Earlier this week, we highlighted an updated thermowell installation standard. Today let’s talk about the 4th version of API 2350 Overfill Protection standard. This standard applies to petroleum storage tanks associated with marketing, refining, pipeline, terminals and similar facilities containing Class I or Class II petroleum liquids. API 2350 also recommends including Class III liquids.
Emerson’s Rosemount Tank Gauging team has a new web site, Understanding API 2350—5 Easy Steps. This site includes a great 3-minute overview video describing the 5 steps:
The five steps include an overall management system (overfill prevention process-OPP), risk assessment system, operating parameters (levels of concern-LOCs and alarms, categories, response time, attendance), procedures, and equipment systems. The first two elements are major additions that were absent in previous editions of the API 230 standard.
A whitepaper, The Complete Guide to API 2350, describes these steps in more detail and how to advance through the process of eliminating non-acceptable risk. For those with questions about this standard and the global process safety standard IEC 61511, the whitepaper authors note:
For new facilities, the use of IEC 61511 is required. Any required minimum Safety Integrity Level (SIL) has however not been specified, although there were members in the committee advocating this to be done. It is likely that future revisions of this standard will come with a requirement for minimum SIL2, and it is therefore wise to use this as a guidance when designing new AOPS.
The API 2350 website also has a short, self-assessment questionnaire to see where you stand on the path to API 2350 compliance.
And, as we highlighted in an earlier post, Radar Level Gauges in Tank Overfill Prevention Safety Applications, the site highlights how the Rosemount Raptor tank gauging system can be part of the overfill prevention technology to mitigate risk from the risk assessment phase of the process and be an integral part of your terminal management strategy.
