Germany is the EU’s leader when it comes to developing anaerobic digestion (AD), and this has meant a whole new set of safety standards for farmers entering this industry. Delivering a recent training course in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, Michael Köttner of the German bioenergy association IBBK told stories of biogas pioneers suffering serious burns from gas blasts or having to hire specialised divers at enormous cost to perform dangerous repairs inside digesters.
Aside from the fire risk, ADs can also release the lethal slurry gas hydrogen sulphide and are associated with electricals, agitators, choppers and mixers. In fact, 86% of accidents reported on German biogas plants are of a mechanical nature, such as cut or crush injuries. “You will need staff procedures such as how to open and check the digester, do an oil change on agitators etc,” said Michael.
To avoid accidents the German biogas association published guidelines, also available in English (see www.biogas-safety.com).
They are based on the standard approach already applicable to Irish farms: assess hazards, then put in place measures to minimise the risk. The guidelines also warn that AD start-up, shut-down and maintenance procedures are associated with most accidents, and should have more detailed plans to be followed carefully.
Anaerobic digester on a pig farm in the Netherlands. \ Thomas Hubert
For example, “during start-up of the plant an explosive gas mixture is temporarily present because of the increase in the proportion of methane in the biogas relative to air,” according to the guidelines.
During maintenance operations, the measures recommended in the guidelines include:
Establishing and marking or cordoning-off areas where a risk of fire, explosion or health hazards is to be expected.Shutting down electrical and other non-explosive protected systems.Selection of explosion-proof equipment and tools.Flushing of gas and adequate ventilation.German experts also recommend drawing up an explosion protection document with three strands of action:
Primary: to prevent the formation of explosive atmospheres, for example through ventilation.Secondary: to prevent ignition, for example through the division of the plant into colour-coded zones according to the presence of explosive gases.Tertiary: to reduce the consequences of an explosion with pressure-resistant devices and personal protective equipment, such as appropriate clothing.Fire protection
The guidelines say that biogas plants should be designed with fire protection in mind, with separate buildings for various pieces of equipment at safety distances. They recommend that any storage of combustible material over 200kg should trigger additional fire protection measures, and working procedures from parking to the use of naked flames should be regulated. All this work should be co-ordinated with local firefighters: “Close coordination with the leaders of the local fire brigade units is essential, in advance of tactical deployment of the fire brigade, in the event of fire or for other forms of technical assistance.”
Documentation
The team operating a biogas plant needs clear instructions on safety responsibilities as well as who is on call in case of an emergency, with regular briefings and training also required. This should cover the use of protective clothing and other personal equipment, as well as hygiene measures to avoid microbiological contamination. Detailed documentation of procedures, safety records, emergency plans, training, etc, must be kept available at all times. “The plant operator is responsible for proper documentation, for example ensuring that the documentation is complete, up-to-date, of the appropriate quality and in conformance with the respective legal provisions in the country concerned,” German experts wrote.
Challenge and opportunity
While Irish farmers are already subject to health and safety regulations, the high number of accidents in agriculture illustrates the sector’s poor record in this area, especially when the farmer works alone and does not carry the responsibility of other staffs’ well-being.
The combination of serious hazards and need for employed labour on biogas plants will raise a safety challenge for farmers willing to enter this industry – but it will also constitute an opportunity for them to improve standards and reduce the risk of accident across their entire farm business.
Read more
'Just one breath can kill' – farmers urged to take care when mixing slurry
Step by step: developing a biogas project
Germany is the EU’s leader when it comes to developing anaerobic digestion (AD), and this has meant a whole new set of safety standards for farmers entering this industry. Delivering a recent training course in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, Michael Köttner of the German bioenergy association IBBK told stories of biogas pioneers suffering serious burns from gas blasts or having to hire specialised divers at enormous cost to perform dangerous repairs inside digesters.
Aside from the fire risk, ADs can also release the lethal slurry gas hydrogen sulphide and are associated with electricals, agitators, choppers and mixers. In fact, 86% of accidents reported on German biogas plants are of a mechanical nature, such as cut or crush injuries. “You will need staff procedures such as how to open and check the digester, do an oil change on agitators etc,” said Michael.
To avoid accidents the German biogas association published guidelines, also available in English (see www.biogas-safety.com).
They are based on the standard approach already applicable to Irish farms: assess hazards, then put in place measures to minimise the risk. The guidelines also warn that AD start-up, shut-down and maintenance procedures are associated with most accidents, and should have more detailed plans to be followed carefully.
Anaerobic digester on a pig farm in the Netherlands. \ Thomas Hubert
For example, “during start-up of the plant an explosive gas mixture is temporarily present because of the increase in the proportion of methane in the biogas relative to air,” according to the guidelines.
During maintenance operations, the measures recommended in the guidelines include:
Establishing and marking or cordoning-off areas where a risk of fire, explosion or health hazards is to be expected.Shutting down electrical and other non-explosive protected systems.Selection of explosion-proof equipment and tools.Flushing of gas and adequate ventilation.German experts also recommend drawing up an explosion protection document with three strands of action:
Primary: to prevent the formation of explosive atmospheres, for example through ventilation.Secondary: to prevent ignition, for example through the division of the plant into colour-coded zones according to the presence of explosive gases.Tertiary: to reduce the consequences of an explosion with pressure-resistant devices and personal protective equipment, such as appropriate clothing.Fire protection
The guidelines say that biogas plants should be designed with fire protection in mind, with separate buildings for various pieces of equipment at safety distances. They recommend that any storage of combustible material over 200kg should trigger additional fire protection measures, and working procedures from parking to the use of naked flames should be regulated. All this work should be co-ordinated with local firefighters: “Close coordination with the leaders of the local fire brigade units is essential, in advance of tactical deployment of the fire brigade, in the event of fire or for other forms of technical assistance.”
Documentation
The team operating a biogas plant needs clear instructions on safety responsibilities as well as who is on call in case of an emergency, with regular briefings and training also required. This should cover the use of protective clothing and other personal equipment, as well as hygiene measures to avoid microbiological contamination. Detailed documentation of procedures, safety records, emergency plans, training, etc, must be kept available at all times. “The plant operator is responsible for proper documentation, for example ensuring that the documentation is complete, up-to-date, of the appropriate quality and in conformance with the respective legal provisions in the country concerned,” German experts wrote.
Challenge and opportunity
While Irish farmers are already subject to health and safety regulations, the high number of accidents in agriculture illustrates the sector’s poor record in this area, especially when the farmer works alone and does not carry the responsibility of other staffs’ well-being.
The combination of serious hazards and need for employed labour on biogas plants will raise a safety challenge for farmers willing to enter this industry – but it will also constitute an opportunity for them to improve standards and reduce the risk of accident across their entire farm business.
Read more
'Just one breath can kill' – farmers urged to take care when mixing slurry
Step by step: developing a biogas project
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