Fire Hazards In Oxygen Systems

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About the Course

In this two-day course you'll learn to identify and evaluate hazards in oxygen systems. You'll gain an understanding of safe practices in design, materials selection, and operation of oxygen systems, as well as related ASTM standards.

How You Will Benefit

• Recognize physical principles and empirical observations on which these safe practices are based
• Collect information needed to cope with fire hazards in oxygen systems
• Identify and locate relevant test data for analyzing the ignition and damage potential of oxygen systems
• Apply the concepts by working out selected exercises in class

Related ASTM Course

Course Outline

Class begins each day at 8:00 AM and ends at 5:00 PM

Why Study Oxygen Compatibility?

• Fire Incidents in Oxygen Systems
• The Subtle Oxygen Hazard
• Problems and Solutions

Concepts of Risk and Risk Mgt.

• The Fire Triangle
• Minimize Ignition Hazards
• Maximize Best Materials
• Utilize Good Practices Ignition
• Controlling Propagation

Minimize Ignition Hazards

• Terminology (G126)
• Ignition Mechanisms
• System Design (G88)
• Oxygen Cleaning (G93)

Maximize Best Materials

• Selecting Nonmetals (G63)
• Selecting Metals (G94)

Utilize Good Practices

• ASTM Oxygen Systems: Operations and Maintenance TPT Course
• CGA G-4 and G4.4
• NFPA 53

ASTM Test Methods

• Autoignition Temperature (G72)
• Gaseous Impact (G74)
• Pressurized Mechanical Impact (G86)
• Oxygen Index (D2863)
• Promoted Combustion (G124)
• Particle Impact; Friction Ignition
• Heat of Combustion (D4809)

Example Exercises

• System Design (G88)
• Oxygen Cleaning (G93)
• Nonmetals Selection (G63)
• Metals Selection (G94)

Summary and Discussion

Review and Discussion of Attendee's Special Situations

About the Instructors

JOEL STOLZFUS has been a project manager for ignition and combustion of materials in oxygen-enriched environments at NASA's White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) since 1980. He is one of the developers of this ASTM course and has been teaching it since its inception in 1989. He has developed several tests to determine the suitability of metals in oxygen systems, including promoted combustion, frictional heating, and particle impact. He is also coeditor of related ASTM books, author of many papers on the ignition and combustion of materials, and an author in the National Fire Protection Association's Fire Protection Handbook.

GWENAEL CHIFFOLEAU is the Chief Technical Officer at WHA International, Inc. He oversees the testing activities and coordinates the Standard Testing, Custom Testing and Oxygen Cleaning Teams. Gwenael leads research and test development involving flammability and ignition studies of materials and components in oxygen and other oxidizers such as nitrous oxide. As a Senior Oxygen Safety and Forensic Engineer, Gwenael travels worldwide to conduct WHA Oxygen Hazard and Fire Risk Analyses, oxygen system and cleaning audits, fire and failure investigations, and oxygen safety training. As an active member of American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM), he currently chairs the G4.02 Recommended Practices Subcommittee.

ELLIOT FORSYTH is a Senior Oxygen Safety and Forensic Engineer at WHA International, Inc. (WHA). For more than 20 years Elliot has been consulting with industry, military, and government clients worldwide on technical aspects oxygen safety, fire risk analysis, material compatibility, system and component design, oxygen cleaning, and forensic fire analysis. He also serves as WHA's Director of Technical Training where he develops and instructs custom-tailored oxygen safety training products for nearly all industries that use oxygen. Elliot is one of the co-developers of ASTM's oxygen safety courses and has been an active leader and developer of international standards on oxygen system design and safety throughout his career. He currently serves as Chair of ASTM Committee G04 on materials compatibility in oxygen-enriched atmospheres. Elliot also served with industry members on the task group that developed the latest CGA G-4.4 standard (harmonized with EIGA 13-12), which governs industry design and materials selection for oxygen pipeline systems and equipment.

STEPHAN PERALTA, of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an engineer and the project manager for the agency's oxygen hazards analysis group at the NASA Johnson Space Center White Sands Test Facility. He has been involved in the design and development of test systems for evaluating materials and components for use in oxygen systems. His work has included developing frictional heating and shear fracture tests of materials in liquid and gaseous oxygen and developing an oxygen hazards analysis database for NASA. He has authored or co-authored over 100 oxygen hazards analyses using the data and methods presented in this course. He has also authored or co-authored several papers on the subject of oxygen compatibility.

Who Should Attend

Engineers, scientists, technicians, purchasing agents, plant managers and operators, and safety professionals involved in production or use of liquid or gaseous oxygen, or oxygen-enriched gas mixtures. Also, those who supply, design, or manufacture hardware for oxygen services.

Fee Includes

Includes all referenced documents, a certificate of completion, 1.4 Continuing Education Units (CEUs), and refreshment breaks.

Referenced ASTM Documents

Guides, Practices, and Terminology

• Manual 36: Safe Use of Oxygen and Oxygen Systems
• G63 Evaluating Nonmetallic Materials for Oxygen Service
• G8 Designing Systems for Oxygen Service
• G93 Cleaning Methods for Material & Equipment Used in Oxygen Enriched Environment
• G94 Evaluating Metals for Oxygen Service
• G126 Terminology Relating to the Compatibility and Sensitivity of Materials in Oxygen-Enriched Atmospheres.

Test Methods

• G72 Autogenous Ignition Temperature of Liquids and Solids in High-Pressure Oxygen-Enriched Environment
• G74 Ignition Sensitivity of Materials to Gaseous Fluid Impact
• G86 Ignition Sensitivity of Materials to Mechanical Impact in Pressurized Oxygen Environments
• G124 Determining the Combustion Behavior of Metallic Materials in Oxygen-Enriched Atmospheres
• D4809 Heat of Combustion of Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuels by Bomb Calorimeter (Intermediate Precision)
• D2863 Measuring the Min. Oxygen Concentration to Support Candlelike Combustion of Plastics/Oxygen Index

Compressed Gas Association Standards

• G-4 Oxygen; G-4.4 Industrial Practices for Gaseous Oxygen Transmission & Distribution Piping Systems

National Fire Protection Association Manual

• 53M Fire Hazards in Oxygen Enriched Atmospheres

About ASTM and Sponsoring Committee G04

Committee G04 on Compatibility and Sensitivity of Materials in Oxygen Enriched Atmospheres developed the standards used in this course. For more information, contact Kristy Straiton at 610-832-9640 or go to our G04 technical committee page.

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