Unsafe boilers: 

Unsafe boilers: 

Context:

• The recent boiler explosion at NTPC’s Unchahar power plant in Rae Bareli brings up the importance of inspections and protocols for hazardous industrial operations.
• It has cost at least 32 lives and caused severe injuries to many of the personnel.

Explanation:

• High pressure boilers are hazardous pieces of equipment, which are strictly regulated with special laws.
• The Uttar Pradesh government failed miserably in meeting its objective of the Indian Broilers Act for the accident was entirely preventable.
• Because boilers are designed to provide warnings as soon as dangerous pressure builds up and trigger automatic safety devices at a critical point.

What is boiler?

• A boiler is simply an enclosed vessel which boils water and ultimately turns it into steam which is used for heating of rooms and heavy fuel oils on the ships.
• The boilers are fitted with different safeties as the steam pressure is upto 8 bars in most cases.
• Boiler are of two types:
• STB (Smoke tube Boiler) or donkey boiler
• WTB (Water tube Boiler) or High pressure boiler
• On board a vessel, STB or WTB may be used as per the requirement.

What are its usage?

• WTB: vessel that are steam driven (steam turbine) or Tanker fitted with IGG (inert gas generator)
• STB: these are fitted on vessel with Internal Combustion Engine,and maybe used for COPT(Cargo Oil Pump Turbine)

Use of Boiler on board a vessel:

• For heating purpose, Fuel oil, Lube Oil, Water, etc.
• Maintain minimum positive pressure of Inert Gas in Tankers tanks.
• For propulsion, in case of steam ship, like Titanic.
• Production Of electricity by turbo alternator.

The Indian Boilers Act-1923:

• The Indian Boilers Act-1923 was enacted with the objective to provide mainly for the safety of life and Property of persons from the danger of explosions of steam boilers and for achieving uniformity in registration and inspection during operation and maintenance of boilers in India.

Salient features:

• Every boiler owner is required to make an application to the Chief Inspector of Boilers for the inspection of the boiler along with the treasury challan of the requisite fees as per requirements of Indian Boilers Act-1923.
• Under Indian Boilers Act-1923 Indian Boilers Regulation-1950 has been framed. This Regulation deals with the materials, procedure & inspection techniques to be adopted for the manufacture of boilers & boiler mountings & fittings.
• The boiler is inspected by the Inspectorate as per the procedure laid under IBR -1950 and if found satisfactory, a Certificate is issued for operation for a maximum period of 12 months.
• The boilers which are not found satisfactory during the inspection are repaired as per the procedure laid under Indian Boilers Regulation-1950 & are re-inspected as explained above.
• The Boilers which are transferred to NCT of Delhi are also inspected in the similar fashion after their records are obtained from the parent state.
• The Boilers are also casually visited by the Inspectorate from time to time to check the validity of their certificates, safe and efficient operation.

What is the way ahead?

• The boilers should undergo periodic inspections to ensure that all its features are working and intact.
• Periodic inquiry into the quality of the equipment and the fuel is also to be made.
• A rigorous approach to accident reporting must be taken into consideration.
• Inefficiency and corruption and the typical response of governments has been to relax crucial safety checks which needs to be prevented.
• It is also important to have a transparent regulatory mechanism for hazardous industrial activity.