks are installed.
2293. On each oxygen pipeline, ahead of the KRP, at a distance of not less than 10 m and not more than 50 m, an isolating gate valve with remote control shall be installed. The power-supply category of these gate valves is determined by the design (the design standards).
2294. Each regulation line of the KRP shall be equipped with an interlock that stops the oxygen supply when the alarm for the rise of the oxygen temperature after the pressure regulator above 100 °C is activated.
2295. On oxygen pipelines operating at a pressure of more than 1.6 MPa, filters shall be installed ahead of the KRP.
2296. The opening and closing of the gate valve installed before the filter (along the gas flow) shall be carried out with the gate valve installed after the filter closed.
2297. Stationary bypass lines (bypasses) provided for the purging of oxygen pipelines shall be located outside the KRP rooms and shall have removable branch pipes and blanks.
2298. The maintenance (examination, inspection, repair) of the technical devices of the KRP shall be carried out within the periods provided for by a schedule that takes into account the requirements of the design and of the equipment developer, and approved by the technical manager of the organisation. In doing so, routine repair of the equipment shall be carried out not less than twice a year.
2299. The checking of the actuation setting of the shut-off and safety valves shall be carried out not less than once every two months, and also after each inspection and repair of them. Where cut-off valves are present in the KRP, the setting of their actuation shall be carried out at a pressure 15 per cent greater than the design pressure and at a temperature of 100 °C. The setting of the safety valves shall be carried out for the start of opening at an increase of the design pressure by 5 per cent and for full opening at an increase of pressure by 15 per cent.
2300. The doors of the KRP regulation-line rooms shall be kept closed. Operating personnel may be present in these rooms only when performing work, and the locks on the doors of both exits shall be open.
2301. The degree of automation of the KRP shall preclude the need for the constant presence of operating personnel in the KRP control room.
2302. The arrangement and location of the gas holders and receivers for air separation products shall comply with the design and the requirements of these Rules.
2303. Wet and dry constant-pressure steel gas holders for air separation products shall be equipped with remote indicators of the gas holder's degree of filling, with alarms by the filling level: minimum, pre-minimum, pre-maximum and maximum, or, respectively, 10, 20, 80 and 90 per cent of the full volume.
2304. When the minimum filling level of the gas holder is reached, the disconnection of the compressors (gas blowers) connected to the gas holder shall be carried out automatically. In addition, the gas holders shall be equipped with protection against vacuum formation. When the maximum filling level of the gas holder is reached, automatic opening of the device for discharging gas to atmosphere is provided.
2305. The water seals of the drain tanks of the gas holders shall be permanently filled with water.
2306. The outer surface of steel gas holders and receivers located outside a building is painted in light tones. The inner surface of wet constant-pressure gas holders is painted with corrosion-resistant paints.
2307. On an individual receiver vessel or on a group of receiver vessels disconnected by a single isolating device, valves for discharging gas to atmosphere shall be provided.
2308. For receivers with a capacity of more than 200 m3 and a working pressure of more than 1.6 MPa, isolating gate valves with remote control shall be installed at the point of their connection to the inter-shop oxygen pipelines.
2309. On the outer surface of the gas holders and at the entrance to the fenced-off area with receivers, inscriptions with the name of the gas stored in the gas holder or receiver shall be provided.
2310. Depending on the type of air separation products stored in the gas holders and receivers, warning safety signs with an explanatory inscription shall be installed at the passage into the receiver enclosure or at the entrance to the gas holder pits: "Oxygen. Danger!", "Nitrogen. Danger!", "Argon. Danger!".
2311. During the arrangement, location and operation of technical devices for the processing or purification of krypton-xenon concentrate and for the production of krypton-xenon mixtures, krypton and xenon, the requirements of the design, of these Rules and of the process instruction shall be complied with.
2312. The production premises in which technical devices for the processing and storage of krypton-xenon mixture and krypton are located shall be equipped with a permanently operating supply-and-exhaust ventilation system. The operation of technical devices with the ventilation system switched off shall not be permitted.
2313. Remote control of the technical devices shall be provided. Local control is possible where there is a protective screen between the equipment and the control panel, and also a barrier around the equipment at a distance of 1 m from it.
2314. Cylinders with krypton-xenon mixture and krypton, after filling, are held for not less than 14 days in the filling room or in the cylinder warehouse. Access to these rooms by persons not connected with the process of filling cylinders with krypton-xenon mixture and krypton shall not be permitted. During the filling of cylinders and during the period of their holding in these rooms, only operations connected with the filling of cylinders and their transportation to the holding places shall be carried out. The sampling of gas for analysis, the weighing of cylinders and other operations with filled cylinders are carried out only after the holding of the cylinders.
2315. The discharge of krypton-xenon concentrate and krypton-xenon mixture shall be carried out into the krypton concentrate gas holder.
2316. The checking of the tightness of the connections of the lines and technical devices for the processing of krypton-xenon concentrate and of the mixture of krypton and xenon shall be carried out during tightness tests after installation and after each repair involving the dismantling of connections. During tightness tests, the pressure drop in the system over 4 hours at an initial pressure equal to the working pressure shall not exceed 0.01 MPa. During operation, the checking of the tightness of connections shall be carried out not less than once a week in accordance with the process instruction.
2317. The arrangement, location and operation of argon production units and of units for purifying crude argon of oxygen by the catalytic hydrogenation method shall comply with the design developed for these units, the requirements of these Rules and the process instruction.
2318. The unit for purifying crude argon of oxygen shall be equipped with an interlock that stops the hydrogen supply when the temperature in the reactor rises above the permissible level, and also when the oxygen content in the argon entering the purification exceeds the standard values.
2319. In the process of purifying crude argon of oxygen, a system for the automatic measurement of the oxygen content in the crude argon entering the reactor shall be provided.
2320. The volume fraction of hydrogen in the technical argon entering the air separation unit for purification of nitrogen shall not exceed 2.5 per cent.
2321. Units for purifying crude argon of oxygen and hydrogen lines shall, before hydrogen is supplied to them and after shutdown, be purged with crude argon or nitrogen with a volume fraction of oxygen of not more than 4 per cent. The completion of purging shall be determined by analysis of the composition of the purge gas. In doing so, the volume fraction of oxygen in the purge gas (before starting) shall not exceed 4 per cent, and hydrogen (after shutdown) shall be absent.
2322. Any repair work and maintenance on the unit for purifying crude argon of oxygen and on the hydrogen lines are possible only after a reliable disconnection of the hydrogen supply that precludes its ingress into the unit, purging with gas and then with air. After the completion of purging, the presence of hydrogen in the purge gas shall not be permitted. The opening of the catalytic hydrogenation reactors is possible only after they have cooled down to a temperature of 40 °C.
2323. The arrangement, installation and operation of the pipelines for air, oxygen, nitrogen, argon and other inert gases in air separation product production shall be carried out in accordance with the design. The same requirements as for oxygen pipelines shall be applied to the air and nitrogen pipelines used for the running-in of oxygen compressors.
2324. Oxygen pipelines with a working pressure of more than 1.6 MPa, whose capacity together with the vessels (receivers) connected to them exceeds 200 m3, shall be equipped with an automatically operating protection system that stops the entry of oxygen from the receivers into the pipeline in the event of a breach of its integrity.
2325. All pipelines shall have the identification colouring and inscriptions provided for by the design.
2326. Filters shall be cleaned for the first time 10 days after commissioning, thereafter every 6 months, and also when their resistance increases above the values determined by the manufacturer. Isolating valves shall be installed on the pipeline before and after the filter. The opening or closing of the valves at the filter inlet is carried out only with the valves after the filter closed. The inspection of the filter is carried out only on a disconnected pipeline under a permit to work.
2327. Placing oxygen valves (irrespective of pressure) in control-panel rooms shall not be permitted.
2328. If the remotely controlled isolating and regulating valves installed on an oxygen pipeline with a pressure above 1.6 MPa are located at a distance of less than 3 m from workplaces, then, to protect personnel in the event of ignition of the valves, protective screens shall be installed. If, owing to local conditions, a protective screen cannot be installed, then the remotely controlled valves used shall meet the requirements applicable to locally controlled valves.
2329. During the operation of process pipelines, the valves shall be subject to periodic examinations, inspection and survey within the periods provided for by the schedule.
2330. The work of examination, inspection, repair and testing of pipelines shall be carried out in accordance with the process or operating instruction developed on the basis of the production documentation and the Rules.
2331. The examination of pipelines shall be carried out not less than once a month. The checking of the steam traps and steam tracers heating the pipelines shall be carried out daily in winter.
2332. Where a reduction of the wall thickness of the pipeline being examined by more than 0.4 mm per year is detected, the period until the subsequent measurement shall be halved. When the wall thickness of the pipe is reduced to the design value, without a corrosion allowance, the section of pipeline shall be replaced. The length of the section to be replaced is determined by additional measurements of the pipe wall thicknesses.
2333. Process pipelines shall be subjected to hydraulic or pneumatic strength tests and pneumatic tightness tests after installation, repairs and alterations involving the use of welding work or the dismantling of pipelines, and also when putting into operation pipelines that have been kept in preservation for more than one year. The oil content in the water used for the hydraulic testing of oxygen pipelines shall not exceed 5.0 mg/l. The oil content in the air or nitrogen used for the pneumatic testing and purging of oxygen pipelines shall not exceed 10.0 mg/m3.
2334. Before the start of operation (and also in the event that an oxygen pipeline at a pressure of 0.6 MPa and above has not been operated for more than a month), before starting, the oxygen pipeline shall be purged with air or nitrogen at an outlet velocity of not less than 40 m/s. The duration of purging is not less than 2 hours; the completion of purging is determined by the absence of impurities in the outgoing flow.
2335. Before installation, the pipes intended for the manufacture of oxygen pipelines shall be subject to examination for the detection of defects (laps, scale, welding burr and others). The inner surface of the pipes is checked for the absence of greasy contamination. The procedure for examining the pipelines is determined by the production documentation.
2336. Pipes having on their inner surface the above-listed defects or greasy contamination (traces of oil) exceeding the norms permitted by the standard shall not be permitted for installation. On completion of the examination and degreasing, the pipes permitted for installation shall be closed at their ends with blanks that prevent contamination of the pipes during transportation.
2337. On completion of the welding and installation of oxygen pipelines, the presence on the inner surface of the pipes of slag, burr and metal spatter, and also of contamination with greasy substances, shall not be permitted.
2338. The technical devices of air separation product (ASP) production facilities and consumption facilities shall be equipped with systems for automatic and remote control, monitoring of process operations, with emergency protection, communication and alarm systems in accordance with the design and the requirements of these Rules.
2339. All monitoring and measuring instruments used to measure the parameters of oxygen and of gas mixtures with a volume fraction of oxygen of more than 23 per cent shall comply with the requirements of the standard and shall be protected against grease contamination.
2340. The accuracy of the readings of the instruments, the list of which is approved by the head of the production facility (workshop), shall be checked not less than once every three months in accordance with the requirements of the standards in force.
2341. The readings of differential-pressure level gauges are checked not less than once a month, and the results of the check are entered in the process log.
2342. The operability of automatic interlocking and regulating systems and of alarm systems shall be checked not less than once a month using a procedure developed in accordance with the instructions of the system developer. The results of the check are recorded in the process log.
2343. Operation of the equipment shall not be permitted when the alarm and protection systems are faulty or disconnected. Operation with the automatic regulation systems disconnected is permitted only where this is provided for by the process instructions or regulations.
2344. The disconnection of an alarm or interlock for the inspection of apparatus shall be recorded in the process log.
2345. In the chromatography room, the storage of more than two cylinders of reference and calibration gas mixtures shall not be permitted. The capacity of each cylinder shall not exceed 40 litres, and the pressure shall not exceed 20 MPa.
2346. Oxygen sampling lines for analysis shall be made of corrosion-resistant steel or copper alloys, irrespective of the parameters of the oxygen.
2347. The arrangement and siting of technical devices containing liquid ASP shall comply with the design and the requirements of these Rules.
2348. Cryogenic vessels (Dewar vessels) intended for the storage of, or work with, liquid ASP, except for vessels with a capacity of up to 15 litres, shall be fitted with safety devices.
2349. The operation of cryogenic vessels and of technical devices of various purposes fitted with Dewar vessels shall be carried out in accordance with a process instruction that takes account of the requirements of the production documentation and these Rules.
2350. In a room with natural ventilation, work with open vessels of liquid ASP is permitted where the volume of the room (in cubic metres) exceeds the volume of the liquid held in the vessels (in litres) by not less than 7 times. If this ratio is not met, then permanently operating supply and exhaust ventilation shall be provided in the room, ensuring a volume fraction of oxygen in the air of the room of not less than 19 per cent and not more than 23 per cent. In addition, an automatic gas analyser shall be installed in this room, giving light and sound signals of any deviation from the norms for the oxygen content in the air of the room. When a signal is given, the operating personnel shall take measures to restore the oxygen content in the room to normal (switching on the emergency ventilation system, airing the room, closing the source of gas emission and others) and shall leave the room. The continuation of work is possible only after a normal oxygen content in the air has been achieved.
2351. Liquid nitrogen may be used as a coolant without special measures to prevent ignition and explosion if the volume fraction of oxygen in it does not exceed 30 per cent. When working with liquid nitrogen containing more than 30 per cent oxygen, the same safety measures shall be provided as when working with liquid oxygen.
2352. Work with liquid nitrogen in open baths shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the process instructions, while monitoring the oxygen content in the liquid by one of the following methods: by carrying out analyses of the volume fraction of oxygen in the vapour phase above the surface of the liquid (the volume fraction of oxygen shall not exceed 10 per cent); by carrying out analyses of the liquid nitrogen after its gasification. When stationary baths are used for work with liquid nitrogen, the analyses shall be carried out continuously by an automatic gas analyser.
2353. Parts subjected to cooling in baths with liquid nitrogen shall be degreased and dried beforehand.
2354. Baths for cooling parts with liquid nitrogen shall be warmed up when the volume fraction of oxygen in the nitrogen exceeds 30 per cent and shall be degreased periodically. Local exhausts shall be provided above the baths for cooling parts with liquid nitrogen.
2355. Consumers may be supplied with gaseous air separation products directly from cylinders located near the consumers. For permanent consumers of small quantities of ASP, not more than two cylinders with a capacity of 40 litres, filled with ASP at a pressure of up to 20 MPa, shall be placed at each point of consumption. The distance between each pair of cylinders shall be not less than 12 metres at each level where the cylinders are placed. The cylinders shall be placed and secured in metal cabinets. The cabinets with cylinders shall be locked.
2356. The movement of cylinders by lifting devices and vehicles shall be carried out in accordance with the process instruction.
2357. During the loading and unloading of cylinders, dropping them or striking them against each other shall not be permitted.
2358. A cylinder of oxygen and a cylinder of combustible gas may be transported to the workplace on a special trolley.
2359. In workshops that consume oxygen, the possibility of oxygen flowing into systems (lines and technical devices) filled with combustible gases, or into systems not connected with the process being carried out, shall be excluded. When oxygen cylinders are discharged, the residual pressure in them shall preclude the backflow of combustible gases from the connected system. A reduction of the pressure in a cylinder below 0.05 MPa shall not be permitted.
2360. At consumption facilities, the repair of cylinders and the dismantling and repair of valves shall not be permitted.
2361. The discharge of ASP into a production room during the purging of technical devices and lines shall not be permitted.
2362. The explosion safety of process operations in which substances capable of forming an explosive atmosphere are present shall be ensured by explosion prevention and explosion protection measures and by carrying out special organisational and organisational-technical actions to the extent of the requirements established by the explosion safety norms in force.
2363. In the event of a fire in oxygen equipment, the supply of oxygen to the room shall be stopped and the operating personnel shall be led out to a safe zone. To extinguish technical devices and lines that have caught fire, the fire-extinguishing systems and means provided for by the design shall be used.
2364. Rooms in which oxygen compressors and gasifiers, the filling and adjacent stores of oxygen cylinders, oxygen discharge manifolds, receivers, oxygen regulating points, oxygen regulation units, and garages for transport vessels of liquid ASP are located shall be equipped with communication facilities in accordance with the design norms.
2365. In air separation workshops, in the sections for the production and purification of rare gases, in the compressor section, in the gas-holder room, in the sections for the storage, gasification and filling of oxygen, and also in places where oxygen pipelines run and work with oxygen is carried out, smoking and the use of open flame shall not be permitted, and, to this effect, the appropriate safety signs shall be installed on the outer side of the doors and in the places where work with oxygen is carried out and oxygen pipelines run.
2366. In the rooms for the production of ASP, at the locations of oxygen compressors, pumps and liquid-oxygen gasifiers, air separation blocks, liquid-oxygen reservoirs, filling and discharge manifolds of oxygen cylinders, oxygen distribution points, at the exit from the rooms of fabric oxygen gas-holders, and also near the emergency exits, baths filled with water shall be installed. The places for installing baths or fire-safety shower cabins in the rooms of oxygen consumption facilities are determined by the design developed for the given production facility.
2367. Free access for workers to the baths and shower cabins is ensured. The baths and shower cabins are located at the servicing level of the technical devices, at a distance of not more than 25 metres from them. Where a technical device is serviced on two levels, the baths or cabins shall be provided at each servicing level.
2368. The baths and automatically operating shower cabins shall be kept in constant readiness. The baths are filled with clean water, which shall be replaced periodically as it becomes contaminated. The automatic devices for starting the flow of water into the shower cabins shall be checked every shift. The results of the check are entered in a log. The log may be kept in electronic form.
2369. Where centrifugal oxygen compressors or compressors for other purposes are installed in a workshop and the unit capacity of an oil tank exceeds 5 m³, the emergency draining of oil from the oil tanks of the compressors shall be carried out into an emergency drain tank whose capacity shall be not less than the capacity of the largest compressor oil tank installed in the workshop.
2370. Where the oil dispensing room is located above ground, the emergency draining of oil shall be carried out into specially buried tanks located outside the building at a distance of not less than 1 metre from a wall without openings or 5 metres from a wall with openings. If the oil dispensing room is located on the plinth or basement floor, the emergency draining of oil may be carried out into the tanks of the oil dispensing room.
2371. To protect the operating personnel, at the servicing level, each centrifugal oxygen compressor with a discharge pressure of 0.6 MPa and above shall be enclosed with protective screens.
2372. All oil lines located directly within the limits of centrifugal oxygen compressors shall be insulated with non-combustible material to prevent their ignition in the event of a compressor fire.
2373. During operation, contamination of oxygen equipment and lines with greasy and other combustible substances shall not be permitted. Lifting and other technical devices shall be fitted with protective attachments that preclude oil from getting onto oxygen equipment and lines.
2374. Wiping materials shall be stored in clean metal boxes with lids. Used wiping materials shall be placed in a special metal box with a lid and shall be removed from the room daily.
2375. The procedure for the preparation and the performance of repair work on technical devices and pipelines shall be carried out in accordance with the production documentation, the requirements of the Rules, and the safety rules for work in the gas facilities of metallurgical installations.
2376. Blanking plates used to isolate technical devices and pipelines shall have tails projecting beyond the flanges. The number of the blanking plate and the pressure for which it is rated are stamped on the tail of each blanking plate. The time and place of the installation and removal of a blanking plate shall be recorded in the process log under the signature of the person who installed or removed the blanking plate. The log may be kept in electronic form.
2377. Before opening devices or pipelines filled with liquid or gaseous air separation products, the following shall be done: reduce the pressure in the devices and pipelines to be repaired to atmospheric pressure; drain the liquid ASP from the vessels and pipelines (repair and replacement of the switching valves of the regenerators without draining the liquid from the apparatus of the air separation block is permitted, subject to compliance with the safety requirements); warm up the disconnected technical device and pipelines in accordance with the requirements of these Rules; purge the device with air until the volume fraction of oxygen in the exhaust gas is 19 - 23 per cent, sampling for oxygen content being carried out not earlier than 5 minutes after the purging has stopped; the discharge of exhaust gas into the room shall not be permitted; disconnect the power supply to the drives of the technical devices and valves and install, on the starting devices or knife switches, a warning safety sign with the explanatory inscription: "Do not switch on, personnel at work!"; isolate the technical devices or sections of pipeline being repaired, by means of blanking plates, from all technical devices and pipelines that are in operation or under pressure. The blanking plates need not be installed if isolation from that equipment and those pipelines is effected by not less than two shut-off devices (including forced-action valves) and if there is a vent pipe (vent stack) with an open valve between them.
2378. Air separation blocks are disconnected from other equipment before repair or "warm" pressure tests.
2379. Repair work in compartments partially filled with perlite remaining after its pumping out shall be carried out under a permit to work.
2380. Work in the intra-block space shall be carried out under a permit to work, subject to compliance with the following requirements: everyone entering the intra-block space, as well as the attendants (irrespective of the number of open hatches), shall have with them hose breathing apparatus, safety belts and signal ropes tied to the belts; the free ends of the hose breathing apparatus shall be led out and secured in the clean-air zone; during the performance of the work, the attendants shall be positioned near the access hatch nearest to the work area, shall hold the signal rope in their hands, shall continuously watch the worker, and shall monitor the condition of the intake hose of the breathing apparatus, not allowing it to bend. The use of filtering breathing apparatus for work in the intra-block space shall not be permitted. For repair work, when the insulation has been completely removed from the compartments of the block and the block has been warmed up, purged and disconnected from all lines, these requirements do not apply.
2381. The unloading of perlite sand from the compartments of the air separation block into open vessels or into the machine hall room shall not be permitted.
2382. On an operating or non-warmed-up air separation block, the opening of the hatches of the block casing for passage into the intra-block space shall not be permitted, except for the compartments of the regenerator valve boxes. Entry into these compartments for the repair of valves shall take place only after the pressure has been released from the apparatus of the block and after local warming-up of the compartments of the valve boxes, under a permit to work and subject to compliance with the requirements of the process instruction.
2383. Before the start of repair inside the casing of the air separation block, an analysis of the air of the working zone shall be carried out at specified locations, and the volume fraction of oxygen in it shall be within the range of 19 - 23 per cent. During the first 24 hours of the repair work, including during the unloading of insulation, the analysis of the air of the working zone shall be carried out every 30 minutes, and thereafter not less than twice per shift. When the volume fraction of oxygen in the air is below 19 per cent or above 23 per cent, the repair work shall be stopped immediately and the repair personnel shall be led out to a safe zone.
2384. During the loading and unloading of mineral wool into and out of thermal insulation casings, the personnel shall use personal protective equipment (PPE) complying with the norms.
2385. During the dismantling and repair of units operating in an oxygen environment, contact with grease contamination shall be excluded. The tools intended for this work are degreased and shall have a distinctive blue stripe. All parts in contact with oxygen are degreased and dried before assembly.
2386. When repair of the air separation block is carried out, after the degreasing of its apparatus and lines, purging of the block with air shall be performed. The concentration of solvent vapours at the place where the repair is carried out shall not exceed the maximum permissible concentration (MPC).
2387. Repair work on low-temperature technical devices without their complete warming-up, and also on equipment or a section of pipeline disconnected from an operating air separation unit (ASU), shall be carried out under a permit to work.
2388. When repair of turboexpanders is carried out or when the filter elements of the expander filters are replaced, the valves at the air inlet to the turboexpander and at its outlet shall be closed, and the power supply shall be disconnected. On nitrogen turboexpanders, blanking plates shall be installed on the gas supply to and outlet from the turboexpander.
2389. Nitrogen turboexpanders shall be purged with air before repair.
2390. The removal of thermal insulation to provide access to the adsorbers shall be carried out only after these apparatus and the layer of insulation adjacent to them have been warmed up.
2391. The warming-up of the layers of insulation adjacent to the apparatus is carried out by means of the heat supplied to the apparatus being warmed up, and the warming-up of frozen insulation is carried out directly by dry heated air. The use of open flame for warming up the insulation shall not be permitted.
2392. The repair of technical devices and lines, and also the tightening of the bolts of flange connections that are under pressure, shall not be permitted.
2393. For the replacement of the gland packing of valves operating in an oxygen environment, and also of the glands of liquid-oxygen piston pumps, only materials specified by the production documentation shall be used.
2394. On completion of the repair, the internal cavities of the apparatus, pipelines and the intra-block space shall be inspected. No tools, attachments or materials used during the repair shall remain in the internal cavities. The results of the inspection shall be recorded in the repair acceptance certificate. In addition, the service platforms, guards and interlocks shall be fully restored. All surfaces of technical devices that come into contact with oxygen during operation are checked for contamination with greasy substances and are degreased.
2395. Repair work inside the pipelines and valves of the warm and cold ends of the regenerators, during a shutdown of the blocks without draining the liquid, shall be carried out under a permit to work.
2396. The simultaneous repair of the following shall not be permitted: the pipelines and valves of the warm and cold ends of the regenerators; the pipelines and valves of the warm or cold end of the regenerators and the "command" air system for switching the regenerators, or the switching mechanism; the forced switching valves of the regenerators and the three-way dampers after the regenerators.
2397. Before the personnel are admitted to perform the work and after each break, the volume fraction of oxygen in the air is checked at the place where the work is carried out. While the personnel are inside the pipelines, the support shells of the regenerators, or in the compartment of the reverse-rotating valves or valves, the volume fraction of oxygen at the place where the work is carried out shall be checked regularly at intervals of not less than 10 minutes.
2398. For the entire period of the repair, the valve on the discharge of gas from the block to the atmosphere shall be open, a warning safety sign "Do not close, personnel at work!" shall be installed, and the electrical circuits of the drives of this valve shall be disassembled.
2399. Before repair, the electric gate valve at the air inlet to the block shall be closed and manually tightened. The power supply to the drive is disconnected and a warning safety sign "Do not open, personnel at work!" is installed. The valve for purging the air manifold on the section from the inlet gate valve to the regenerators shall be opened, and a warning safety sign "Do not close, personnel at work!" shall be installed.
2400. The regenerator switching mechanism (switching machine) shall be stopped for the period of the repair of the valves (pipelines), the electrical circuit of the drive shall be disassembled, and a warning safety sign "Do not switch on, personnel at work!" shall be hung up. Before the repair of the valves (pipelines), the automatic control system of the regenerators shall be switched to manual mode; using remote control, the corresponding valves shall be closed or opened and a warning safety sign "Do not switch on, personnel at work!" shall be installed. Throughout the entire period during which the personnel are working inside the valves, valve boxes, pipelines and inside the block casing, the inviolability of the automatic control system of the regenerators and of the regenerator switching mechanism shall be ensured.
2401. Before work is carried out on one or both three-way dampers involving access into the pipelines leading to them, blanking plates shall be installed (in the direction of gas flow) in front of both three-way dampers, or other measures ensuring the safety of the personnel are taken.
2402. The repair of the forced valves of the warm end of the regenerators, of the three-way dampers after the regenerators, and of the automatic and reverse-rotating valves is carried out in accordance with the developer's instructions.
2403. The degreasing of technical devices and pipelines in contact with oxygen shall be carried out in the event of an exceedance of the permissible values (norms) for the content of grease contamination on their surface during installation, operation and repair, in accordance with a process instruction drawn up at the organisation taking account of the requirements of the production documentation and the Rules. The instruction shall specify the frequency of degreasing and the types of work, and shall also indicate the methods for determining, and the norms for, the content of grease contamination on the surfaces of equipment and pipelines in contact with gaseous and liquid oxygen.
2404. When the oil concentration in the liquid oxygen reaches 0.40 mg/dm and above, confirmed by five consecutively performed analyses, the ASU shall be subjected to degreasing.
2405. The degreasing of the unit need not be carried out within the periods determined by the ASU developer if the means of protection against the ingress of oil have ensured, throughout the entire period since the last degreasing, the absence of oil in the liquid oxygen within the sensitivity of the adopted analysis method.
2406. The degreasing of assembled air separation units after installation or overhaul is not carried out if the following conditions are met: all parts, pipeline assemblies and tools used during the work were cleaned beforehand of preservative grease and degreased; the work was carried out under conditions that precluded contamination of the internal surfaces of the equipment with greasy substances.
2407. The intervals for degreasing ASUs operating on the high- and medium-pressure scheme with integrated purification blocks using zeolites and with turboexpanders, and also on the low-pressure scheme, are not regulated. Where degreasing of the unit is necessary, the operating organisation shall develop the degreasing technology and agree it with the developer.
2408. During operation of the ASU, the following apparatus and lines shall be subjected to degreasing: the high- and low-pressure columns; the regenerators (when processing air compressed by compressors with lubricated cylinders); the air sections of the heat exchangers; the apparatus and lines on the air flow from the piston expander and from the booster piston compressor; the apparatus and lines on the liquid-oxygen flow; the apparatus and lines on the high-pressure gaseous-oxygen flow.
2409. Newly installed valves intended for work with oxygen shall be degreased. Valves are not subject to degreasing before installation if the degreasing was carried out at the manufacturing plant (which is confirmed by the accompanying documents) and the packaging has not been broken.
2410. Before the degreasing of equipment and valves, the preservative grease shall be removed in accordance with the requirements of the factory instruction for depreservation.
2411. Before the degreasing of the ASU, pressure testing of the equipment is carried out and all leaks found are eliminated.
2412. The following are not subject to degreasing: measuring instruments operating at a pressure of up to 0.6 MPa whose design allows them to be installed in a position ensuring the free draining of oil from the internal surfaces in contact with oxygen (where the free draining of oil from the internal surfaces is not possible, they shall be subjected to degreasing in accordance with a process instruction); general-purpose measuring instruments intended for operation in an oxygen-containing environment with a volume fraction of oxygen of up to 40 per cent and a pressure of up to 1.6 MPa.
2413. Workshops in which oxygen compressors are installed shall be equipped with installations for the degreasing of the assemblies and parts of compressors, valves and pipelines with aqueous washing solutions. At the same time, contamination of the air of production rooms with the vapours of the washing solutions shall be excluded.
2414. The degreasing of individual parts and removable assemblies by immersing them in baths shall be carried out in closed or semi-closed apparatus equipped with local exhaust and precluding the ingress of solvent vapours into the air of the rooms. At the same time, the processes of degreasing, unloading and drying of the parts shall be continuous.
2415. Baths with aqueous washing solutions containing caustic soda shall operate with the local exhausts permanently switched on.
2416. The use, during the degreasing of oxygen pipelines, of separators (plugs) or other items placed inside the oxygen pipeline that are made of foam rubber or other organic materials shall not be permitted.
2417. In justified cases, where degreasing with solvents is necessary, the following requirements shall be observed: access to the room where the solvents are stored is permitted only to persons authorised to work with them; the transfer of solvents from one vessel to another is permitted only by a closed method, provided that the workers have PPE; the containers that held solvents shall be tightly closed and stored only in a room designated for this purpose or in the open air; the spilling of solvents onto the floor shall not be permitted; accidentally spilled solvent shall be removed immediately using dry materials. The special rooms in which degreasing is carried out and solvents are stored shall be equipped with permanently operating supply and exhaust ventilation in accordance with the design and the requirements of these Rules. Work with solvents when the ventilation is not operating shall not be permitted.
2418. The quality of the solvents used for the degreasing of technical devices and lines shall be monitored.
2419. When degreasing the ASU and other special equipment with solvents, complete leak-tightness of the equipment and mechanisation of the process shall be ensured, precluding the possibility of contact of the workers with the solvents and the ingress of solvent vapours into the air of production rooms.
2420. In rooms where degreasing of oxygen equipment with fire- and explosion-hazardous solvents is carried out, the performance of hot work and smoking shall not be permitted. The presence in these rooms of surfaces heated to a temperature above 120 °C shall not be permitted.
2421. The purge gas (air, nitrogen) containing solvent vapours shall, before being released into the atmosphere, be subjected to purification from the vapours or to absorption of the solvent vapours. The discharge of the purge gas into a production room shall not be permitted, even after the purification or absorption of the solvent vapours.
2422. The appropriate safety signs shall be hung up before the entrance to the room where degreasing with solvents is carried out.
2423. During the work, the draining of solvent from the equipment and baths is carried out into closed vessels through pipelines.
2424. In the degreasing room, near the units being degreased and the baths with solvents, an analysis of the air for the content of solvent vapours shall be carried out periodically. The content of harmful substances in the air of the working zone shall not exceed the MPC.
2425. When degreasing vessels (vessel-type apparatus) by the wiping method, the following requirements shall be observed: before the degreasing work is carried out, a vessel that has been in operation is warmed up to a temperature of not less than 20 °C and is purged with air. The work shall be started only when the volume fraction of oxygen in the air inside the vessel is not less than 19 per cent and not more than 23 per cent; the workers carrying out the degreasing shall use the appropriate PPE and shall also be trained in safe methods for carrying out work inside the vessel; the person responsible for carrying out the degreasing shall inspect the work site and make sure that the vessel is warmed up and prepared for the work.
2426. When degreasing technical devices with petrol and other explosion- and fire-hazardous solvents, the fire safety requirements shall be observed.
2427. Spent solvents shall be drained into special closed vessels and sent for regeneration and disposal. The procedure for the draining and disposal of aqueous washing solutions is determined by the design.
2428. The use of ASP at each production facility, area or facility shall be carried out in accordance with process instructions. The use of ASP for a purpose other than intended shall not be permitted.
2429. To conduct supervision of the safe operation of technical devices and lines connected with the consumption of ASP, responsible persons from among the specialists are appointed.
2430. On oxygen pipelines, the installation of valves made of titanium-based alloys shall not be permitted.
2431. The installation and use of oxygen equipment near oil-stained or grease-soaked equipment or areas shall not be permitted.
2432. The oxygen valves for connecting hoses shall be placed in a metal cabinet with openings for ventilation. The doors of the cabinet shall be open while the work is being carried out. In the absence of the worker using the valves, the cabinet shall be locked.
2433. When developing a process instruction for the production of hydrogen by various methods - catalytic reforming of feed gas and steam, electrolysis of water, dissociation of ammonia and others - all process stages and technical characteristics of the production process shall be taken into account, with a description of the chemical reactions.
2434. The process instruction for the production of hydrogen shall contain a characterisation of the products and raw materials, consumables, The design of facilities connected with the production, handling, use and storage of hydrogen shall be carried out with the division of the process scheme into separate technological blocks ensuring their minimum level of explosion safety. When designing these facilities, the properties of hydrogen shall be taken into account. The concentration limits of flame propagation for hydrogen (CLFP): in air 4.1 - 75.0 per cent (vol.); in oxygen 4.1 - 96.0 per cent (vol.)
2435. The organisation developing the project calculates the relative energy potential of each process unit, assesses the energy level of the facility, and justifies the actions to ensure the explosion safety of the entire process system.
2436. The regulated values of the parameters for conducting the process are specified in the process regulations for hydrogen production as the optimal norms for maintaining the process regime and shall be monitored and regulated within the specified range.
2437. Hydrogen receivers (vessels) are located on open areas that have a light-type enclosure at least 1.2 m high made of non-combustible material around the perimeter. Warning safety signs shall be posted on the enclosure: "Smoking is prohibited", "No entry for unauthorised persons"; the receivers shall bear explanatory markings: "Hydrogen. Explosive". The distance from the hydrogen receivers (vessels) to the enclosure is not less than 1.5 m.
2438. The distance between receivers of the same gas shall be not less than 1.5 m in the clear and shall ensure convenient maintenance of them.
2439. The operating organisation shall provide security for the organisation that precludes the possibility of unauthorised persons entering and of unauthorised actions. The territory of the entire hydrogen production complex shall be enclosed around the perimeter with a fence at least 2 m high, with wickets and gates fitted with locking devices, bells, coded locks, and security alarms.
2440. Repealed as of 1 September 2025. - Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025.
2441. In production buildings for hydrogen production located adjacent to explosion-hazardous production areas of category A, it is permitted to locate auxiliary and ancillary production premises. The connection of these premises with production premises of categories A and B shall be made through airlock vestibules with constant air pressurisation.
2442. Air compressor units for the needs of pneumatic systems may be located on the areas of the hydrogen station outside explosion-hazardous zones in a separate room with independent supply and exhaust ventilation.
2443. At hydrogen stations, premises for transformer substations (TP, KTP) and switchgear (RU) may be built in and attached to them, subject to compliance with the safety requirements for the arrangement of electrical installations. 2444 - 2445. Repealed as of 1 September 2025. - Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025.
2446. In premises where hydrogen is handled, the design of the coverings shall preclude the possibility of hydrogen accumulation. Where it is impossible to provide such a design, measures shall be taken against the possible accumulation of hydrogen under the coverings, as well as under platforms in places bounded by the ribs of structures. To remove it from the upper zone of the premises, special natural ventilation devices shall be provided at a height of not less than 0.1 m from the plane of the ceiling in premises up to 4.0 m high; where the height of premises exceeds 4.0 m, the devices shall be provided at a height of not less than 1/40 from the plane of the ceiling, but not less than 0.4 m. To ventilate stagnant areas in platforms, openings shall be provided, closed with gratings where necessary. In the absence of openings, it is necessary to provide ventilation of these places by means of natural ventilation, by embedding tubes into the protruding ribs for the free passage of air between compartments, or by applying another equivalent solution.
2447. Premises where the release of hydrogen is possible are equipped with natural exhaust ventilation from the upper zone through deflectors at a rate of not less than one air change per hour.
2448. Where justified, the installation of mechanical supply and exhaust general ventilation with an air exchange rate of not less than 6 per hour is permitted. In this case, emergency ventilation with a rate of not less than 8 per hour shall be provided. In the event of an accident, in addition to the continuously operating general ventilation of the hydrogen production, an emergency exhaust system shall switch on automatically. The switching-on of the emergency ventilation shall be linked to the readings of the gas analyser monitoring the atmosphere in the premises.
2449. Apparatus containing explosion- and fire-hazardous substances shall be equipped with devices for connecting water, steam, and inert gas lines. When designing this type of equipment, devices for purging the apparatus shall be provided.
2450. In the room where hydrogen production equipment is located, the permanent presence of servicing personnel shall not be permitted. Continuous supervision of the process is carried out by personnel from the control room.
2451. Premises of category A where hydrogen is handled shall be provided with automatic gas analysers with a light and sound alarm device that activate when the content of hydrogen in the air of the premises is not more than 10 per cent of the lower explosive limit (0.4 per cent by volume), of oxygen less than 19 per cent and more than 23 per cent, of carbon monoxide more than 20 mg/m3, and of methane not more than 10 per cent of the lower explosive limit. The number and location of the gas analysers shall be determined by the design organisation on the basis of the following: for hydrogen - one sampling point per 100 m2 of area, but not less than one sensor per room; for oxygen - one point per room.
2452. When the content of hydrogen in the air of a production room exceeds 25 per cent of the lower explosive limit (1 per cent by volume), the process equipment of that room shall be shut down on a signal from the automatic gas analyser.
2453. All process equipment, after a shutdown of more than 2 hours and before start-up, shall be purged with inert gas, unless during the shutdown period it was under excess hydrogen pressure. The completion of the purging shall be regulated on the basis of calculation and determined by analysis of the composition of the purged gas. In this case, hydrogen in the purge gas (after shutdown) shall be absent, and the oxygen content in the purge gas (before start-up) shall not exceed 1 per cent (by volume).
2454. On discharge pipelines containing hydrogen from process apparatus, the hydrogen shall be discharged into a centralised flare system and burned at the flare, and in cases where discharge into the atmosphere is justified by the project, flame arresters are installed on the pipelines.
2455. For continuous monitoring of the content of impurities in the product hydrogen, the units shall be equipped with automatic gas analysers with alarms for the maximum permissible concentrations.
2456. In a continuous process, for the period of switching the hydrogen equipment over to the standby equipment, as well as during scheduled maintenance and inspection of automation instruments and safety valves, a buffer stock of hydrogen in the receivers shall be provided. The calculation of the capacity of the receivers is carried out by the design organisation.
2457. For pumps and compressors (groups of pumps and compressors) that move combustible products, their remote shutdown and the installation of shut-off or cut-off devices on the suction and discharge lines shall be provided.
2458. In heat exchange processes, including reaction processes, in which, upon deviations of the process parameters from the regulated ones, the development of uncontrolled, self-accelerating exothermic reactions is possible, means preventing their development are provided.
2459. Heating tube furnaces shall be equipped with main and standby (pilot) burners fitted with ignition devices and an individual fuel supply system. Standby burners may be installed in a single housing: with the main burners, if this is provided for by the design of the burner (combined block burners); with flame failure detectors that reliably record the presence of a flame in the nozzle, or with combined block burners with ignition devices that ensure the continuous burning of the nozzle in automatic mode. The number of standby burners and flame failure detectors and their installation location are justified in the design documentation.
2460. The procedure for putting furnaces into operation (ignition), including after an emergency shutdown, is established in the process regulations for hydrogen production and in the start-up instructions.
2461. The automatic emergency protection of the combustion space of heating furnaces is provided by: systems for regulating the specified ratio of fuel, air, and water vapour; interlocks that stop the supply of gaseous fuel and air when their pressure drops below the established parameters (autonomously), as well as upon interruption of the electrical and pneumatic supply to the instrumentation and control equipment; means for signalling the interruption of the fuel supply, as well as of air when it is forcibly supplied into the combustion space; means for monitoring the draught level and for automatically stopping the supply of fuel gas to the combustion zone when the smoke exhauster stops or when the vacuum in the furnace drops to an impermissible level, and, where furnace units are arranged with waste-heat boilers, systems for switching the units over to operation without smoke exhausters; means for the automatic supply of water vapour or inert gas into the combustion space and into the coils when the tubes burn through, characterised by: a drop in the pressure of the heated product at the furnace outlet below the regulated value; a rise in temperature above the bridge wall; a change in the oxygen content in the flue gases at the furnace outlet relative to the regulated one.
2462. The activation of the automatic emergency protection systems shall be carried out according to specified programmes (algorithms). When designing the software, the risks associated with errors in the programme (in the activation algorithm) shall be taken into account and minimised as far as possible.
2463. In the control systems for reaction processes in process units, the use of manual control means is permitted, provided that there is automatic monitoring of hazardous parameters and an alarm that activates when they exceed the permissible values.
2464. The dosing of components in reaction processes shall be monitored automatically and carried out in a sequence that precludes the possibility of the formation of explosive mixtures inside the apparatus or of an uncontrolled course of reactions, which is determined by the developer.
2465. To preclude the hazard of the occurrence and development of accidents, including as a result of the occurrence of an uncontrolled development of the process, measures shall be provided for stabilising the reaction processes, for the emergency emptying of the apparatus, and other measures and methods for eliminating possible emergency situations.
2466. Apparatus for conducting liquid-phase processes shall be equipped with systems for monitoring and regulating the liquid level in it and (or) with means for automatically shutting off the supply of this liquid to the apparatus when the specified level is exceeded, or with other means that preclude the possibility of overflow.
2467. The manufacture, installation, commissioning, repair, testing, and operation of compressor units shall be carried out by organisations specialised in this field.
2468. The quality of manufacture of compressor units shall comply with the requirements of the regulatory and technical documentation and the documentation of the manufacturing organisation.
2469. The compressor and its electric motor shall be installed on foundations that are not connected to the structures of the building.
2470. To reduce dynamic loads, compressors shall be installed on vibration-isolating foundations or with the arrangement of shock absorbers (anti-vibrators), or other measures shall be taken to reduce vibrations.
2471. In the room where the equipment of the compressor unit is located (the machine hall), it shall not be permitted to install apparatus and equipment that is not technologically or structurally connected with the process of compressing hydrogen.
2472. The doors and windows of the room where the compressor units are located shall open outwards.
2473. In the room of the compressor unit, special places shall be provided for storing wiping materials, tools, and gaskets in a closed form, as well as for storing a week's supply of oil.
2474. The room where the compressor units are located shall be equipped with means of operational communication, including dispatcher communication.
2475. Used oil may be permitted for reuse only after its regeneration and positive results of a laboratory analysis for the conformity of its physical and chemical properties with the technical documentation for the oil.
2476. The storage of flammable liquids in the machine hall of the compressor unit shall not be permitted.
2477. Before starting each compressor, the machine operator shall inspect the unit, make sure that it is in good working order, check the lubrication and cooling system, and carry out the start-up in accordance with the instructions.
2478. The use of open flame in the room where compressors are installed shall not be permitted. Installation and repair work using open flame and electric welding in the room is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the regulatory and technical documentation for carrying out this work.
2479. Each compressor unit or installation, or group of similar compressor units, is equipped with the following technical documentation: (a) a passport (data sheet) for the compressor unit; (b) a diagram of the pipelines (compressed air or gas, water, oil) indicating the installation locations of the gate valves, valves, moisture and oil separators, intermediate and end coolers, air receivers, and instrumentation; the diagrams are posted in a conspicuous place; (c) an operating (safe servicing) instruction (manual) for the compressor unit; (d) a compressor operation log; (e) passport-certificates for the compressor oil and the results of its laboratory analysis; (f) a schedule of repairs of the compressor unit.
2480. Compressors shall be provided with an automation system that monitors the parameters of the normal process operating regime of the compressor, and also signals and interlocks the limit parameters of departure from the normal regime: signalling and interlocking of the limit pressure at each compression stage of the compressor; interlocking upon a drop in pressure in the suction line of the compressor below the specified minimum; interlocking upon a rise in the compression pressure by stages or at the compressor outlet above the permissible value; signalling of the limit values of the cooling water flow rate and interlocking of the absence of flow (a drop in pressure) in the cooling water main; signalling and interlocking when the oil pressure in the circulation lubrication systems of the compressor movement mechanisms is below the permissible value; interlocking of the impossibility of starting the compressor without eliminating the cause of the emergency shutdown; when the oil pressure in the circulation lubrication system is below the permissible value; when the temperature of the gas at the compressor outlet rises, if this is recommended by the manufacturer of the given equipment; when the temperature of the oil in the compressor unit system rises or falls beyond the permissible value. Upon the activation of the automatic devices (interlocks), the electric motor of the compressor shall stop.
2481. Hydrogen compressors shall have safety valves at all compression stages.
2482. To disconnect the compressor from the high-pressure header, a check valve and two shut-off valves shall be installed on the discharge gas pipeline, between which there shall be a vent pipe with a nominal bore of not less than 6 mm that has direct communication with the atmosphere.
2483. The suction and discharge header is laid inside the compressor room. In this case, fittings shall be installed on the headers of the compressor room that automatically shut off the header in the event of a gas leak from the compression system.
2484. The discharge header shall run openly in the compressor room; concealed laying of gas pipelines in the compressor room shall not be permitted.
2485. The start-up of the compressor for filling cylinders shall be carried out at a hydrogen purity of not less than 99.7 per cent.
2486. The installation, commissioning, and operation of compressors shall be carried out in accordance with the instructions of the manufacturing organisations.
2487. The compressor shall be stopped immediately in the event of a violation of the established process regime, as well as in the event of: (a) the presence of knocks and impacts (in the compressor, the motor, and others); (b) a malfunction of the instrumentation; (c) a rise in the cooling water temperature above the permissible value; (d) a malfunction of the compressor lubrication system; (e) overheating of individual assemblies and parts; (f) ignition.
2488. In the filling room at the hydrogen rack, during piece-by-piece filling or filling into containers of 8 cylinders, for the placement of empty cylinders and cylinders being filled with hydrogen, special cabins with a capacity of not more than 16 - 40 l cylinders in each shall be arranged, separated from one another by a reinforced concrete wall at least 2.2 m high.
2489. The filling and emptying of cylinders with hydrogen may be carried out in both a horizontal and a vertical position.
2490. In the horizontal arrangement of cylinders, when they are placed inside a room, the cylinders shall be separated from the working zone by steel shields at least 16 mm thick. Openings shall be provided in the shields for the passage of the cylinder valves, with the edges of the openings protected by non-sparking elastic materials (for example, rubber).
2491. The valve control panel (supply of hydrogen to the cylinders, evacuation of the cylinders, switching of the rack branches, and others) may be located in the compressor room. The width of the free passage in front of the panel for its servicing shall be not less than 1.5 m from its protruding parts. Otherwise, it shall be located at a distance of not less than 1.5 m from the cylinders being filled and separated from them by a reinforced concrete wall at least 2.2 m high. When filling cylinders in a horizontal position, the valve control panel shall be made of steel sheets at least 16 mm thick.
2492. The width of the free passage between the valve control panel and the nearest walls of the filling room shall be not less than 0.8 m.
2493. On each branch of the filling rack, a contact pressure gauge that signals when the pressure in the rack rises above the permissible value, and a safety valve, shall be installed. When compressor units that have automatic protection of the compressor against pressure exceedance at the last stage are used for compressing hydrogen, the need to install a safety valve and a contact pressure gauge on the filling rack is justified in the design documentation. The installation of a safety valve on the discharge rack is also justified in the design documentation.
2494. For filling with hydrogen, both single cylinders and containers with various numbers of cylinders may be used.
2495. Hydrogen racks for filling cylinders in special containers, discharge racks, and containers with hydrogen cylinders may be placed outside the production building at a blank section of the wall. Containers with hydrogen cylinders may be placed in chambers separated from a production or storage building with window openings by a movable explosion- and fire-protective partition.
2496. When filling into containers of 36 cylinders, an open area shall be arranged. The area for the containers shall have a light canopy made of non-combustible materials. To mechanise the loading and unloading operations with the cylinder containers, a lifting device is used.
2497. In the rooms of the hydrogen filling and discharge racks, as well as in the warehouses for storing cylinders of hydrogen and other gases, the width of the passages for moving cylinders shall be sufficient for the passage of transport means, but not less than 1.4 m.
2498. In the rooms of the sections for filled cylinders and of the filling and discharge racks, the windows shall be at a height of not less than 1.5 m from the floor.
2499. The floor levels of the loading and unloading areas, the filling and discharge racks, and the cylinder storage rooms shall be determined depending on the means of mechanising the loading and unloading operations that are used. The floor level of the filling and discharge racks may be taken 150 mm above the planning level of the territory, provided that they are provided with transport means. Over the filling and loading-unloading platforms, canopies made of non-combustible materials shall be provided.
2500. Carrying out any repair of the fittings of gas cylinders on site shall not be permitted.
2501. Cylinders prepared for filling with hydrogen shall have a residual pressure of not less than 0.05 MPa.
2502. The movement of cylinders in the filling room shall be carried out on trolleys specially adapted for this purpose or in containers.
2503. During loading and unloading operations, the transportation, and the storage of cylinders, measures shall be provided against their falling, damage, and contamination.
2504. The design, installation, and operation of hydrogen pipelines, as well as of the auxiliary pipelines of the piping of the sections of the hydrogen production and consumption complex, shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the building norms and rules, as well as of the regulatory and technical documentation for process steel pipelines and of these Rules.
2505. When laying hydrogen pipelines, seamless steel pipes or stainless steel pipelines joined by welding shall, as a rule, be used.
2506. The wall thickness of the pipelines is selected during design on the basis of the design service life, taking into account the design pressure and the corrosion allowance. The value of the corrosion allowance for pipelines made of carbon steel operating in a hydrogen medium shall be taken with account for a corrosion rate of 0.1 - 0.5 mm/year. For alloy steel, the value of the corrosion allowance shall be not less than 0.5 mm.
2507. Underground and duct laying of hydrogen pipelines shall not be permitted.
2508. Hydrogen pipelines within enterprises shall be laid predominantly above the surface of the ground, on stands and trestles. As an exception, the joint laying of not more than two hydrogen pipelines is permitted. In this case, the wall thickness, the material of the pipelines, and the coating are selected on the basis of the conditions of corrosion resistance; the installation of pipes with hydrogen shall be carried out by welding with a minimum number of welded joints; and actions to protect the pipelines against stray currents shall also be carried out.
2509. The laying of gas pipelines in places where people pass shall be provided at a height of not less than 2.2 m from the floor to the bottom of the gas pipeline.
2510. The joint laying of hydrogen pipelines with other pipelines on common supports is permitted, provided that the possibility of inspection and repair of each of the pipelines is ensured.
2511. On hydrogen pipelines transporting gas to other buildings, to compressor rooms, receivers, and consumer workshops, shut-off fittings and devices that preclude the possibility of reverse passage of gas shall be installed at the exit from the building.
2512. At the inlets of hydrogen pipelines into production buildings, disconnecting shut-off fittings shall be installed. The number and placement of the shut-off fittings shall ensure the possibility of reliable disconnection of each building, node, or installation. The need to use fittings with remote control or a manual drive is determined by the conditions of the process of producing hydrogen and by ensuring the safety of the work. Shut-off fittings and cut-off devices with remote control shall be installed outside the building at a distance of not less than 3.0 m and not more than 50.0 m from the point of entry into the building or from the nearest apparatus standing outside the building.
2513. To minimise as far as possible the emissions of hydrogen into the environment in the event of an emergency depressurisation of the system, the installation of shut-off and cut-off devices with remote control and an activation time of, as a rule, not more than 120 s shall be provided. For process units with a relative value of the energy potential Q_v <= 10, the installation of shut-off devices with a manual drive is permitted; in this case, the minimum time for putting them into action is provided by bringing them as close as possible to the operator's workplace, but not more than 5 minutes.
2514. The number of flanged joints of the pipe piping of the compressor units shall be minimal, ensuring convenient assembly and disassembly. This applies in particular to the pipe piping located directly in the machine hall of the compressor room.
2515. The laying of the suction and discharge pipelines shall be carried out in such a way as to reduce the influence of vibrations caused by the operation of the machines and of pulsations of the gas flow.
2516. When laying workshop hydrogen pipelines, self-compensation shall be provided.
2517. Fittings operating in a hydrogen medium shall be selected either specially for hydrogen or of steel for explosion-hazardous media. The use of grey cast iron fittings on hydrogen pipelines shall not be permitted. In individual cases, the use of shut-off fittings made of malleable and high-strength cast iron is permitted at a pressure of not more than 1.0 MPa and a temperature from 0 °C to 50 °C, operating under conditions that are not subject to vibrations and to a sharply variable temperature regime.
2518. The tightness of the closure of the shut-off fittings with a hydrogen medium shall correspond to class A. Fittings with a metal seal in the closure, used for installation on hydrogen pipelines, shall correspond to tightness class B.
2519. Shut-off and other fittings shall be installed in places convenient for servicing. The fittings shall be fastened in such a way that, as a result of the temperature deformations of the gas pipelines, bending stresses are not created in them.
2520. The manual drive of the fittings shall be located at a height of not more than 1.8 m from the level of the platform or the floor of the room. Fittings shall not be placed over doorways and process passages.
2521. All supporting building structures for hydrogen pipelines shall be made of non-combustible materials.
2522. The laying of hydrogen pipelines through domestic, utility, administrative and economic, and storage premises, electrical machine, electrical distribution, and transformer premises, ventilation chambers, instrumentation premises, stairwells, and escape routes, as well as through production premises not connected with the consumption of hydrogen, shall not be permitted.
2523. The laying of transit hydrogen pipelines along the external walls of production buildings shall, as a rule, not be permitted. The laying of pipelines along the walls of buildings in areas with continuous glazing and along easily removable enclosing structures shall not be permitted.
2524. The tightness and strength test of hydrogen pipelines operating under a pressure of up to 15.0 MPa (150 kgf/cm2) may be hydraulic or pneumatic. The periodicity of the hydraulic or pneumatic tests is taken as follows: for hot sections (with a temperature of 200 - 400 °C) - once every 5 years; for cold sections (with a temperature of up to 200 °C) - once every 8 years.
2525. The timing of the selective inspection of hydrogen pipelines is established by the management of the organisation, taking into account the specifics of the production, the results of the external examination and the previous inspection, and in individual cases it may depend on violations or changes in the process. The periodicity of the inspection shall be within the range from 1 year to 8 years. The inspection shall be combined with the periodic strength and tightness tests. The first selective inspection of hydrogen pipelines at newly developed production facilities shall be carried out not later than 4 years after the facility is put into operation.
2526. After scheduled or emergency shutdowns, hydrogen pipelines shall be purged and tested for tightness pneumatically. The duration of the test is 1 hour. In this case, the drop in pressure shall not exceed 0.1 per cent.
2527. Pipelines shall be earthed and protected against static electricity in accordance with the safety requirements imposed on the arrangement of electrical installations and with these Rules.
2528. The use of flexible hoses (rubber, plastic) as stationary pipelines for transporting hydrogen and substances in a vapour-gas state in explosion- and fire-hazardous process systems shall not be permitted.
2529. The laying of hydrogen pipelines shall ensure the shortest length of the communications and preclude sagging and the formation of stagnant zones.
2530. The design of the seal, the material of the gaskets, and the installation of the flanged joints shall ensure the required degree of tightness of the detachable joint during the inter-repair operation period of the process system.
2531. Control rooms shall be located in separate panel premises (built-in or attached) adjacent to premises with explosion-hazardous zones and in free-standing buildings. Locating them in production premises shall not be permitted. Free-standing buildings for housing the automation panels of a large hydrogen production may be erected as an exception, when, owing to the conditions of the technology, it is not possible to build them into or attach them to the main production. The connection of the control room with an explosion- and fire-hazardous room is carried out through a corridor and an airlock vestibule with air pressurisation.
2532. It shall not be permitted to locate the control room above premises with explosion-hazardous zones of any class, as well as under showers, sanitary facilities, under production premises with a wet process, or under supply ventilation chambers.
2533. Repealed as of 1 September 2025. - Order of Rostechnadzor No. 5 of 14 January 2025.
2534. In the walls separating the control room from premises with explosion-hazardous zones of classes V-1a and V-1b, it is permitted to make openings for the entry of cables and electrical wiring pipes. The entry openings shall be tightly sealed with non-combustible materials.
2535. In a control room located on the ground floor, the arrangement of one exit is permitted. This exit shall be provided to the outside, to the territory of the enterprise directly or through a non-explosion-hazardous corridor, or through a room with a normal environment. When the control room is located on the first floor or above, the exit may be arranged onto a stairwell or into a non-explosion-hazardous corridor.
2536. A control room with an area of more than 150 m2 shall have two exits. In this case, the second exit from a room located on the first floor or above may be provided onto a balcony with a fire escape.
2537. The floors in the control room shall be dielectric.
2538. To monitor the operation of equipment located outside the field of vision, a process alarm system and a video surveillance device are provided.
2539. The premises of the operator's room shall be equipped with an alarm system to notify personnel of the occurrence of deviations from the process.
2540. To ensure the required operating modes of the hydrogen production unit, the following shall be provided: control and monitoring of all process parameters of the equipment from the operator's room; remote (emergency) shutdown of the hydrogen production unit; remote monitoring of the equipment from the operator's room; automatic shutdown of the hydrogen production unit upon disruption of normal operation with respect to the process parameters.
2541. Before start-up and after shutdown, hydrogen production units shall be purged with nitrogen. Hydrogen compressors, apparatus and pipelines that contain hydrogen during the process regime are, after shutdown and before start-up, also purged with nitrogen if during the shutdown period they were not under excess hydrogen pressure. The completion of purging is regulated and determined by analysis; hydrogen shall be absent in the gas being purged.
2542. For the purging of equipment and hydrogen pipelines, the hydrogen production shall be provided with inert gas, predominantly nitrogen.
2543. The sources of inert gas supply may be a centralised nitrogen system, nitrogen gasifiers or a separate unit for producing nitrogen of the required quality. In these cases, separate stationary receivers for nitrogen shall be provided. A single receiver may be used for both purging and firefighting if the filling volume of the receiver is calculated for both purging and firefighting.
2544. The total volume of inert gas for purging needs shall be not less than 4 times the volume of the hydrogen system being purged.
2545. Purging is carried out with technical nitrogen of not lower than grade II according to the national standard. In special cases, the use of pure argon is permitted. Mechanical and greasy contaminants shall not be permitted in the inert purging gas.
2546. The oxygen content in the inert gas shall not exceed 1 per cent.
2547. In all cases, in premises associated with the handling of hydrogen, as well as at receiver areas, a stationary inert gas pipeline distribution for purging and firefighting shall be provided.
2548. The pressure of the purging inert gas shall not exceed the pressure in the system being purged.
2549. At each inlet of the nitrogen pipeline into a building, a check valve and a shut-off valve shall be installed, and at each branch (at the inlet to each room) a pressure gauge and a shut-off valve shall be installed.
2550. For pneumatic instrumentation and control equipment (I&C), special installations and separate compressed air networks shall be provided.
2551. The air pipelines for the I&C equipment shall be separate, not connected to pipelines for process needs, and shall have buffer vessels providing a reserve of compressed air for the operation of the instruments.
2552. In premises with permanent presence of operating personnel (the operator's room, the control room), warning and emergency signals shall be transmitted to the control panel and at the exit inside the room; in a room with periodic presence of personnel where sensors are installed, signals shall be transmitted at the entrance outside the room. A common audible signal for the room may be given.
2553. The error (measurement accuracy) of hydrogen gas analysers shall not exceed +/- 0.2 per cent by volume.
2554. All production premises associated with the production, storage and use of hydrogen shall be equipped with communication and alarm systems.
2555. The need to transmit the signal of the automatic fire alarm, from the sensors of automatic gas analysers, as well as other process parameters to the enterprise's dispatch point with round-the-clock duty is determined by the design.
2556. Measuring instruments shall undergo periodic verification or calibration.
2557. Systems for monitoring processes, automatic and remote control (hereinafter - the control systems), emergency automatic protection (PAZ) systems, as well as communication and emergency-situation warning systems (SiO systems), including those supplied as a complete set with the equipment, shall meet the requirements of these Rules, the current normative and technical documentation, the designs and the regulations, and shall ensure the specified accuracy of maintaining the process parameters, the reliability and the safety of conducting the processes.
2558. The selection of the monitoring, control and PAZ systems, as well as the SiO systems, according to reliability, speed of response and other technical characteristics, is carried out by the design developer taking into account the specific features of the process.
2559. The placement of electrical means and elements of the monitoring, control and PAZ systems, as well as of the communication and warning systems, in the explosion-hazardous zones of production premises and outdoor installations, according to the degree of explosion protection, shall comply with the safety requirements applicable to electrical installation devices.
2560. The monitoring, control and PAZ systems, as well as the SiO systems, are marked with the application of appropriate inscriptions that clearly reflect their functional purpose, the values of the protection settings and the critical values of the monitored parameters.
2561. The automated process control systems (APCS) associated with the production, purification, storage, compression and filling of hydrogen and of the feedstock for its production shall ensure: continuous monitoring of the state of the air environment in explosion-hazardous premises; continuous monitoring of the process parameters and the maintenance of their regulated values.
2562. The operation of hydrogen station equipment with the measuring and control instruments, alarms and interlocks provided for by the design switched off shall not be permitted.
2563. The placement of the monitoring, control and PAZ systems, as well as the SiO systems of the hydrogen station, is carried out in convenient and safe locations. At these locations, vibration, contamination, mechanical, noise and other effects that influence the accuracy, reliability and speed of response of the systems shall be excluded, and the microclimatic parameters for premises with electronic instruments shall be observed.
2564. Repairs shall be carried out in accordance with the schedules for planned preventive and operational repairs.
2565. All process parameters shall conform to the requirements of the established process regulations, the recommendations of the manufacturing plant and the equipment's data sheet values.
2566. In each workshop and section there shall be a diagram of the layout and process interconnection of the apparatus and pipelines. On all process apparatus and on shut-off and other fittings, a clearly distinguishable item designation shall be applied in accordance with the process diagram, the process regulations and the instructions.
2567. Hydrogen sampling in a room shall be carried out with observance of safety measures. Sampling devices are placed in a special cabinet equipped with natural ventilation.
2568. During the loading and unloading of catalysts and adsorbents, workers shall use respirators, protective goggles and mittens, and shall observe the safety requirements for handling these substances in accordance with the process regulations.
2569. Carrying out repair work on apparatus filled with hydrogen shall not be permitted.
2570. Repair work involving open fire in a room where hydrogen is handled at a hydrogen station may be carried out not earlier than 4 hours after the shutdown of the unit, the performance of an air analysis for the absence of hydrogen, and with observance of the safety measures for hot work.
2571. Gas leaks from joints shall be determined using a soap solution, special leak detectors or another reliable method. The use of open flame when determining leaks shall not be permitted.
2572. The tools used during repairs in explosion-hazardous premises shall be spark-safe.
2573. For the installation, dismantling and repair of equipment and for process needs, lifting-and-transport means and mechanisms shall be used. The selection of these means shall be justified by the characteristics of the equipment being installed, the number of units, and the frequency and duration of repair work. Non-stationary lifting devices may be used to support repair work at operating stations if the use of overhead travelling beam cranes and telphers cannot be accomplished because of insufficient room height or insufficient load-bearing capacity of the building structures.
2574. When manual lifting-and-transport means and mechanisms are used in explosion- and fire-hazardous premises and installations, measures ensuring their safe operation shall be provided.
2575. The preparation for start-up and the start-up of hydrogen production units shall be carried out in accordance with the process regulations, the operating instructions and the design.
2576. Before the start-up of the units begins, all engineering support systems (heat supply, water supply, power supply, air supply, cooling and inert gas supply systems, heating and ventilation systems and others) shall be checked.
2577. Process apparatus, fittings, instruments and automation devices are checked for tightness on test benches; process apparatus and utility lines are checked for tightness.
2578. In the event of an explosion or fire in the premises of the hydrogen station or on the territory of the enterprise, an emergency shutdown of the unit shall be carried out immediately. The emergency shutdown button shall be located in a room with permanent operating personnel in an easily accessible place.
2579. In addition, in the event of an emergency situation and fire, the fire-fighting team shall first be called, and in the event of a gas leak - the gas rescue service; then the supply of process gases to the unit shall be shut off, the pressure shall be reduced, and the hydrogen shall be released into the flare system for disposal or, in cases justified by the design, into the atmosphere.
2580. When the unit is shut down by the emergency protection, the causes of the shutdown shall be identified and eliminated. Then the unit shall be started in accordance with the instructions.
2581. Workers at hydrogen production facilities shall be provided with personal protective equipment (PPE), special clothing, special footwear and other means, which shall meet the requirements of the relevant labour safety standards.
2582. The exposed moving parts of machines and mechanisms, as well as belt, chain and gear drives, shall be provided with guards that eliminate the risk of injury to people from these parts and the ingress of foreign objects into them.
2583. Assemblies, parts, fixtures and elements of equipment that may serve as a source of danger to workers, as well as the surfaces of guarding and protective devices, shall be painted in signal colours.
2584. It shall be prohibited to enter facilities where hydrogen is produced and handled in footwear with iron heel plates or nails, or in clothing capable of accumulating static electricity charges.
2585. All production premises of the gas-protection hydrogen production station are equipped with an automatic fire alarm.
2586. The fire signal shall be transmitted to the fire alarm panel located in the operator's room and in the room of the enterprise's fire station. 2587 - 2588. Repealed as of 1 September 2025. - Order of the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service (Rostechnadzor) No. 5 of 14 January 2025.
2589. The relevant rules in the field of industrial safety apply to process vessels operating under pressure at hydrogen production plants using the ammonia dissociation method.
2590. Any part of the process production unit that is shut down for repair shall be isolated from the other parts by means of valves and blanking plugs. Before the start of repairs, an analysis of the air environment is carried out. Where necessary, degassing measures are taken.
2591. Lifting cranes may be used only when the process is stopped and after thorough airing of the room. An analysis of the air environment for the content and explosion safety is carried out.
2592. In the event of hydrogen ignition, extinguishing the flame with water and fire extinguishers shall be prohibited so as to avoid an explosion. The supply of hydrogen to the site of the fire shall be stopped, and the flame shall be extinguished with sand or a felt mat. Actions in the event of fire shall be reflected in the process regulations (the process instructions) and in the plan of actions for the elimination (localisation) of accidents at the enterprise.
2593. The unit operator shall, not less than once per shift, carry out an analysis of the ammonia content in the dissociator room using the methods and instruments established in the process regulations (the process instructions).
2594. The process of producing hydrogen and dissociated ammonia shall be automated. Adjustment and monitoring are carried out by means of instruments. The equipment for automatic adjustment, monitoring and signalling shall be installed on a control panel located in a separate room of fire hazard category V4.
2595. To prevent explosion-hazardous concentrations under the roof of the dissociator room and the hydrogen compressor room, sensors for pre-explosion concentrations shall be installed. The number and locations of the sensors shall be determined by the design. The light-and-sound alarm shall have an output to the operator's panel and to the room of the enterprise's fire station.
2596. The automated process control system shall provide for: a light-and-sound alarm upon reaching the limiting concentration of hydrogen under the roof of the dissociator room and the hydrogen compressor room; regulation of the thermal regime of the dissociators; signalling of a decrease or increase in the dissociation temperature; ensuring a uniform supply of ammonia to the lower dissociator; regulation of the pressure in the dissociated ammonia manifold; regulation of the pressure of the dissociated ammonia after the compressor. In addition, an emergency alarm shall be installed: upon a drop in the pressure of the compressed air feeding the cut-off valve on the ammonia pipeline coming from the storehouse; upon the closing of the cut-off valve on the ammonia; upon a drop in the pressure of the compressed air feeding the ejector that draws the gas sample in the gas analysers of the dissociator and compressor rooms.
2597. The power supply for hydrogen production equipment shall be provided from two independent power supply sources.
2598. The electric motors of fans operating in the same system shall be powered from different sections.
2599. The control scheme shall provide for automatic switching-on of the standby fan of each system upon emergency shutdown of the operating one. Each fan may be selected as the operating or the standby one. The selection and switching-on of the operating fans is carried out manually by the operating personnel. The control of all main ventilation systems is carried out centrally from the operator's room. For repair purposes, local control shall be provided.
2600. Local extraction of the hydrogen released through the control valves of the purification system shall be provided. The local extraction shall be interlocked with the dissociated ammonia compressor and shall preclude the operation of the purifier without the extraction switched off.
2601. In the process bay of the production, light-and-aeration roof lanterns that ensure the removal of excess heat from the process equipment shall be arranged.
2602. The emergency ventilation system shall ensure an 8-fold air exchange in the compressor room. The emergency ventilation system shall be switched on automatically when there are gases in the room that have reached 20 per cent of the lower explosive limit or 0.8 per cent hydrogen content in the air of the room.
2603. In the process regulations (the instructions), the actions of personnel for switching on (servicing) the ventilation systems of the production that ensure its safe operation shall be defined. The following requirements shall be subject to regulation: the selection of the operating units shall be made in such a way that they are powered from different sections; the setting of all the control keys of the standby fans to the position that ensures their automatic switching-on; when a signal of the emergency shutdown of an operating unit appears on the panel, the personnel shall check the switching-on of the standby one; if the standby unit does not switch on, then an attempt shall be made to switch it on manually - the actions of the operating personnel for switching-on.
2604. The timing of preventive checks of the operability of the automation and alarm systems, and the procedure and methods for their repair, shall be subject to regulation.
2605. The development of the process, the use of process equipment, and the location of buildings and structures shall be justified in the design documentation by the results of the analysis of the hazards of the processes, using methods of accident risk analysis at hazardous production facilities. The methods of accident risk analysis at hazardous production facilities shall also be used when the hazardous production facility is put into or taken out of operation, at the operation stage, including the development of the safety justification for the hazardous production facility, and when the hazardous production facility is mothballed. The identification of hazardous conditions and the assessment of the anticipated risk of exposure to hazardous factors, including any hidden danger to the operating personnel, are carried out by the manufacturer of the equipment used in the processes of metallurgical production.
2606. The following methods are used for accident risk analysis. The "Check List" method and the "What will happen if...?" method. The "Identification of Hazards of a Process Facility" method (hereinafter - the "Hazard Identification" method). The "Failure Mode and Effects Analysis" method and the "Failure Mode, Effects and Criticality Analysis" method. The "Hazard and Operability Analysis of a Process System (Process Unit)" method (hereinafter - the "Hazard and Operability Analysis" method). The "Fault Tree Analysis" method. The "Event Tree Analysis" method. The "Safety Barrier Analysis" method. Quantitative assessment of accident risk. Study of hazard factors (risk factors) and system operability (HAZOP). Other methods may be used for accident risk analysis, provided they are justified and applicable for accident risk analysis at metallurgical facilities. Recommendations on the selection of accident risk analysis methods for various types of activity and the main stages of the life cycle of a hazardous production facility are presented in Table 5. In Table 5, the following designations are adopted: "0" - the least suitable analysis method; "+" - a recommended method; "++" - the most suitable method. The analysis methods may be applied separately or in various combinations, whereby qualitative analysis methods may include quantitative accident risk criteria (mainly obtained from expert assessments using, for example, a "frequency - severity of consequences" matrix). When carrying out a quantitative assessment of accident risk at a hazardous production facility, qualitative methods shall also be used.
P1, P2 - the calculated (design) excess pressure of the gaseous medium in the respective sections, MPa.
For high-pressure scrubbers and electrostatic precipitators, P1 shall be increased by the value of the pressure of the water column in the conical part of the apparatus.
The test pressure for section 8 shall be taken as 1.25P2, but not less than 0.05 MPa.