API Issues Portable Building Siting Recommendations

Contact:  John Bisney | 202.682.8122| bisneyj@api.org

WASHINGTON – API has issued a new draft recommended practice (RP753 - Management of Hazards Associated with Location of Process Plant Portable Buildings) which provides guidance on locating occupied trailers and similar structures in refineries and other chemical process plants.  The draft RP is being made available to industry free of charge.

The effort, which provides guidance on appropriate risk assessment tools and data pertaining specifically to siting trailers and other portable and temporary buildings used during maintenance and plant turn around activities, responds to the October 2005 Urgent Recommendations from the U. S. Chemical Safety Board, which included asking API to develop new guidance on the placement of occupied trailers away from hazardous process areas.  The request was made during the board’s investigation into a series of explosions at the BP Texas City refinery on March 23, 2005. 

Although API expects to issue a final RP by June, issuing the draft now “gives the industry some very useful information by presenting the preliminary findings of our task force, and also gives us an opportunity to solicit feedback,” according to API Security Team Leader Bill Erny.

This draft recommended practice may be downloaded free of charge at:  http://www.api.org/ehs/health/upload/RP753final.pdf.