Oxygen safety in focus at Texas A&M at Qatar’s workshop
Published Oct 16, 2022
Texas A&M University at Qatar, a Qatar Foundation partner University recently held an Oxygen Safety Workshop, to explore how safety of critical assets can be enhanced in industry, while working with enriched oxygen. The workshop was a collaborative effort between Texas A&M at Qatar, industry partners – Qatar Shell and Qatar German Gasket Factory and oxygen safety experts WHA International Inc. and was organized as a part of a project funded by Qatar National Research Fund.
Over 30 representatives from academia and process industries participated in the event. Discussions focused on the lack of a standard training program for those who work with oxygen, and how it can cause incidents such as ignition and combustion, if it is not handled with due care. One of the goals of the workshop is to promote culture of knowledge sharing to reduce fire hazards in oxygen systems through proper materials selection, system design, and maintenance practices.
The participants also highlighted the need to enhance ASTM standards, review training programs, and build operator guidelines and manuals for those working directly with oxygen systems, and the need for a set of standards for the Middle East.
Dr. Vasanth Shunmugasamy, who was part of the organizing team, said, “Qatar hosts some of the largest GTL plants and utilizes oxygen in both gaseous and liquid state obtained from Air Separation Unit (ASU) to produce clean burning fuels. Safe and hazard-free operation of the ASU, functioning under such extreme conditions, i.e., high pressures and cryogenic to high temperatures are therefore of strategic importance for the State of Qatar.”
“We, at Texas A&M at Qatar are committed to supporting Qatar’s industry by sharing knowledge and expertise to enhance safety – of people, processes and material, thus improving productivity and efficiency within the industry.”