ADDITIVE ISOTAINER CHANGES TO AVOID
WORKING AT HEIGHT
September 2015, Draft
Shell Australia Lubricants Production Pty, Pinkenba / Australia
All rights reserved, Shell does not provide any guarantees of this option or takes on any liabilities for it.
1
ADDITVE ISO-TAINER DISCHARGE HAS REQUIRED
WORKING FROM HIGHT TO REACH A BREATHER VALVE
Situation
 Inward Additive Isotainers have venting installed on top of the Isotainer.
 As the vent needs to be opened before discharge, an operator needs to climb up
onto the isotainer
 Current controls of fall arrest systems are not 100% mitigating risk of injuries while
falling and hitting structures.
Solution
 The team worked with logistics provider to introduce Ground Level Venting.
 Ground level venting eliminated working from heights completelty with this activity
2
SITUATION: WORKING AT HEIGHT TO REACH BREATHER
VENT ON TOP OF ISOTAINER IS A RISK
 The operator needed to access the top of the Isotainer using a fall arrest
system to open the breather valve, allowing for the tank to discharge safely.
 It was identified that not all tanks were the same. The limited access and
walkway’s raised concerns around the operators safety and the chance of
falling creating a pendulum motion adding to the risk of sever injury and or
death.
 The operations staff made immediate changes allowing for a more permanent
ground level venting change to be implemented.
3
SITUATION: HARNESS DOES NOT FULLY MITIGATE RISK
FROM INJURIES WHILE FALLING
Current controls of fall arrest systems are not 100%
mitigating:

Isotainers often provide inadequate walkways.

A harness does not prevent from serious injuries as a
falling operator can be trapped in the harness at
height. The “pendulum swing” exposes the operator to
impact against structures and severe injuries.
4
SOLUTION: BREATHER CONNECTION TO GROUND LEVEL
REMOVES NEED FOR WORKING AT HEIGHT
New breather hose
 A new breather hose is connected to the standard breather outlet and
the valve is left in the open position allowing for the container to
breath while discharging.
5
SOLUTION: BREATHER VALVE CAN BE REACHED FROM
GROUND LEVEL
New breather hose
breather valve
 The breather hose is connected to the access ladder the plastic ties
6
SOLUTION: DETAILS TO SECURE THE VALVE AT THE
GROUND LEVEL WHILE TRANSPORTING
breather valve
 The valve is in closed position while under transport and has a plug
inserted into the end creating a two valve isolation.
 The valve has a locking mechanism that needs to be lifted to open
eliminating it from opening under vibration while in transit.
7
8
WE EXPOSE AN OPERATOR EVERY 10 MINUTES TO RISK
BY OPENING AN ISOTAINER BREATHER FROM THE TOP