RISK ASSESSMENT No
Page 1 of 3
RA 020 C
Work Activity:
Replacement of Vertical Oil Separator Coalescer Filters

For separators with hinged lids, see RA 023
Site/Location:
Various site locations
Thornliebank Industrial Estate Glasgow G46 8JW
Tel: 0141 638 7916
Fax: 0141 638 8111
Those at Risk
Star Employees:
Other workers:
General Public:
Comments:
Y/N
Y
Y
N
Comments - enter names or general groups
Star engineers
Customer’s staff and/or sub-contractor’s working in vicinity
Hazards
Physical: Falls from above 2M
Physical: Slips, trips, falls on the same level
Physical: Access (bending into opening to remove and re-fit coalescers)
Environment: Typical plant room lighting
Exposure to harmful substances (ammonia, oil and ammonia solution)
Manual handling: lifting, carrying, stooping or twisting.
Control Measures (existing or planned)
Control
PPE:
Equipment:
Details
General:
Safety Boots
Overalls
Exposure to Ammonia, Oil and Ammonia solution:
Safety goggles (to BS EN 166-349B)
Nitrile impervious gloves
RPE – Full face mask respirator to BS EN 136 fitted with filter cartridge type K2 P3
Access Equipment:
Industrial quality, purpose built steel scaffold to be used
Industrial quality ladder, inspected before use
Exposure to Ammonia:
6mm stainless steel pipe for venting vessel
Bucket of water for purging ammonia gas
Eye wash
Information,
Instruction, and
Training
Manual Handling:
Use lifting equipment (or lever) to avoid excessive manual handling of cover
Access Equipment:
Secure ladder at top and/or bottom
Before use of scaffold inspect by competent personnel (certificate of competency available for
inspection)
Ensure guard rails and toe boards are fitted
Safe Working Load must not be exceeded
RISK ASSESSMENT No
RA 020 C
Page 2 of 3
Exposure to Ammonia:
Double isolate vessel if possible, if not, the unit must not be left open when unattended
RPE available when significant amounts of vapour is evolving from pumped down vessel from
opening top flange. DO NOT WEAR RPE INLESS TRAINED.
Supervision
Manual Handling:
Lifting equipment should be used for loads in excess of 25kg per man
Note: Lids weigh between 57kg (610mm diameter vessel) and 143kg (762mm diameter vessel)
General:
Give induction to scaffold contractor to warn of dangers of ammonia, standing on pipes, etc.
Good Housekeeping for slips trips and falls.
Adequate lighting.
Fixed scaffold erection and maintenance by competent persons only.
Ammonia Handling:
Competent persons certificate on file. (ACRIB registered, City and Guilds 2077 or 2078).
Environment
Procedures,
documents etc
Communications
Emergency
action/procedures
Access
Maintenance of clear escape routes.
Second man at entrance in line of sight when vessel is being opened.
General:
Lighting to be adequate to allow safe movement of personnel and equipment around scaffold
tower. Provide task lighting if necessary
Power to compressor unit isolated
Ground and overhead hazards to be avoided when erecting and dismantling scaffold tower.
Ammonia Handling:
Ventilation system fan set to run.
Room door to outside left open to assist in circulation of fresh air.
In the event of a major Ammonia release, gas will be dispensed and dilute into air.
General:
Comply with Star Method Statement 002
Any defect in scaffold equipment must be reported and attended to immediately. The scaffold
must not be used until rectified.
Ammonia Handling:
Comply with BS EN378-1:2007 Refrigeration systems and heat pumps – Safety and
Environmental requirements.
R717 (anhydrous ammonia) data sheet attached as appendix A of MS 002.
Customer and other contractors to be advised of venting and break-in to the ammonia system
and that there will be a smell of ammonia, and that the gas detection system may come in to
operation.
Procedures and actions in the event of a significant ammonia leak shall be in accordance with
the construction health and safety plan or the client’s procedures.
Any accidents should be reported to the client or principal contractor and Star.
During the Operation itself, unnecessary personnel should be excluded from the immediate
area of the plant room.
RISK ASSESSMENT No
Page 3 of 3
RA 020 C
Risk Evaluation of Identified Hazards
Likelihood
Highly unlikely = 1
Unlikely = 2
Likely = 3
Severity
Slightly harmful = 1
Harmful = 2
Extremely harmful = 3
(Likelihood x Severity = Risk level) 1 = Trivial, 2 = Tolerable, 3-4 = Moderate, 6 = Substantial, 9 = Intolerable
Identified Hazards (base scores on existing or planned control measures)
Triv' Tol'
Mod' Sub' Int'
Physical: Falls from above 2M
1x3
3
Physical: Slips, trips, falls on the same level
1x2
2
Physical: Access
2x2
4
Environment: Lighting
1x2
2
Exposure to harmful substances
1x3
3
Manual Handling: lifting, carrying, stooping or twisting. 2 x 2
4
Note:
Moderate scores; Thought should be given to reducing risk, but the cost and time requirements of prevention
should be carefully considered and limited.
Substantial:
Work should not be started until the risk has been reduced, for work in progress, urgent
action is required. Considerable resources may have to be allocated.
Intolerable:
If unlimited resources cannot reduce risk, work will be prohibited.
Is risk adequately controlled using the above control measures Y/N
State further action required:
YES
If "NO" State further action required
Note: This risk assessment is only valid when all control measures are in place before the work or activity
commences and will be reviewed Jan. 2013 or earlier if the nature of the work changes or there is a dangerous
occurrence.
Rev.
A
B
C
Date
20 April 04
23 April 04
7th Feb. 08
Notes
Draft for Comment
AMG comments incorporated
Re-issue with minor text changes. Addition of ACRIB
references, coalescer lid weights, clarification that only steel
scaffold should be used (not aluminium “pop-up” towers)
Prepared
DSG
DSG
GTS