Major Hazard Standard
Molten Materials Processing and
Handling
PURPOSE AND SCOPE ..........................2
DETAILS...................................................2
1 Risk Management Strategy .................2
2 Design of Molten Materials Processing
and Handling Facilities ......................2
2.1 Conceptual Design .............................2
2.2 Detailed Design ..................................2
2.3 Procurement .......................................3
2.4 Construction and Commissioning ......3
3 Operating the Molten Material Facility3
3.1 Standard Operating Parameters ........3
3.2 Cooling Water Circuit .........................3
3.3 Standard Work Procedures ................3
4 Maintenance Management
Requirements .....................................3
5 Decommissioning and Disposal of
MMPH Facilities ..................................4
APPENDICES...........................................5
A Definitions..................................................5
B Related Documents...................................5
C Revision Information .................................5
© WMC Limited 1997
The contents of this document are for the sole use of WMC employees and contractors and
may not be transmitted, in any form, to third parties.
** Uncontrolled copy. Use latest revision **
Standard Coordinator: A. Hunt
SAF-MHS-04
Rev. 1
EOF Coordinator: K. Thomas
Issued: 18/05/99
Group Manager - Safety & Health: S. Klyen
Page 1 of 6
Major Hazard Standard
Molten Materials Processing and Handling
** Uncontrolled copy. Use latest revision **
PURPOSE AND SCOPE
The purpose of this Standard is to eliminate molten
material related fatalities or serious injuries.
This Standard applies to all molten material systems
from the design stage of a facility through
construction, commissioning, operation and
maintenance to the final decommissioning stage.
DETAILS
1 Risk Management Strategy
Formal risk assessment techniques shall be used to
reduce the risks in Molten Materials Processing
Handling (MMPH).
The risk assessment shall identify as a minimum:
• All sources of molten materials
• Exposure of people to risk from molten materials
• Explosive emission from containment
• Spills and run outs
• Transport collisions.
The management systems at the facility shall
minimise the probability of:
• Exposure of people to risk from molten materials
• Explosive emission from containment
• Spills and run outs
• Transport collisions.
In order to continually improve the process, the
objectives of management should be to:
• Remove the need for water near molten material
• Remove the need for people to be adjacent to the
tapping process
• Remove the need for people to be exposed to
molten material.
To achieve the above stated objectives, management
shall apply the risk assessment techniques to all
areas from the initial concept through final design
and operation to the decommissioning stage of an
MMPH facility's life.
A change management system shall be developed at
each facility that ensures that changes in design,
maintenance, work methods, and operating
parameters do not prejudice the safety or integrity of
the MMPH facility or its operators.
SAF-MHS-04
Rev. 1
Issued: 18/05/99
2 Design of Molten Materials
Processing and Handling Facilities
There shall be a requirement on the designers of a
Molten Material Processing or Handling facility to
minimise the exposure of personnel to molten
material and heat stress.
The design stage has two phases. These are the
development of the concept and the development of
the detailed design.
2.1 Conceptual Design
The person proposing a new MMPH system shall
lodge a formal notification of the concept to the
General Manager or his delegate. Included in this
notification shall be a conceptual layout of the
proposed system, a risk assessment and the
justification.
The concept shall be reviewed using the engineering
and commercial approval systems.
The proposal shall address the following areas:
• Chosen process route
• Chosen technology
• Handling systems
• Cooling system requirements
• Building layout and organisation
• Emergency response provisions
• Operational and maintenance requirements
• Construction plan
• Project management plan
• Project budget.
Once the concept is approved, significant changes
shall not be made without further full review and
risk assessment.
2.2 Detailed Design
The General Manager shall appoint a competent
person or group of people as an Approving
Authority for the design of the MMPH system.
Engineering specifications shall be developed for
each MMPH project. These specifications shall
identify which processes involve the presence of
Molten Materials and how the inherent hazards will
be controlled. Critical items shall be identified and
their tolerances specified.
Water supply to cooling water circuits shall be
designed to have the highest level of passive safety.
Water shall be supplied via a gravity system with a
reserve capability in the event of a power failure.
The amount of reserve capacity required shall be
determined for each site.
Page 2 of 6
Major Hazard Standard
Molten Materials Processing and Handling
** Uncontrolled copy. Use latest revision **
All designs shall be subjected to formal design risk
assessments, the results of which shall be
documented.
Before approving the detailed design, the Approving
Authority shall complete a formal review of the
engineering specifications and the design risk
assessments.
2.3 Procurement
Each site shall ensure that changes to the design or
the specifications of materials cannot be made
without a formal review to ensure that the safety of
the MMPH is not prejudiced.
Appropriate quality assurance procedures shall be in
place to ensure that equipment and materials are
supplied in accordance with specifications.
2.4 Construction and Commissioning
During the construction and commissioning phases
the competencies and training requirements of all
employees on site shall be confirmed.
Sites shall develop an appropriate induction for the
members of the construction and commissioning
teams. This induction shall ensure that all persons
required to work in the vicinity of molten material
areas are aware of the potential dangers and are
deemed competent.
Prior to commissioning the site shall identify the
necessary competencies, equipment and methods to
deal with a loss of containment of any molten
material.
During commissioning, access shall be strictly
controlled in areas where molten materials could be
encountered. Only competent staff shall be allowed
inside the restricted areas.
3 Operating the Molten Material
Facility
3.1 Standard Operating Parameters
Standard operating parameters shall be set for all
facilities. A formal risk assessment shall be carried
out prior to approval for the facility to be operated
outside the standard operating parameters.
These parameters shall include, but not be limited to:
• Slag/metal/matte temperature
• Slag/metal/matte composition
• Furnace wall or gas temperature
• Feed rate
• Discharge rate (product and slag)
• Percentage of oxygen in combustion gas
• Cooling water usage
• Cooling water temperature
SAF-MHS-04
Rev. 1
Issued: 18/05/99
• Inlet/outlet gas temperature
• Bath level and freeboard.
3.2 Cooling Water Circuit
Sites shall develop and implement a procedure for
dealing with the loss of water supply.
Safe work procedures shall be in place that detail the
actions required in the event of a water leak into or
around the MMPH facility.
3.3 Standard Work Procedures
Standard Work Procedures (SWP) shall be
developed for all activities where molten material is
likely to be encountered. These shall include, but not
be limited to the following:
• Response to MMPH loss of containment situations
• Safeguarding vehicles in MMPH activities
• Tapping molten material from furnaces
• Cooling water management
• Specifications and provision of personal protective
equipment
• Control of charge materials
• Provision of competence to persons working in
MMPH activities
• Transfer of molten materials
• Safe operation of casting machines
• Safe operation and maintenance of launders
• Safe operation and maintenance of molten
materials ladles
• Safe operation and maintenance of granulation
facilities
• Safe operation and maintenance of molten material
disposal sites
• Safe operation and maintenance of furnaces
• Safe use of liquid and gaseous fuels in furnaces
and ladles
• Safe repairs on a working furnace
• Housekeeping in molten materials areas
• Emergency isolation of services in molten
materials areas
• Blasting in an operating furnace.
All relevant employees shall be trained and assessed
for competence in these procedures.
4 Maintenance Management
Requirements
The site Maintenance Management system shall
include the use of a risk assessment process to
identify critical components and their required
maintenance activities.
Page 3 of 6
Major Hazard Standard
Molten Materials Processing and Handling
** Uncontrolled copy. Use latest revision **
There shall be a schedule for the maintenance
activities at the facility. Production pressures shall
not cause critical maintenance work to be delayed or
deferred without a formal risk assessment.
SWPs shall be drawn up for all routine maintenance
activities where molten materials may be
encountered. Staff competency is to be assessed.
A Job Safety Analysis shall be completed prior to
any non-routine maintenance activity in a MMPH
area.
Detailed plans and SWPs shall be drawn up to
ensure that equipment or facilities are
decommissioned or disposed of in a safe manner.
Decommissioned plant shall be maintained in a safe
condition.
5 Decommissioning and Disposal of
MMPH Facilities
Prior to any decommissioning or disposal activities,
a risk assessment shall be conducted.
SAF-MHS-04
Rev. 1
Issued: 18/05/99
Page 4 of 6
Major Hazard Standard
Molten Materials Processing and Handling
** Uncontrolled copy. Use latest revision **
APPENDICES
A Definitions
Abbreviations
MMPH
Molten Materials Processing and Handling
B Related Documents
None
C Revision Information
This is the second issue of this Standard.
Revision 1
issued 12/05/99
Revision 0
issued 31/10/97
Differences from the previous revision are:
Section (Existing)
Difference
Changed all‘must’ and ‘will’ to ‘shall’.
Changed all ‘Resident Manager’ to ‘General Manager’
1
Risk Management
Strategy
Paragraph 2 rewritten.
Added new bullet list following ‘The management systems at the facility …’
Added new last paragraph ‘A change system …’.
2.1
Conceptual Design
Added new bullet 2 to list.
2.2
Detailed Design
Added new paragraph ‘Water supply to …’
3.1
Standard Operating
Parameters
Reworded paragraph 1.
3.2
Cooling Water
Circuit
Reworded paragraph 1.
3.3
Standard Work
Added new bullet 4 to list.
SAF-MHS-04
Rev. 1
Issued: 18/05/99
Page 5 of 6
Major Hazard Standard
Molten Materials Processing and Handling
** Uncontrolled copy. Use latest revision **
Section (Existing)
Procedures
4
Engineering and
Maintenance
Requirements
Difference
Retitled section to ‘Maintenance Management Requirements’
Added new paragraph 1. Reworded subsequent paragraphs.
5
Decommissioning and Added new first and last sentences. Reworded existing sentence.
Disposal of MMPH
Facilities
SAF-MHS-04
Rev. 1
Issued: 18/05/99
Page 6 of 6