The Use of Fire Hazard Analysis as the Design Basis for Fire Protection on New Projects

Abstract The paper addresses how the difficulties of designing the fire protection on a new offshore project using fire assessment as the basis of design can be overcome. It suggests how the layout# process and protection design can proceed in parallel when they are interdependent. It examines the stages at which fire assessment should take place, the level of detail required and the decisions which should be taken. The size and duration of process fires with respect to platform scale are addressed. This introduces the question of the maximum tolerable fire size. This, in turn applies constraints to process design, inventories and layouts. It identifies process design and layout measures which can be used to minimise the scale and duration of possible fires. It shows how the fire analysis method can be used to highlight those process sections creating the greatest fire risks and those with insufficient inventory to cause significant damage or escalation. Overall it directs designers to integrate process and fire protection design so that the optimum protection strategy can be achieved.