Technical - Safety Series Standards

• IGEM/SR/4 - Variable volume gasholders

  • 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.

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• IGE/SR/10 - Dealing with escapes into underground plant

  • deals with gas escapes which infiltrate underground ducts, pipes, pits and related plant and premises of utilities
  • cover gas escapes from pipes, gas storage installations and gas emanating from waste landfill sites and mine workings
  • provides guidance for transporters, shippers and suppliers and information for such as local authorities, utilities and emergency services on the responsibility of the personnel involved in dealing with gas escapes into underground plant
  • provides guidance on the actions to be taken by operatives of such organisations that may, in the normal course of their duties, be involved in the detecting and/or dealing with gas infiltration into underground plant. Particular attention is drawn to the requirement for competency outlined in Sub-Section 4.3.

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• IGEM/SR/14 - Fixed volume storage

  • covers the storage of fuel gases with a specific gravity of less than 0.7, together with associated pipework and valves
  • gives advice onthe safety aspects of design, construction, commissioning, operation, maintenance, decommissioning, inspection, modification and repair of:
    • horizontal vessels and
    • buried pipe arrays.

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• IGEM/SR/15 - Integrity of safety-related systems

  • provides guidance on the design and implementation of safety-related systems. The contents will be of most interest to managers, engineers and technicians with responsibility (particularly for design) during the appropriate phases in the lifecycle of a control or safety system.
  • satisfies the need for industry specific guidance to supplement BS EN 61508.
  • is applicable to control and safety systems in the gas and process industries, including gas transmission, distribution and storage and industrial, commercial and domestic gas installations
  • cover the use of safety-related systems in the gas industry, from offshore installations to domestic appliances, in particular, but not exclusively, those involved with PES-based equipment. In view of the general similarity of PES type equipment in its many applications, these Recommendations are considered to be suitable for wider application in the process industries.

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• IGEM/SR/16 - Odorant plant

  • applies for personnel involved in the design, construction, installation, testing, operation, maintenance and de-commissioning of plant used for the odorisation of Natural Gas and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). It is based on almost 50 years experience of odorising Natural Gas in Great Britain (GB) and Northern Ireland
  • covers the safety aspects of handling bulk supplies of odorant for gas systems and safety aspects of the design, construction, installation, testing and commissioning of plant for its storage and injection. It also deals with the operation, maintenance, de-commissioning, internal inspection, modification and repair of odorant plant.

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• IGE/SR/18 - Safe working practices to ensure the integrity of gas pipelines and associated installations

  • provides guidance on safe working practise in the vicinity of gas pipelines and associated gas installations (hereafter referred to as gas plant)
  • includes advice for both the operator/owner of the respective gas plant (hereafter referred to as the operator) and for the promoter/contractor responsible for the work (hereafter referred to as the promoter)
  • usually, work will be carried out with respect to a service other than gas plant, for example water pipes, but may on occasion be with respect to another item of gas plant. This Standard intends to ensure the continued integrity of gas plant
  • cover work in the vicinity of gas plant in easements, under highways and on private land.

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• IGE/SR/22 – Purging operations for fuel gases in transmission, distribution and storage

  • intends to provide guidance to those involved in purging operations in the gas industry
  • the principles, procedures and methods of working outlined in these Recommendations result from many years' experience of this type of operation. The particular requirements for specific applications are detailed in separate sections, whilst general principles apply to purging operations in whatever applications may be involved.
  • covers onshore purging operations for fuel gases from gas to air and from air to gas, with or without the use of inert gas
  • gives guidance on purging for the commissioning or decommissioning of pipelines, mains, services, gasholders and vessels
  • gives detailed advice on the direct purging of Natural gas pipelines, mains and services. They also cover the indirect purging of all plant operating with natural gas and other fuel gases.

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• IGE/SR/23 – Venting of Natural Gas

  • takes into consideration the guidance contained in the British Gas plc Engineering Standard BGC/PS/SGV2 on venting. It includes recognition of the fact that environmental legislation in the UK has placed constraints on venting operations. It is recommended therefore that using best available technology and knowledge not entailing excessive cost, safe systems are designed to minimise the venting of gases to the atmosphere
  • covers the conceptual design, operation and safety aspects of permanent, temporary and emergency venting of natural gas for the depressurisation of plant or equipment for onshore vertical vent systems.

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• IGE/SR/24 – Risk assessment techniques

  • describe risk assessment techniques used in the gas industry but which are applicable elsewhere
  • cover aspects of risk assessments related to health and safety. Although the principles can be applied to environment assessments, legislative requirements are different
  • cover activities associated with on-shore plant and equipment throughout its life cycle, i.e. design, construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning. The principles may be applied to off-shore plant and equipment but specific requirements, for example escape and evacuation plans, are not covered
  • embrace the following types of assessment:
    • hazard identification (HAZID)
    • hazard and operability study (HAZOP)
    • risk evaluation
      • simple risk assessment
      • quantified risk assessment
    • probability modelling
    • failure data collection and analysis
    • consequence analysis.

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• IGEM/SR/25 - Hazardous area classification

  • applies to all Natural Gas installations and complements BS EN 60079-10-1 by providing detailed requirements for the hazardous area classification of permanent and temporary Natural Gas installations, thus providing a basis for the correct selection and location of fixed electrical equipment in those areas
  • applies to any potential release of Natural gas except those that may be caused by catastrophic failure such as the rupture of a process vessel or pipeline, component failure and similar rare events that are not predictable.

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• IGEM/SR/28 - Trenchless Techniques

  • provides requirements to those responsible for the planning and safe operation of trenchless technology works. As such it will assist employers comply with the duties on them with respect to employees and other persons, including members of the public whose safety may be affected
  • addresses health, safety and environmental matters associated with the following trenchless disciplines:
    • horizontal directional drilling (HDD)
    • impact moling
    • auger boring and rotary drilling
    • micro-tunnelling (up to 1 m diameter)
    • pipe ramming and pipe jacking
    • pipe splitting and pipe bursting
    • refurbishment of pipes using lining techniques
    • internal pipe repair system(s).

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