Materials Today: Proceedings 46 (2021) 8548–8553

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A case study on hazard identification and risk assessment in sewage

treatment plant
M. Ramaganesh a, T. Raj Pradeesh a,⇑, S. Naresh b, P. Venkumar a, R. Manikandan a
a
Department of Mechanical Engineering, India
b
Industrial Safety Engineering, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, Krishnan Koil, 626126, India

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: Today in India, modern technology or many chemical companies need different chemicals as a raw mate-
Received 27 December 2020 rial or as a finished product according to customer requirement. However, at first, most chemical industry
Received in revised form 16 March 2021 problems are the introduction of own hazards during the production of respective chemicals. The Main
Accepted 19 March 2021
aim of the work to mitigate the Environmental Hazards encountered in the Sewage treatment plant
Available online 8 May 2021
applying the Fault tree analysis methods minimize the chances of risk involved in the Treatment plants.
This work was done in a company located in Mumbai, India. The considered company is administrated by
Keywords:
Government, and it produces many chemicals for various purposes. At second, the problem of sewage
Hazards
Sewage water
water is high in all over Mumbai. The Risk assessment is carried out in sewage treatment plant by cate-
Sewage treatment plant gorize the factors influenced on each work activity and adopting the Fault tree analysis methodology to
Reverse osmosis reduce the hazards and risks Industry has its sewage treatment plant. The prime issue is that the sewage
treatment plant is a failure in reverse osmosis and releases liquid chlorine in the field area. This study
aims to find out what are the root causes of above two failure parameter.
Ó 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 3rd International Con-
ference on Materials, Manufacturing and Modelling.

1. Introduction ers contact with a biological agent that will continuously affect the
health of workers (Fig. 1).
This Industry will be an all-around regarded elite corporate
with reformist development in centre and non-centre territory
accomplishing best expectations in productivity, benefit, climate 2. Literature review
security and corporate social obligation through operational great-
ness and moral business culture, and it will endeavour to give An Accidental release of chlorine from a baby cylinder, 60 kg
world-class services to its client and ceaselessly improve share capacity occurred in a congested locality of Kolkata in one winter
esteem. This Industry was established on 6th of March 1978 on night from a small factory. The chlorine gas dispersed over the
the reorganization of recent fertilizer organization of India Ltd as adjacent region coming about in passing of 4 people and harm to
a result of reorganizing public sector fertilizer industries into five 87 people. A research has used different technique to identify the
industries via Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited, Hindustan failure rate of chlorine. Further, it concludes that the occurrence
Fertilizer Corporation Limited now Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer of chlorine spillage from an infant barrel and the off-site results
Corporation Ltd. Rashtriya chemical fertilizer contains different are portrayed. The investigation of the occurrence has been carried
chemicals manufacturing units starting from the ammonia 1 to out concerning human mistakes and causes due to specialized defi-
the sewage treatment plant, in between these plants various other ciencies the purification of the contaminated water throw a solu-
plants are working. Manufacturing unit has its hazards, for exam- tion of reverse osmosis the best way to obtain clean water for
ple, spillage, fall from height, contact with strong acids/base work- human need in developing countries. Roughly 25% of the world’s
population has no access to clean and secure drinking water.
Indeed in spite of the fact that freshwater is accessible in most
⇑ Corresponding author. parts of the world, numerous of these water sources are polluted
E-mail address: [Link]@[Link] (T. Raj Pradeesh). by common means or through human movements. In expansion

[Link]
2214-7853/Ó 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 3rd International Conference on Materials, Manufacturing and Modelling.
M. Ramaganesh, T. Raj Pradeesh, S. Naresh et al. Materials Today: Proceedings 46 (2021) 8548–8553

are prepared by the factory during emergency. Within the current

mechanical situation, there is a genuine requirement for formulat-
ing procedures to handle dangerous substances within the most
secure way. Make, capacity, and utilize of dangerous substances
pose a genuine hazard to industry, individuals, and the environ-
ment. Coincidental discharge of poisonous chemicals can lead to
crises. A crisis reaction arrange is unavoidable to play down the
unfavourable impacts of such discharges. The on-site single crisis
represents the emergency planning is an indispensably component
of any prepare security and chance administration framework [5]
(Fig. 2).

3. Problem identification

Regularly, sewage treatment includes three stages, called pri-

mary, secondary and tertiary treatment. To begin with, the solids
Fig 1. Methodology flow charts. are isolated from the wastewater stream. Koppiahraj et al. [6] iden-
tified the suitable Ergonomics Risk assessment methods using the
Fuzzy VIKOR Methodology to minimize the exposure faced by the
industrial workers. Sivaprakasam Rajakarunakaran et al. [7] evalu-
to human utilization, businesses require clean water for item ated the risk using the Fuzzy Expert analysis in the LPG Refuelling
improvement and apparatus operation. Clean water may be a life Stations. Koppiahraj Karuppiah et al., 2020 [8] identify the Ergo-
constrain of our lifestyle. The Reverse Osmosis (RO) strategy is nomic Evaluation factors present in the workplace in Leather Gar-
advanced to address the issue of the issues made by society and ment Productions. R.K.A. Bhalaji et al., 2018 [9] analyze the
industry. Water decontamination frameworks are accessible in environmental health and risk factors in health care industries
sizes from little units for the domestic to bigger commercial- using the Fuzzy Decision Making approaches. Pandian Pitchipoo
scale units that supply consumable water to houses, towns, clinics et al. 2012 [10] applied the Decision Fuzzy Methodology for the
and industries. Reverse Osmosis could be a great alternative for supplier evaluation model for the surrounding environments. At
numerous of these circumstances. Be that as it may, in making that point, broken up organic matter is dynamically changed over
these benefits, the RO strategy can make issues that ought to be into a strong mass by utilizing inborn and water-borne microbes.
faced. [2]. The different process used for the purification of the At last, the organic solids are arranged of or re-used at that point,
wastewater after studying all the previous study methods suggests and the treated water may be cleaned chemically or physically (for
reverse osmosis is the best one. It is well known that wastewater illustration by tidal ponds and micro-filtration). The ultimate ema-
treatment ventures worldwide have gotten to be one of the fore- nating can be released into a stream, waterway, cove, tidal pond or
most critical, crucial ventures and connected to civilization. Since wetland, or it can be utilized for the water system. In case, it is ade-
consumable water and water system for agriculture, water consid- quately clean, and it can moreover be utilized for groundwater
ered really small assets within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia desert revive (Fig. 3).
regions, so it is essential to pay more consideration to these pro-
jects, which as of now happened, where billions of Saudi Riyals
have been contributed within the sewage and mechanical water
treatment ventures. The employer’s hazard evaluation and man-
agement will decide, in the expansive portion which standards
and strategy should be utilized within the working environment
to supply secure and energizing working conditions. In this man-
ner, it will be officeholder for the manager, and/or all people
included within the danger evaluation to know which measures
will apply to any given circumstance [3].What is important of liq-
uid/gases chlorine in a water treatment plant and what are safety
precautions followed by workers and what problems associate
with Chemical crises emerging from dangerous chemicals are not
exceptional in India. Being at the centre of mechanical frameworks,
Perilous Chemical has picked up an awfully genuine concern for
crisis administration in community. The components, which are
at most noteworthy dangers due to perilous chemical mishaps
basically incorporate the mechanical plant, its representatives
and labourers, dangerous chemicals vehicles, industry, its tenants
and encompassing community at the end of his result the research
says that to mitigate the emergency arise from the hazardous
chemical like chlorine, it is essential to improve the safety systems
we are following in industry [4]. Accidental release of chlorine
from storage facility of water treatment plant and emergency plan
Fig 2. Chlorine storage system model.

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M. Ramaganesh, T. Raj Pradeesh, S. Naresh et al. Materials Today: Proceedings 46 (2021) 8548–8553

Fig 3. Thermal evaporator and compressor system.

 Energy Hazards: Enclosure leakage, Earth leakage current, typical pH level depending on CO2 levels within the bolster water
Patient leakage current, Ionizing radiation Non-ionizing radia- as the CO2 is changed over to carbonic corrosive. Efficiency or
tion, High temperature, Low temperature, Falling from height reverse osmosis is different for the different chemical as shown
Suspended masses, Vibration Stored energy, Moving parts, Tor- in the following table (Table 1) (Fig. 5)
sion Force Moving and positioning pilots.
 Biological Hazards: Bacteria Viruses and Other agents 4. Chlorine storage
 Chemical Hazards: Acids and alkali Residues Contaminants
Additives Cleaning and testing agent Degradation product Med- The significant items of the chloralkali industry are chlorine,
ical gasses Anapestic hydrogen, and sodium hydroxide (caustic) arrangement. Of these,
 Function: Incorrect or inappropriate Output, Incorrect measure- the essential item is chlorine. Chlorine is melted and put away in
ment and Incorrect data transfer a level cylindrical tank of capacity 50 T. The capacity tank is given
 User Error: Attention failure, Memory failure, Rule-based failure with twin relief vent security system, rupture plate, level indicator,
Knowledge-based failure and Routine violation pressure gauge, security valve inlet and outlet connections. Partial
 Labeling: Incomplete instruction for use any equipment, Incor- pressure of 3 kg/cm2 and temperatures of 10C are kept up
rect information about performance and Incorrect specification within the capacity tank the breadth and length of the flat round,
about job and hollow dished conclusion tanks are 250 mm and 8830 mm,
individually. The chlorine storage facility is given with indoor ton-
Reverse Osmosis is able of expelling up to 99%+ of the broken ner stacking office and open-air truck holder stacking office. The
down salts (particles), particles, colloids, organics, microbes and compressed dry discusses at 10 kg/cm2 that is utilized for exchang-
pyroxenes from the bolster water (in spite of the fact that an RO ing the fluid chlorine from capacity office to truck holder or to ton-
framework ought not to be depended upon to evacuate 100% of ner filling office. The chlorine truck holder is stopped in the open-
microscopic organisms and infections). An RO layer rejects con- air stacking range and is given with the associations for filling and
taminants based on their estimate and charge. A appropriately run- purging (Table 2).
ning RO framework likely rejects any contaminant that Before finding out what is an essential parameter to release the
incorporates a atomic weight more noteworthy than 200. More- chlorine from the workplace, first, it should know the basic proper-
over, the more prominent the ionic charge of the contaminant, ties of liquid chlorine starting from atomic weight to end with crit-
the more likely it will be incapable to pass through the RO film. ical temperature and critical pressure.
For example, a sodium particle has one charge (monovalent) and Chlorine store under a temperature 10°C and pressure of 3 kg/
isn’t rejected by the RO membrane and calcium for illustration, m3, the physical and chemical properties of liquid chlorine are as
which has two charges (Fig. 4). follows (Table 3).
Moreover, this can be why an RO framework does not expel
gasses such as CO2 exceptionally well since they are not exceed-
ingly ionized (charged) whereas in the arrangement and have a 5. Methodology
really more atomic weight. Since an RO framework does not expel
gasses, the penetrating water can have a somewhat lower than Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) may be a beat down, deductive failure
analysis in which an undesired state of a framework is analysed
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M. Ramaganesh, T. Raj Pradeesh, S. Naresh et al. Materials Today: Proceedings 46 (2021) 8548–8553

Fig 4. Block diagram and flow process of ETP hazard identifications.

Table 1 to be solved. It is frequently productive to characterize a few

Properties of Various potential beat occasions when choosing the suitable one or ones
Chemicals used in
Industry.
based on interview with the choice marker and others included.
Finally, the result should be documented. Cut sets are the fail-
Sodium 94% ure event, which leads to a top event.
Sulphate 94%
Calcium 97%
Minimal cut sets are the list of minimal necessary and sufficient
Potassium 93% conditions for the top event occurrence. The primary factor found
Nitrate 90% is due human error or technology failure. Based upon the type of
Iron 95% failure in the minimal cut set, person or may improve the process
Zinc 95%
basic event [Link].[Link] as well as [Link].[Link]
Mercury 94%
Lead 93% responsible for failure in reverse osmosis.
Arsenic 95%
Magnesium 96% 6. Implementation
Nickel 95%

6.1. Chlorine leak detection

utilizing Boolean rationale to combine an arrangement of lower- Spills in Chlorine Tonner are the spills around Valves and take-
level events. This investigation strategy is utilized within the field off Adaptable Copper Tube Connectors, Passing, Shearing/Break-
of security designing and Reliability Engineering to decide the like- down of Valves and cut on the divider of the Tonner. The common
lihood of a security mischance or a specific framework level (func- spills at Valves or Copper Tubing can be met with standard Crisis
tion) failure. In Aviation, the more common term ‘‘System Failure Units, but the others will be grave and may abruptly and expect-
Condition” is utilized for the ‘‘undesired state”/Top event of the edly happen. It can be broad and heavy If the spill is wild, the
fault tree. The seriousness of their impacts classifies these condi- FRP Gas Hood is set over the Tonner physically to cover the cracked
tions. The initial extreme conditions require the initial broad blame Tonner completely. The outlet spout of the Hood is associated with
tree examination. These ‘‘System Failure Conditions” and their Blower suction by an adaptable PVC hose and/or PVC/FRP chan-
classification are regularly already decided within the Function nelling or ducting. The Hood avoids the defective chlorine gas to
Hazard examination. spread into the environment. Hood/hoods are set close to the chlo-
The top event of fault tree routes all of the rest of examination. rine tonner, which is in operation the retentive pump suction
In the event that the top event is inaccurately characterized at that blowers fan is to begin. The blower sucks the spilt chlorine gas
point, FTA will be inaccurate, which can result in wrong choices coordinate to the retention tower. The chlorine meets with the
being made. There have been a shocking number of cases where assimilation arrangement like sodium hydro-oxide the chlorine
the top event of fault tree has been characterized inaccurately gas ingested by absorber at the top, the air comes out with less
since the examiner thought it was the proper definition but did extent of chlorine. The chlorine went with the chemical response.
not check with the choice creator or connect the definition with The beginning of permeable pump blower can be done from the
the objective of the program. Usually, it is greatly critical to char- flag get from chlorine discharged sensors. The first way to carry
acterize and get it the objective of investigation and the program out the neutralization is with the assistance of the sodium hydrox-
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M. Ramaganesh, T. Raj Pradeesh, S. Naresh et al. Materials Today: Proceedings 46 (2021) 8548–8553

Fig 5. Final HIRA and ETP identification process flow.

Table 2 There is a total 5 number of two-way reverse osmosis working in

Properties of chlorine storage. sewage treatment plant after that total flow of water passed to
Properties Value 6th one-way reverse osmosis plant he can only give 45% permeate
Atomic weight 35.5
water remaining reject water will send to effluent treatment plant
Molecular weight 70.905 for further purification. Instead of sending that water to ETP, if we
Boiling point 34.4 °C use a thermal evaporator it will convert the amount of water pre-
Melting point 100.98 °C sent in waste stream into vapour form. Furthermore, we will
Viscosity 0.346 maps
directly separate the waste material after that, we again transfer
Colour Yellow-green
Critical temperature 144 °C that vapour water into liquid water by providing any of cooling
action. The flow chart of the above process is as follow,
The remaining water from the reverse osmosis the last unit is
ide arrangement Retention Framework utilizes water arrange- directly sent to the effluent treatment plant for sewage treatment
ments of sodium hydroxide as Retentive for chlorine cleaning plant. Instead of sending reject water to the effluent treatment
and neutralization. This permeable will conclude up with sodium plant, if we install a thermal evaporator system than we recovered
chloride and Sodium hypochlorite as takes after Retention Frame- a maximum amount of water and increase the per day production.
work utilizes water arrangements of sodium hydroxide and
sodium thiosulphate as Retentive for chlorine scouring and neu- 6.3. Emergency response plan for liquid chlorine
tralization. This permeable will conclude with as it is sodium sul-
phate and sodium chloride as follows, The significant component of crisis readiness may be a formal
From over execution, it is cleared that by utilizing retention composed crisis arrangement. Created on the premise of recog-
framework, we recouped 77–80% spill chlorine from tonner and nized plausible mischances and their results, the key thought of
discuss containing 1PPM concurring to production line act 1948. the arrange is assurance of the individuals, property, and the envi-
ronment from harm amid a crisis circumstance. It moreover cen-
6.2. Thermal evaporator and compressor tres on a range of time-sensitive assignments that have to
attempted, including endeavours at all levels, minimizing the
It is wide- technologies to separate the small portion of water impacts of the occurrence on individual property and environment.
from rejected water after completing reverse osmosis operation Crisis arranging is sought after on-site and off-site. An off-site
two-way reverse osmosis only give 77–78% of permeate water. crisis arrange includes a part of outside factors and is exceptionally

Table 3
FTA results for chlorine storages.

12 18 19 5 7 13 10 16
11 17 19 4 6 14 9 15

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M. Ramaganesh, T. Raj Pradeesh, S. Naresh et al. Materials Today: Proceedings 46 (2021) 8548–8553

troublesome to organize. Subsequently, On-site crisis arranging is preparing in crisis readiness, instruction and security preparing
considered for this work. In case, an occurrence takes interior a of the workers, survey of past mishaps, result evaluation reports,
manufacturing plant and its impacts are kept to inside the manu- and standard interaction between different divisions. The crisis
facturing plant premises, including the people working within arranges, and method must be occasionally checked on and over-
the production line and the properties interior the production line, hauled based on the perceptions made amid full-scale mock drills.
it is called an on-site crisis. The on-site crisis arrange has to contain Another important part in Rashtriya Chemical Fertilizer manage-
a scale arrange of the plant alongside the list of unsafe chemicals ment will plan to reduce the level of waste water that can be send-
taken care of, demonstrating the amounts included and their areas ing from sewage treatment plant to effluent treatment plant by
relative to the encompassing range and population. using mechanical vapour compression/thermal evaporator to
recover the maximum amount of water as a by-product.
7. Results and discussions
CRediT authorship contribution statement
From the above work, it is clear that the first and major occur-
ring problem in the sewage treatment plant is a failure in reverse M. Ramaganesh: Writing - original draft. T. Raj Pradeesh: Val-
osmosis and release of liquid during the production of pure water idation. S. Naresh: . P. Venkumar: Supervision. R. Manikandan: .
from sewage. Failure of RO is due to either technical failure of
human error. Human error in the scene operator or worker not Declaration of Competing Interest
knowing reverse osmosis is different problem associate with
reverse osmosis. The authors declare that they have no known competing finan-
The second is the release of chlorine. Generally, chlorine is used cial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared
for bacteria micro-organism to stop the flow of large suspended to influence the work reported in this paper.
organic or some other kind of particle before the water enters to
reverse osmosis plant. The leak of chlorine is four factors starting References
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zones of crisis readiness are great communication framework,

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