Safety Guidelines for Iron & Steel Sector, published by the Ministry of Steel, Government of India, in 2019 and discussed how insulated tools and non-sparking tools are indispensable for both Integrated Steel Plants as well as in Mini Steel Plants / processing units.

Demand for steel in India is growing at 7% per annum. We are the second-largest producer of Steel and largest producer of Sponge steel in the world
 
India passed the National Steel Policy in 2017 which has laid the roadmap for the growth of the steel sector. Main aim is to build India’s crude steel capacity to 300 MT by 2030. This in itself requires huge investment in terms of capital as well as direct and indirect employment opportunities. As we build this capacity, the safety of the people employed will be critical in achieving this target.

Occupational Safety & Working Conditions continues to be relatively neglected by the Indian industry. While India has approximately 3% share of global manufacturing, it has 30% share of the industrial fatalities globally. It is blatantly obvious that the overall success of the Indian Industry rests on having the lowest rates of safety incidents. While it may not be the only parameter, it would be unwise to assume that we can be global leaders with such high rates of fatalities. The safety guidelines issued by the Ministry of Steel are meant as minimum guidelines to be followed and provide a basic framework.

For this article we enumerate a few hazards and how the correct choice of tools can help mitigate the risks. Hazards of interest identified by the guidelines are as per the below:

Explosive Gases (Rich in Hydrogen and Methane)

As per the safety guideline, explosive gases are present throughout a steel plant and pose the following risks:

Fire & Explosion

Steel Plants stores & handle a number of flammable chemicals like tar, naphtha, Benzol, fuel gases, oils, LPG, Propane, Oxygen etc. which possess potential fire & explosion hazards. Hot metal/slag sparks, welding sparks, electrical short-circuiting, etc. can also lead to fire in surrounding areas if combustible materials are present.

Confined spaces

Bin, silos, tunnels, ESPs, manholes, etc. are examples of confined spaces where entry of persons & carrying out jobs requires special precautions. Toxic or flammable gases, oxygen displacement and engulfment are the principal hazards

Electric Shock, Electrocution, Flash over

The above hazard is present across the entire steel plant and the guide covers

Control of hazardous energy

The iron and steel industry regularly uses different sources of energy (electric, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, etc.). The safe control of energy should be addressed by procedure and carried out by appropriately trained personnel in accordance with the nature of the energy source and the characteristics of the facilities.

To mitigate the various hazards, 25 safety guidelines have been codified. We analyze specific guidelines and highlight the ones where non-sparking and insulated tools have been called for either directly or indirectly.

Storage, Handling & Use of Gas Cylinders (SG/01)

Section 3.6.d of this guide clearly states the following:

• Spark proof tools shall be used when working with or on a flammable compressed gas cylinder or system.

Any tool such as wrenches, spanners, pliers, etc., used for the maintenance of a cylinder or a gas system should be non-sparking.

For operation of (flammable) gas cylinders, it is correct practice to use non-sparking cylinder keys for turning the valve on/off. As there may be some local leakage of gas around the outlet, it is important to remove all sources of ignition. Using cylinder keys made from steel may introduce a source of spark that can ignite any leaked gas.

Electrical Safety (SG/15)

In the guide for Electrical Safety it is stated in Section 3.2.4.iv that:

• The tools & tackles like screwdrivers, pliers, cleaning brushes, Hand lamps, torches, etc., should be properly insulated

Electrical hazards that have been identified in the guide earlier are shock, electrocution, and flash over. Electrical shocks are the most reported incidents in Electrical Safety. Hence, it is imperative to eliminate (or at least drastically reduce) electrical shocks in Steel plants. This alone would be a big step in safety. Electrical technicians use hand tools such as screwdrivers, pliers, and wrenches in the maintenance of panels, bus bar, electrical wiring, etc. within the various locations of the plant. As such, they are at the highest risk of shocks and electrocutions. Standard operating procedure in any steel plant should require every electrical technician to carry a set of 1000V Insulated toolkit which have the most commonly used tools. A toolkit such as the below one should be available and used: