Annex B Appendix 3
To Loughborough University Estates Services Health and Safety Policy
Safety Regulations For Hot Water Boilers
1.
Precautions Before Lighting-Up
A – General Oil and Gas Fired Boilers
Check:
a. Boiler House ventilation inlet and outlet grilles clean and free from obstruction,
fans (where fitted) operating correctly.
b. The areas adjacent to the boiler clean and free of all combustible material.
c. Forced draught fan(s), inlet(s) and draught diverters(s) fitted to atmospheric gas
boiler(s) clean, clear hinged and free from obstruction.
d. Hand operated flue damper (where fitted) in a safe OPEN position.
e. Smoke box and flue condensate drains OPEN and free from obstruction.
f. Boiler is fully flooded:
i. Crack OPEN boiler main flow and return valves;
ii. OPEN air vents and prove full flow of water;
iii. SHUT air vents.
g. System Pressurising Unit operating correctly. Pressure being maintained at the
correct level. Make-up feed water in header tank and supplies available.
h. Boiler pressure gauge valves or cocks OPEN and pressure gauge registering
correct.
i. System circulating pumps operating correctly.
j. Burner fuel connections free of leaks, air damper linkages etc correctly
connected.
k. Boiler furnaces free from any accumulation of oil or accumulated debris.
l. Check that the burner doors are in the closed position for firing and that all
locking devices are secure.
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m. Check that the burner fuel supply and return valves where fitted are OPEN and
that the pumps are operating. See fuel changeover notices posted locally in
boilerhouses for oil firing.
2.
Procedure for lighting up and warming through a boiler rated at less than 2
MW (approximately 6 million BTU/H)
a. Check that electrical powers supply available at the burner control panel and
that all dampers and valves are set in readiness, taking into account microswitches in the controls circuits.
b. OPEN boiler flow and return valves.
c. Check that the boiler is fully flooded.
d. Start circulating pumps and circulate system water through the boiler prior to
commencing firing.
e. If heat is available in the water returning to the boiler, delay firing until the flow
temperature of the boiler is approximately the same as the return flow.
f. For oil and gas burners, initiate the firing control of the burner and check that the
automatic damper (where fitted) moves to a safe open position. Confirm the
establishment of the flame:
3.
Procedure When Warming Single Boilers Rated At, Or Above, 2 MW
(Approximately 6 Million BTU/H)
a. Check electrical power supply available at the burner control panel.
b. OPEN boilers flow and return manual isolating valves fully.
c. Start circulating pumps and circulate system water through the boiler prior to
commencing firing.
d. Check that boiler is fully flooded.
e. Switch firing equipment controls to the MANUAL setting.
f. Operate oil/gas burners at the ‘Low Flame’ setting at minimum firing rate.
g. Control the warming through process by stopping and starting the burner, in
order to ensure uniform temperature rise throughout the boiler at a rate
corresponding to 1C/minimum until the working temperature is reached.
h. If continuous operation on ‘Low Flame’ results in no further increase in boiler
flow temperature, increase the burner firing rate and continue hand controlling
the temperature rise at a rate corresponding to 1C/minimum until the working
temperature is reached.
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i. When working temperature is reached, switch the burner controls to
AUTOMATIC setting.
j. Inform Security of active status of the Boilerhouse following re-instatement.
k. Check and prove alarms where appropriate.
4.
Procedure when warming boilers rated at, or above, 2 MW (approximately 6
million BTU/H), which forms part of a set
a. Check that all system drain valves are closed and that all fittings and mountings
are secured.
b. Fill boiler with mains water and add water treatment as specified in the relevant
Water Treatment logbook.
c. Check electrical power supply available at the burner control panel.
d. CRACK OPEN boilers return manual isolating valves fully.
e. Start circulating pumps and circulate system water through the boiler prior to
commencing firing.
f. Switch firing equipment controls to the MANUAL setting.
g. Operate oil/gas burners at the ‘Low Flame’ setting at minimum firing rate.
h. Control the warming through process by stopping and starting the burner, in
order to ensure uniform temperature rise throughout the boiler at a rate
corresponding to 1C/minimum until the working temperature is reached.
i. If continuous operation on ‘Low Flame’ results in no further increase in boiler
flow temperature, increase the burner firing rate and continue hand controlling
the temperature rise at a rate corresponding to 1C/minimum until the working
temperature is reached.
j. When working temperature is reached, switch the burner controls to
AUTOMATIC setting.
k. Inform Security of active status of the Boilerhouse following re-instatement.
l. Check and prove alarms where appropriate.
5.
General Regulations
a. Boiler Safety Valves shall be kept securely locked to prevent unauthorised
interference or adjustment.
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b. When de-pressurising or emptying a boiler, following the issue of a PTW
(Pressure Systems), the air cocks shall be left OPEN to prevent the formation of
a vacuum.
c. If the burner flame of hand or semi-automatically controlled boiler is
extinguished, the fuel supply shall be shut-off and the furnace purged for at least
five minutes before an attempt is made to re-ignite the burner.
d. No work shall be undertaken on any burner or ancillary equipment unless that
equipment has been made safe.
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