EXTERNAL PUBLICATIONS
HSE OTO 2000/051
Review of the Response of Pressurised Process vessels and Equipment to Fire Attack
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SUMMARY
Pressurised systems such as process vessels and associated equipment experience time and temperature dependent effects when subjected to a fire. When a pressurised system is affected by fire, its temperature rises and this reduces the load carrying capacity of the system’s material. This combined with the pressure loading may lead to a failure of the system, additional leaks developing and escalation of the event. In 1991, the offshore industry, with the participation of HSE, completed a Joint Industry Project on Blast and Fire Engineering for Topside Structures. The project included a review of the information available to date on the behaviour of pressure vessels affected by a fire. The current review aims to summarise the new knowledge gained since 1991 and identify gaps in the currently available information, particularly with respect to establishing sound modelling procedures and guidelines for industry. This report and the work it describes were funded by the Health and Safety Executive and Shell International Exploration and Production B.V.
This report and the work it describes were funded by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Its contents, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the author(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect HSE policy
