On Friday, June 5, 2020, TIS arrived at the Spokane Terminal to repair/replace a manway gasket on an above ground storage, external floating roof. Though the manway had been previously repaired with a Belzona brand industrial composite around the edge of the flanges, over time a small leak would be observed when the external floating roof (EFR) was loaded with water/ice/snow during the winter months when draining the water off the EFR was not possible.
The first entrant walked down the EFR ladder and performed air monitoring and assessed the EFR for safety. The second entrant then entered onto the EFR. The Belzona material previously installed on the manway was removed. The bolts were loosened and removed, AFFF foam was applied into the manway nozzle to suppress vapors while performing the work. Monitoring results were 0% LEL above the manway nozzle. The manway surfaces were cleaned with brass wire brushes and inspected for corrosion; no corrosion was observed.
The facility orientation was completed, a job safety analysis (JSA) was reviewed, a low-energy hot work permit was issued, and TIS reviewed the Lock Out/Tag Out/Try Out (LTT) as well as put locks on the LTT box before work began.
TIS made a new gasket using Garlock 3000 gasket material, applied Belzona XL Metal to each of the metal manway surfaces. The gasket was installed, and new bolts were tightened. All material was removed from the tank and the entrants exited the tank. Equipment was removed from the top of the tank and TIS removed their locks from the LTT.
