Safety aspects of ammonium nitrate and urea

Handling and storage of ammonium nitrate-based fertiliser

Kish Shah, Consultant, UK

The presentation will describe the main types of AN-based fertiliser and their potential hazardous properties. Safe methods of storage will be summarised. Handling and transport operations will be described with the relevant safe procedures. An overview of major accidents which involved these products will be given.

The Lessons Learned from 150 Safety Incidents in Urea Plants

Mark Brouwer, UreaKnowHow.com, Netherlands

In 2017, AmmoniaKnowHow.com and UreaKnowHow.com introduced global open source risk registers for ammonia and urea plants. On January 1, 2023, the Risk Register Safety Incidents in Urea Plants contained 150 safety incidents. This presentation provides the detailed analysis of these incidents: In which plant sections and during which project phase do these incidents occur, which incidents occur most frequently, and which hazards have the highest risk factor.

The presentation elaborates the most critical safety hazards and recommends its prevention and mitigation measures. A surprising conclusion is that most safety hazards may lead to a sudden release of toxic ammonia. The paper provides suggestions on how to safely behave in a urea plant, and how to identify a maximum number of safety hazards.