Services - CNG Safety Consulting
CFS can provide safety assessment, investigations, management plans, audits and training in the following areas:
- Safety assessment of CNG vehicles and CNG facilities for protection against gas release, fire and explosion.
- Investigation of CNG vehicle and refuelling station safety incidents (equipment failure and breakage, injuries, property damage, gas leakage, fire and explosion) and remedial measures.
- Safety Management Plans (SMP) for CNG refuelling stations, CNG vehicle workshops and CNG vehicle fleets.
- Safety audits of CNG vehicle fleet operation, workshops, parking areas, parking buildings and refuelling stations.
- Safety of indoor and underground CNG bus passenger terminals.
- Safety audit program formulation and auditor training.
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Safety assessment of CNG vehicles and CNG facilities for protection against gas release, fire and explosion.
CNG vehicles and their associated facilities may be approved in accordance with existing standards or regulations. However, the approval requirements may still not provide adequate safety in many operating scenarios, as has been demonstrated by a number of safety incidents. For example, an issue which is still not totally solved by CNG vehicle standards is the selection and configuration of safety components to prevent excessive fire damage and cylinder failure in the event of a vehicle fire.
Using knowledge gained from decades of world CNG safety incidents, CFS can assess a CNG vehicle design to improve protection against gas release, fire and explosion through the use of safe components, safe installation design, construction and operation.
Adequate safety will prevent human injuries and asset losses, enabling the business to continue without costly interruptions. Examples of CNG vehicle installation and operations are the correct installation of on-board CNG systems to prevent cylinder failures in a fire; and the early, safe fighting of a vehicle fire to prevent it from causing a greater risk by spreading to the CNG cylinder system. An investigation of one such incident can be found in this magazine article (in German).
CFS can provide assessment of the safety of:
- CNG vehicle installation,
- CNG refuelling stations,
- CNG trailers used in mother-daughter refuelling systems,
- CNG vehicle workshops and parking facilities,
against risks of gas release, fire and explosion, and recommend remedial measures where needed.
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Investigation of CNG safety incidents
CFS can undertake investigation into a range of CNG safety incidents involving major gas release, fire and explosion occurring on CNG vehicles and CNG facilities.
CFS's work is based on experience in Australian investigations of the fire and destruction of CNG vehicles, as well as the knowledge gained from the international NGV industry's databases of CNG safety incidents over the last 25 years. This familiarity with NGV safety issues is essential to rapid and successful investigation, which in turns minimises the cost of investigation and the risk of similar incidents occurring.
CNG safety incident investigations have not been successful when suitable investigators were not involved. There are no "freak" CNG incidents, and they need not occur if the correct expertise and experience are deployed. The essential approach to successfully investigating CNG system safety incident is summarised in "Learning and benefiting from NGV safety incidents", NGV Global, 24 July 2008.
CFS can also provide follow-up recommendations on installation and operating procedures to prevent the recurrence of the safety issue.
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Safety Management Plans (SMP)
CFS's Safety Management Plans (SMP) include the necessary organisational and generic as well as CNG-specific procedural aspects to ensure CNG vehicles and facilities are operated safely.
A CNG vehicle fleet may include CNG vehicles, CNG refuelling station(s) and CNG vehicle servicing/maintenance workshops and parking facilities. The fleet's complete SMP should cover the vehicles and associated facilities, not just the refuelling facility in isolation, as has been the case with many CNG vehicle fleets to date.
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Safety audits
An operating CNG vehicle fleet and associated facilities should be given periodic safety audits to confirm that the installations and operating procedures remain code compliant and safe.
Although CNG refuelling station audits can be based on some existing CNG refuelling station standards, other CNG facilities have not been the subject of safety audits due to a general lack of standards - for example, for CNG vehicle workshops and parking facilities.
This service can be provided by CFS utilising the requirements of the Australian standard for CNG vehicle workshops, as well as CFS's additional CNG safety knowledge.
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Safety of indoor and underground CNG bus passenger terminals
Indoor and underground public transport passenger terminals generally have stringent requirements for safety system and equipment and emergency response programs and procedures. When CNG buses are introduced to these public facilities, the special safety needs of CNG will need to be incorporated into the facility, both in terms of the physical provisions and operating procedures.
CFS has undertaken an audit of one such major facility in Australia and provided recommendations on facility fire protection and operating and emergency procedures for both site staff and the external emergency services.
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Safety audit program formulation and auditor training
For each fleet or facility CFS will tailor the audit program to ensure that it is optimal and specific.
If required, CFS's first audit can be designed to simultaneously give hands-on training to the client's own in-house safety auditors, who can then conduct subsequent audits.
