SHUT DOWN MAINTENANCE (SDM) 2018
The planned Shut Down Maintenance (SDM) of PCS-I plants will be carried out from 12 July to 22 August 2018.
As a signatory to Responsible Care®, PCS has a long-standing commitment to the protection of people and the environment. We believe in health and safety excellence, environmental stewardship, and high ethical standards. These key elements are fundamental to the responsible operation of our business.
The following list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) is part of our proactive Responsible Care® outreach programme to answer some of the public concerns regarding our SDM.
What is SDM?
SDM stands for Shut Down Maintenance, which means that the plant is stopped for a planned period of time, so that periodic maintenance can be carried out for the plant’s equipment.
Why do you carry out SDM?
We carry out SDM for statutory inspection of critical equipment, eg. statutory vessels, safety valves, etc; modification/de-bottlenecking, cleaning and inspection.
The main SDM work scheduled is for equipment that cannot be stopped during normal operation due to process, economic and/or safety reasons.
What are the main benefits of SDM?
The main benefits of SDM are to ensure plant safety and integrity; improve plant economics, efficiency and reliability.
How often do you carry out SDM?
SDM is normally carried out once in every 5 years.
How is the SDM being carried out?
Each SDM requires more than a year of planning, discussion and co-ordination. Generally, the following steps are involved:
- The equipment to be replaced, repaired, cleaned or de-bottlenecked are identified.
- Other opportunity works that can be done concurrently with the main work may also be identified.
- Taking into account of all the work that would be carried out, the duration of the SDM is then determined and an appropriate date is set.
- An overall work schedule would be drawn up, incorporating the work scope, and indicating when the plant would be stopped and eventually started up.
- In a nutshell, SDM consists of shut down operations, maintenance works period, and followed by start up operations of the plant facilities.
During the shut down and start-up of the plants, there will be flaring which is part of our safety and environmental procedure to ensure that plant fuel gases are safely removed through burning them at the flare stack.
What is Flaring?
During the shut down and start up of petrochemical plant facilities, excess fuel gases and hydrocarbons, such as, butane, liquefied petroleum gas (similar to those gases we use for cooking in our home) or other gases are channeled to a tall, elevated stack, which is known as a Flare Stack. These gases are removed through burning them completely at the tip of the flare stack. The purpose is to safely remove excess fuel gases and hydrocarbons. The burning of fuel gases and hydrocarbons at the flare stack is both a safety and environmental procedures that gases are burned safely and completely at elevated position without causing any environmental impact.
What can we see during Flaring?
We can see a big flame from our flare stack which is especially prominent at night. Depending on the type of gases, the colour would range from blue, yellow or orange. There is nothing to be concerned as these gases are non-toxic and are burned completely at the flare stack.
Do we keep our neighbours and community informed?
Yes, under our commitment to Responsible Care®, our Community Awareness and Emergency Response (CAER) committee has set up the following action plans:
- To brief and communicate with neighbouring community, non-government organisations and government,
- To share information with interested communities about PCS CAER programme, and
- To set up a platform (web site “news”, hotline) for the interested communities to obtain information about our plant shut down.
We would like to assure you that we are taking all reasonable steps to minimise the impact and any inconveniences to our neighbours and community during this SDM.
Who should we contact in case we have any feedback or query?
Should you have any concerns or queries on this, please contact our Senior HR and Admin Officer, Mr Loh Sing Keong at DID 68672022 (email: loh.sing.keong@pcs-chem.com.sg) or call our 24-hour hotline at 68672102.
