SAFETY
Issues of safety are associated with practically all industrial technologies, and understanding the appropriate measures for safety management is an important part of understanding the technology itself. In this respect, gasification is no different from many other technologies. The purpose of this section is to make those unfamiliar with gasification aware of those issues that may be considered specific to the technology. It is certainly no substitute for a project-specific safety manual and does not address issues common to any large-scale industrial plant. It does, however, point to other sources, which may help the reader develop his or her own ideas for a particular project in more detail.
Gasification plants are complex plants that produce a high-pressure toxic gas that is inflammable or even explosive in the presence of oxygen and an ignition source. Furthermore, the presence of pure oxygen, as is the case in most gasification processes, requires additional precautions. Generally, all these dangers are well taken care of in the process designs. Handled correctly during construction, operation, and maintenance, they pose no more problems to personnel or environment than many other industrial plants.