Analyser houses are commonly used in the chemical and petrochemical industries to provide environmentally controlled conditions for ongoing analysis of batch processes – but it is important to ensure the correct hazardous area equipment is installed in and around them.
The Engineering Equipment and Materials Users Association presented a paper on analyser house safety at the recent HazardEx 2016 conference in Runcorn.
According to EEMUA, their enclosed walk-in environments mean that analyser houses optimise the performance of on-line process analysers; however, they also enclose any flammable, asphyxiating or toxic materials involved in the process within a small space, typically with electrical equipment present too.
“The correct design and operation of the analyser house is essential to mitigate these risks,” EEMUA said.
Hazardous area equipment can help to do so, by putting in place systems that have been carefully designed to avoid compounding such risks – for example by providing a source of ignition for flammable fumes.
This allows analysis of continuous and batch processes to continue at a high standard, with the operational benefits of a climate-controlled enclosed space, but without the greater risks that can arise from putting four walls and a roof around hazardous materials.
