Condensate Moss #3

Hi again Gary from the field. Just out in the plant and I see a hazardous condition.

A lot of people don’t think it is, but it’s where you have condensate go into the deck.  It goes across to where it hits the storm water sewer.  It causes a moss to grow.  A lot of people use swimming pool chemicals to abate the moss, but some people aren’t aware that it’s probably more slippery than ice is.

One of the cases I had was an accident when I was a maintenance manager.  The welding team came down from the scaffolding off of a scaffolding ladder.  They stepped in that moss and slipped and ended up breaking an ankle.  

So every time I see that I say to myself one, 1) why are we dumping the condensate to the deck, 2) why are we eroding the concrete where the condensate is being dumped to and 3) shouldn’t we do something about the mossy buildup?

From OSHA Standards: . . . every ramp, runway, floor and platform shall be kept reasonably free of objects and substances which may create a slipping or tripping hazard, or prevent or hinder the escape of workmen in an emergency.

The collection and return of steam condensate is a best practice in the refining industry. Boiler feed water is expensive to produce. Returning the condensate can save money.