HAZOP Study for Jotun Paints by Elixir Engineering in Oman

Elixir Engineering conducted a HAZOP Study for Jotun Paints in Oman, addressing risks in design and operation for their manufacturing hub, ensuring safety and efficiency in the MEIA region

Project Summary

• Jotun Paints awarded Elixir Engineering the task of conducting a HAZOP (Hazard and Operability) study Oman for Jotun Paints, focusing on their manufacturing hub in Oman.
• The facility will cater to the Middle East, India, and Africa (MEIA) regions, with an initial production target of 1 million kg in the first year, ramping up to 2.5 million kg by the fourth year.
• Ensuring a smooth transition from raw material arrangements to the final goods warehouse is part of the meticulous planning.
• To meet the increasing demand, engineers designed the plant to handle a capacity of 2.7 million kg across two shifts. The facility includes:
  • Two floor-mounted dissolvers
  • Two pressing units
  • Two filling units
• To prevent cross-contamination, dedicated pot mixers and dissolvers, We will use filling machines for both Component A and Component B.
  • To enhance ergonomics, the plant features:
    • A scissor table with adjustable height for charging powder raw material
    • An additive station
    • Power Pot Mover
    • A drum manipulator for stacking filled drums on pallets
• For increased precision and quality, liquid raw materials will be added straight to the pot mixer via the PLC and Pit scale.Future expansion provisions include an additional floor-mounted dissolver.
• After being weighed on a weighing pit scale, raw components such as Epoxy Resin 2540, Trimethylolpropane Triacrylate 11452, Aradur 3745# 11441, ROFLEX T70 11453, and Dimethylaminomethyl (Phenol) 11451 are combined with RM powders in a 4-shaft mixer.
• The finished product is pressed in a hydraulic press and sent to the pail filler unit for subsequent packaging.

HAZOP Study Methodology

• The process/utility system and related interfaces are the main emphasis of the HAZOP.
• The fundamental idea of a HAZOP study is to take a detailed description of the process and question every aspect of it in brainstorming sessions attended by the various experts involved in the process design in order to first identify potential deviations from the intended design and identify potential causes and consequences for those deviations.
• The following are the primary steps in a HAZOP Study
  • Select the node (Line, equipment or a system) on the P&ID.
  • List of the intention and process parameters, guidewords for the nodes.
  • List all deviations and ignore deviations that are not meaningful and apply the deviation.
  • Brainstorm and list various causes of the deviation and ignore causes that are not credible.
  • Determine the consequences of the deviations due to each listed credible cause.
  • Identify safeguards already provided in the system.
  • Suggest recommendations or actions should the safeguards be inadequate.
  • Repeat steps 3 to 7 for each deviation.
  • Repeat steps from one (1) to eight (8) on the next node until all the nodes are covered.

Elements of HAZOP Study

• Node Definition
  • The HAZOP investigation moves through the plant node by node. .
  • The facilitator defines the node size and route through the plant.
  • Each node is described with:
    • A brief description
    • Typical operating and design conditions
    • Maintenance, operation, and operator intervention procedures
• Parameters
  • Primary factors include temperature, pressure, and flow.
  • Additional parameters related to maintenance, safety, corrosion/erosion, instrumentation, and start-up/shutdown are also considered.
• Guidewords
  • Standard guidewords such as No/None, More/Less, As Well As/Part of, Reverse/Other Than, Early/Late, Before/After are applied to each parameter to suggest deviations.
• Causes
  • All plausible causes of deviations are considered, focusing on local factors related to the node under study.
  • Unrelated simultaneous events are excluded.
• Consequence
  • Global impacts are analyzed to determine the ultimate effect of each deviation.
• Safeguards
  • Risk depends on both likelihood and outcome.
  • Safeguards that reduce either probability or consequence are identified, including engineering or administrative measures.
  • Existing and functional safeguards for the operating plant are verified.
• Recommendations
  • Recommendations should be action-based (e.g., Check, Provide, Consider) and assigned to specific work groups.
  • They should clarify what, where, and why actions are needed.

Deliverables:

The primary deliverable is a Comprehensive HAZOP Report for the Oman facility.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Elixir Engineering's HAZOP study for Jotun Paints’ Oman facility has effectively identified potential risks in the production process and provided recommendations to ensure safety, efficiency, and environmental compliance. By evaluating each stage, from raw materials to final product storage, Elixir Engineering has supported Jotun Paints in achieving a safe, optimized operational framework aligned with production goals. The study's insights contribute to ongoing improvements and set a foundation for scalable, sustainable manufacturing practices.