Fired equipment safety in the oil & gas industry A review of changes in practices over the last 50 years

In the last 25 years, the drive for safer operation with higher energy efficiency, lower NOx emissions and fewer nuisance trips has led operating companies to adapt their approach to fired equipment safety. The modern approach to fired equipment safety is to distribute the risk across independent protection layers. These safety barriers rely on a comprehensive control system with constraints and a safety instrumented system, but also on operational excellence with well-trained operators, good operating procedures and reliability-centered maintenance and risk-based inspection. As an important benefit, constraint controls with automated fuel cutbacks have proven effective at minimizing nuisance trips by keeping the heater within operational limits.