Palm Beach County Fire Rescue SOG 320-04 Liquefied Petroleum and Natural Gas Leaks PDF

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Standard Operating Guideline SOG 320-04 Liquefied Petroleum and Natural Gas Leaks Issue Date: 05/26/2018...

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Standard Operating Guideline SOG 320-04 Liquefied Petroleum and Natural Gas Leaks Issue Date: 05/26/2018 Effective Date: 08/06/2018 PURPOSE: The purpose of this SOG is to establish response, notification, atmospheric monitoring and mitigation procedures for Liquefied Petroleum and Natural Gas investigations and emergencies. AUTHORITY:  Fire Rescue Administrator SCOPE: This Standard Operating Guideline (SOG) shall apply to all Emergency Operations personnel. PROCEDURE: 1. General a. Refer to Emergency Response Guidebook 2016 version, pages 20-25 and Orange Guide pages 115-116. b. Every Liquefied Petroleum Gas/Natural Gas (LPG/NG) incident can escalate into a major emergency that could involve fire, explosion, collapse, or a large scale evacuation. c. LPG/NG can spread rapidly over large areas or accumulate in confined or hidden spaces creating an IDLH atmosphere. d. This SOG describes the characteristics of LPG/NG, responders must know where to look and monitor for these products and anticipate dispersion patterns. e. Natural Gas Characteristics i. Natural Gas is also known as Methane. ii. Natural Gas is lighter than air and will rise. 1. A room filling with Natural Gas will fill from the ceiling down. 2. An attic filling with Natural Gas will fill from the roof down. 3. An exterior leak of Natural Gas will rise and typically disperse quickly. 4. When using the Drager X-am 2500 4-Gas monitor make sure it is at the correct height. iii. Natural Gas has a LEL range from 5.3% to 14% by volume. iv. Natural Gas is colorless and odorless. Mercaptan is added to Natural Gas to give a rotten egg odor. Larger diameter piping (18” and above) does NOT have mercaptan added. v. Natural Gas is commonly supplied for use from underground piping through a gas meter. SOG 320-04 Liquefied Petroleum and Natural Gas Leaks Page 1 of 6  vi. Gas Meters 1. The presence of a gas meter indicates Natural Gas is the supplied fuel being delivered via underground piping from an off-site location. 2. Gas meters are often marked with yellow markings or labels and are low to the ground (electrical meters are often attached to wall and at eye sight level). vii. Underground Piping 1. American Public Works Association color codes: 2. Underground piping for Natural Gas can range from ½” to 30” and larger. 3. Palm Beach County does have locations with very large non-odorized Natural Gas piping throughout its geographic area. Examples include: a. 24” Natural Gas piping that exerts 975psi along the turnpike. b. 24” Natural Gas piping that runs from the Port of Palm Beach to the West County Energy Center owned by FPL. 4. Common Natural Gas pipe sizes along non-residential roadways range from 1” to 4”. 5. Natural Gas traveling in underground piping may be supplied from both directions (i.e., both sides of the pipe have to be secured). 6. Common Natural Gas pipe sizes between residential sidewalks and residential homes is ½” to ¾”. a. There is a possibility that LPG is being supplied with ½” to ¾” underground piping in a residential yard from an underground tank. 7. Special Operations is able to secure polypropylene piping above ¾", up to 2" with specialized clamps and up to 5” with specialized sleeves. Special Operations shall still be requested to respond if larger than 5” piping to support utility company operations. 8. Any polypropylene pipe above 2” may require the Natural Gas company to mitigate. f. Liquefied Petroleum Gas Characteristics i. Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is also known as Propane. ii. LPG is heavier than air. 1. A room filling with LPG will fill from the floor up. 2. An attic filling with LPG will fill from the bottom up. 3. An outside leak of LPG will stay low and typically NOT disperse quickly. 4. When using the Drager X-am 2500 4-Gas monitor make sure it is at the correct height. SOG 320-04 Liquefied Petroleum and Natural Gas Leaks Page 2 of 6  iii. LPG has a LEL range from 2.1% to 9.5% by volume. iv. LPG and Natural Gas, are colorless and odorless. Mercaptan is added to both products to give it and apparent odor that has a sulfur/rotten egg smell. v. LPG can be supplied for use from underground piping or storage tanks. vi. Storage Tanks 1. Barbeque grills typically have a 20lb Portable LPG tank. 2. Forklifts typically have a 33lb Portable LPG tank. 3. Commercial properties may have a 100-420lb Standup LPG tank. 4. Residential homes may have a 500-1,000lb Underground LPG tank. 5. The Herman W. Brice Fire Rescue Complex has a 30,000lb Aboveground LPG tank. Portable or Standup Underground Tanks Aboveground Tanks Tanks 2. Investigation of LPG/NG Leak a. Respond and approach upwind, when possible. b. Make sure NOT to introduce an ignition source (i.e., the vehicle, a cell phone, static electricity, etc…). c. All Fire Rescue personnel shall wear Bunker gear and SCBA for known or suspected LPG/NG leaks (refer to SOG 410-01 Personal Protective Equipment). d. First Arriving Unit Responsibilities i. The first arriving unit shall: 1. Establish Incident Command and manage the incident until Incident Command is transferred or terminated (refer to SOG 200-02 Incident Command Sequence). 2. Give an Arrival Report (refer to SOG 420-01 Fire Attack Operations). 3. Interview witnesses and gather information. 4. Evacuate all occupants. 5. Establish an Initial Isolation Zone. 6. Use the Drager X-am 2500 4-Gas monitor, when. Refer to SOG 320-03 Atmospheric Monitoring and A1-A2 Alarm Values 320-03 Attachment A for active atmospheric monitoring. As stated in SOG 320-03 Atmospheric Monitoring normal atmospheric conditions are: a. O2 (Oxygen) 21% b. LEL (Lower Explosive Limit) 0% SOG 320-04 Liquefied Petroleum and Natural Gas Leaks Page 3 of 6  c. CO (Carbon Monoxide) 0 ppm d. H2S (Hydrogen Sulfide) 0 ppm 3. Confirmed LPG/NG Leak a. All actions and responsibilities are in addition to that noted above in Investigation (2). b. The Incident Commander shall: i. Request a Battalion Chief and EMS Captain to respond. ii. Ensure personnel accountability is in place and being followed (refer to SOG 220-01 Personnel Accountability). iii. Ensure Control Zones are established (refer to SOG 420-01 Fire Attack Operations). 1. The Hot Zone starts when the Drager X-am 2500 4-Gas monitor gets a LEL reading above zero. 2. Mark the Hot Zone with high visibility tape or traffic cones. iv. Ensure continued monitoring with Drager X-am 2500 4-Gas monitor. v. Ensure the two-in/two-out rule is being followed (i.e., for any entry into a Hot Zone) (refer to SOG 220-02 Two in/Two out). vi. Ensure a Water Supply is established. vii. Ensure a charged 1¾ hose line (at a minimum), with a fog nozzle, is in place. viii. Ensure gas meter or LP tank are secured and Lockout/Tagout device is applied (refer to SOG 300-03 Lockout-Tagout). ix. Request the Communication Center to contact the appropriate LPG/NG company for response. c. After the incident has been properly mitigated ALL affected areas and exposures SHALL be assessed and monitored with the Drager X-am 2500 4-Gas monitor. 4. Exterior LPG/NG Leak Responsibilities a. All actions and responsibilities are in addition to that noted above in Investigation (2) and Confirmed (3) LPG/NG Leak. b. The Incident Commander should consider requesting Special Operations (as necessary). c. The Incident Commander shall: i. Assign an Incident Safety Officer ii. Let any open flame from an uncontrollable LPG/NG source continue to burn. iii. Ensure Exposures are protected. iv. Direct the strategic goals to mitigate the leak or hazard. 1. Immediately COOL LPG tanks with flame impingement to ensure a boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE) does not occur. a. DO NOT PUT THE FLAME OUT (if the LPG source can NOT be controlled). Meaning if a barbeque grill is on fire, put the fire out and turn off the Portable LPG tank. b. If a pressure relieve valve is activating, cool the Aboveground LPG tank immediately and evacuate the area. c. Aboveground LPG tanks shall be cooled with at least a 2½ hose line flowing 200pgm. A ground monitor with a minimum of SOG 320-04 Liquefied Petroleum and Natural Gas Leaks Page 4 of 6  500gpm is required to cool any 1,000lb or greater aboveground LPG tank with flame impingement. 2. A ½” to ¾” inch polypropylene pipe may be bent and taped with duct tape to stop or reduce the leak (if a PVC cutter can fit over the polypropylene pipe it can be cut and bent). a. Static electricity is a concern when working in an explosive environment. Every care should be taken to reduce the chance of generating a spark. b. The area around a leak should be sprayed with water, on a wide fog pattern, to reduce the chance of static build up. Do NOT drench the area. If the leak is in a hole, ensure the hole is not made into mud or filled with water. c. Do NOT use a hacksaw to cut a polypropylene pipe, as this action may cause a spark. PVC pipe cutters (see diagram) may be used. 5. Interior LPG/NG Leak Responsibilities a. The below are in addition to the Exterior (4) LPG/NG Leak Responsibilities: b. The Incident Commander should consider requesting a Fire Investigator according to Investigator Call Out Procedure (PPM FR-B-101). c. The Incident Commander shall: i. Assign an Incident Safety Officer. ii. Ensure Benchmarks are performed and communicated (refer to SOG 210-01 Communications). iii. Ensure Primary and Secondary Searches are completed (refer to SOG 420-02 Primary-Secondary Search). iv. Ensure natural ventilation of the structure until Drager X-am 2500 4-Gas monitor readings are below 2% LEL, then other means of ventilation may be used (refer to SOG 420-05 Ventilation). 6. Special Operations Team a. Upon arrival the Special Operations Captain shall report to the Incident Commander for a face to face briefing and to determine the mode of Operation (i.e., Offensive or Defensive). b. Offensive LPG/NG mode i. Special Operations may take the following Offensive measures: 1. Grounding 2. Plugging 3. Cutting 4. Clamping 5. Squeezing 6. Flaring off (Burn Off) c. Defensive LPG/NG mode i. Special Operations may take the following Defensive measures: 1. Wait for the LPG/NG company to arrive. SOG 320-04 Liquefied Petroleum and Natural Gas Leaks Page 5 of 6  2. Confer with the LPG/NG company to determine the mitigation strategy. 7. Documentation a. The incident shall be documented according to Incident Reporting (PPM FR-M-201) with the following also noted: i. Drager X-am 2500 4-Gas monitor readings before, during and after mitigation. ii. LPG/NG company technician (if applicable): 1. Name 2. Phone number 3. ID or employee number iii. Who the scene was turned over to. b. All units MUST write a “UNIT” Narrative into the applicable NFIRS program, refer to Incident Reporting (PPM FR-M-201). Supersession History 1. SOG 320-04, issued 05/26/2018 2. SOG 320-04, revised 08/06/2018 SOG 320-04 Liquefied Petroleum and Natural Gas Leaks Page 6 of 6