What Measures Should You Take For Fall Prevention In Your Facility?

Risk management is an important aspect in all industries; especially where employees have to work at heights. Filling road and rail tankers is a daily task in petroleum refineries, where employees must access tankers and large storage tanks using specialized equipment.

Loading arms are one such equipment that reduces the hazardous nature of filling tankers with LNG, and greatly reduces fall accidents. Let’s look at how this fall prevention device could fit in your facility in more detail.

Loading Arms There are two types of loading arms used in the petroleum industry: top loading and bottom loading arms, and they each serve a unique purpose. Let’s look at the workings of loading arms used in petroleum refineries.

Design of Loading Arms

Loading arms are specifically used to load LNG products in tankers. The loading arm has a long reach and it is suitable for applications where the tanker connection flange cannot be suitably positioned. Use of loading arms reduces the manual need to access tankers as most of the work is done by automated equipment. The bottom loading arms are specifically used where top loading arms cannot reach due to their position in the tanker filling set up.

The loading arms have sturdy swivel joints and precise load balancing that makes handling them effortless. The swivel joints are made of stainless steel and have an interchangeable bearing module. The primary and secondary product seal is continuously monitored by the operator, which helps keep a check on leaks. One of the advantages of bottom loading arm is that it reduces vapours in the system.

Just like fall prevention systems in the form of loading arms, you also need efficient PD (positive displacement) meters to load tankers quickly. According to PD meter suppliers, there is a wide variety of PD meters available for the petroleum industry. You should look closely at the specifications when selecting one for your facility. Here are some important considerations to look for.

What Kind Of PD Meter Do You Need?

If you don’t know the volume of the fluid flowing through the line, and if it isn’t necessary information for your facility, you might not need a PD meter in the first place. PD meters are specifically designed to measure fluids of different viscosity. According to experts, viscosity refers to the friction that is generated when fluid passes through the line. Oil and petroleum products have higher viscosity and hence, you need good PD meters which can accurately measure the oil transferred in tankers.

Why Measurement Range Is Important?

The measurement range is an important aspect in selecting the right PD meter for the application. The turndown is an important specification that indicates the lowest and highest values of the PD meter. You need to select PD meters with the right measurement range for accurate fluid transfer measurements.

Why High-Quality PD Meter Is A Must?

According to leading PD meter supplier there are different qualities of PD meters available in the market, and you should avoid purchasing low cost PD meters for the facility. A low-cost PD meter is more likely to provide low accuracy measurements that will lead to inaccurate billing and huge losses. You need to also look at the tolerance for error specification when selecting PD meters.

Each type of PD meter is suited for a specific application and selecting the right type is critical for accurate measurements. Some other factors that you need to consider are

Fluid temperature

Contaminants in the fluid

Fluid pressure

Fluid electrical conductivity

By taking the right measures for fall prevention, you can reduce fall incidents and increase safety in the workplace. The result is a reduction in workplace injuries, insurance costs, and protecting the reputation of your company from bad press from fall accidents.

If you want to buy Loading Arms or Positive Displacement Flow Meter, the author of this article suggests Ifc Inflow.