IGEM/SR/4 Edition 3

Variable Volume Gasholders Storing Lighter than Air Gases

IGEM has long history of publishing articles, guidance and Standards on Gasholders, with the first official "Recommendations" published in 1986.

IGEM/SR/4 Edition 3 has now been published as an Industry Standard (May 2011) which is the result of a review of Edition 2 (1996) which is now obsolete.

Primarily, the Standard aims to highlight aspects which may put the gasholder or persons working on the gasholder, or members of the public, at risk.

It covers gases which are lighter than air however, many of the requirements will also apply for gasholders storing heavier than air gases.

New Edition - What has changed?

To start with the title of both this Standard and IGEM/SR/14 were altered to remove the reference to high and low pressure. In addition the definitions of the different types of gasholder have been updated (see IGEM/G/4).

In Edition 2, limited advice was given on purging, as it required readers to be conversant with IGE/SR/22 (Purging Operations). Whilst IGE/SR/22 is still the relevant Standard to work to, this Edition now gives an appreciation of the requirements given in IGE/SR/22.

With regard to Control Systems, terminology has now been aligned with the recently revised Edition of IGEM/SR/15. More significantly, practical advice has been included such as, information on the emptying and filling of multi-gasholder sites.

Edition 3 now has a Section on Demolition. This specialist activity is governed by numerous Acts and Legislation, but is principally subject to the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations and Construction (Design and Management) Regulations. The key aim of the Legislation is to ensure that employers adequately assess the risks associated with their work and to integrate health and safety into the planning and management of projects by the early identification of hazards. Once the hazards are identified, they can be eliminated or reduced where possible at the design or planning stages and thereafter remaining risks can be appropriately managed and controlled during the construction, operation and demolition phases.

IGEM/SR/4 Edition 3 can be ordered online using the following link IGEM/SR/4 Edition 3.