EHS pulp & paper indutry

1. Environment Health and Safety
Management In Pulp & Paper Industry
Dr. I. D. Mall
Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering

2. "Nothing we do is worth an accident."
Dedicated to all victims of Environmental and safety
disaster

3. IInnttrroodduuccttiioonn
Paper production plays an important role in the
social cultural and industrial development of a
country .
Today, the paper industry accounts for
about 2.5% of world’s production and
2% of world trade.
Global demand for paper and board is
forecast to grow from current level
of 353 million tonnes to over 410
million tonnes by the year 2010 at an
average growth rate of 2.2% per
annum.

4. • Pulp and industry utilizes wide variety of chemicals and the
process generate highly toxic compounds in the form gaseous and
water pollutants which have very adverse affect to human health
• This constitutes environmental and safety hazards in pulp and
paper industry.
• Safety and hazard management are the important aspects in pulp
and paper industry to improve safety and reduce the accidental
risk.
• Hazardous waste management has become an international
problem. The environmental and Human Health consequences of
the residuals and wastes: not understood and recognised
• Developments in science, epidemiology, toxicology and analytical
chemistry enabled to recognize
• Dioxins and Furan are the major toxic or hazardous material
produced from pulp and paper mill effluent

5. PULP AND PAPER INDUSTRY PROFILE
Worldwide paper consumption in this century has
increased 4 times faster than population
Paper and paperboard worldwide will reach 476 million
tones in 2010 and 640 million tones in 2020 with world
population of 8000 million people and per capita
consumption of paper and paperboard of 80 kg
There are about 500 mills in India with 7% integrated
(capacity more than 100 TPD), 30% medium (capacity
between than 50 to 100 TPD), and 70% small paper mills
with (capacity less than 50 TPD). The average Production
capacity is about 8.5 million tonnes.
Presently average growth rate of industry is 6 % PA and
has to make provision for at least 10% growth rate PA to
meet the needs of vision 2020

6. Indian Pulp
and Paper
Industry

7. Chemical pulp and recycled fibre capacity
growth by region 2005-2015
32%
39%
29%
Size of paper mills in India
34
150
350
Large paper mills (100 TPD)
Medium paper mills (50 to 100 TPD)
Small paper mills ( 500 TPD)

8. Paper Paperboard Consumption
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Consp. 10^8 tons Popul.
million
Per Cap.
Consumption
(kg)
USA
China
Japan
Germany
U.K
Italy
Rep. of Korea
India
France
Source: IPPTA J. Vol21, No.2 April-June 2009, Page-30

9. A lot of
technological
developments in
pulp and paper
industries have
been carried out
in early years.
Technological development in pulp and paper industry

10. Challenges to Pulp and Paper Industry
Challenges to Indian PP
producers
2004
Consumption 5 kg per capita
Paper production 5.5MTPA
Fibre supply pattern 2003:
Wood bamboo 40% (2.5 MTP)
Agro residues 20% (1.3 MTP)
RCF 40% ( 2.5 MTP)
Future 2010-2015
Consumption estimate +10-12kg per capita
Paper production need 10-12million TPA
Fibre supply pattern for the growth?
Wood bamboo 2million TPA
Agro residues 1million TPA
RCF 2million TPA

11. Toxic Waste from Pulp and Paper Industry
Paper industry: highly polluting industries
Large quantity of waste water
High BOD, COD, pH, solid content, colour, foam,
chlorinated organic compounds and AOX.
Large number of toxic compounds have been identified
Chlorination and extraction stages: Responsible for
major toxicity of kraft mill bleach effluent
Formation: mainly attributed to the consumption of
elemental chlorine
With 80 million tones of bleached pulp: discharge of
organically bound chlorine -1.25 million tones
Pulp and paper market forces: driving the development of
pulp bleaching technology and there has been
unprecedented changes in the bleaching technology

12. In the production of white (bleached) pulp for paper making,
chlorine and chlorine compounds are used for bleaching of pulp
in different bleaching sequences, basically to remove or modify
the residual lignin in unbleached pulp.
Reaction of chlorine with lignin generates various types of
organochlorine compounds, represented together as adsorbable
organic halogens (AOX), which may be toxic.
Pulp bleaching sequences
C-E-H-H CD-E-D-D C-EO-H-H C-EP-H-H CD-EOP-D-D
C = chlorination
E = Alkaline extraction
EO = Oxidative alkaline extraction
EP = Hydrogen peroxide reinforced alkaline extraction
EOP = Oxygen and peroxide reinforced alkaline extraction
H = treatment with (Na or Ca) hypochlorite
CD = chlorination with chlorine dioxide substitution
D = treatment with chorine dioxide

13. Process technology of pulp and paper making
Off plant
In Plant

15. ENVIRONMENTAL
POLLUTANTS
Major toxic compounds are resin
acids,unsaturated fatty acids;
juvabiones;diterpene alcohol,
chlorinated lignin, resins, phenols,
genotoxic compounds etc
Effluent colour is largely is
largely as a result of lignin and
lignin degradation products such
as aromatic and quinoid nuclei,
carbonyl and ethylenic groups
Major Solid waste are chipper
house dust,cyclean rejects, boiler
ash and effluent treatment
plant sludge.
Atmospheric emissions include H2S, mercaptans,
dimethyl sulphide, dimethyl disulphide,Sox ,NOx
and particulate matters sodium sulphate, sodium
carbonate, sodium sulphide and fly ash.

16. Generation of Solid waste, Toxic Chemicals, Malodrous Gases, Dust,
allcalifumes,Flyash,Sludge
Environmental Impact of Pulp and paper manufacturing

17. Safety?
The word safety is very often used in the everyday life
According to the Webster's New World Dictionary the
definition can be given as follows:
(1) Safety: The quality or condition of being safe; freedom
from danger, injury, or damage; security
(2) Safety: is the condition of being protected against
failure, damage, error, accidents, or harm. Protection
involves here both causing and exposure.

18. “ The fundamental safety philosophy which
ensures that an item of equipment can be
operated, or an operation performed, in a
safe manner with risks that area as low as
practicable”
Basic Principles
Of Safety

19. Hazards associated with pulp and paper
industry can be classified into two major
categories that are Safety hazards and
Human Health hazards due to toxic
pollutants, noise, excessive heat, etc.
For detailed consideration it can be classified
as chemical hazards, physical hazards or
injuries, wood/bamboo/straw dust, biological
agents, heat, confined spaces, noise and
radiation.

20. THE THREE CAUSE LEVELS OF ANY ACCIDENT

22. Physical Hazards include the risk for
physical injury of workers.
Environmental hazards in pulp and
paper industry can be defined as the
hazards associated with some serious
environmental problem like discharge of
highly polluted and toxic material bearing
waste water, mission of particulate matter,
dust, flue gases, production of hazardous
solid waste and noise pollution.

23. Other carcinogenic
compounds
Chloroform
Carbon
tetrachloride
Dichloromethane

24. Safety Hazards
Major type of accident reported are caught in and crushed
between rolls, caught between components of equipment
/ surfaces, struck by falling / tumbling objects, falls from
elevation, thermal burns, electrocutions, vehicle mishaps, fatal
injuries due to asphyxiation/poisoning by hazardous chemicals
[OSHA, 1993].
The major hazards areas in pulp and paper industry mills
are:
 Log and chips pile,
 Digester house,
 Recovery furnace,
 Paper machines,
 Chlorine plant.

25. Chipper and digester house are one of the major hazard
areas.
Source: http://www.cbtank.com/pulp.html
Source:http://www.rumfordgroup.com/industries/PulpPaper.cfm

26. Digester Hazards
Aggressiveness of the fibre suspension and cooking liquors
with high temperature and pressure contribute to increased
crack formation in the welds,
Decreasing wall thickness especially in the bottom cone
portion. Explosion in digesters has been reported.

27. Worker opening cap on manually controlled batch digester
Source:http://www.ilo.org/encyclopedia/?printnd=857200083

28. Recovery Section Hazards
Smelt water explosion, which can occur if water is able to
enter the furnace and come in contact of the smelt [Ahonen et
al., 2006]. This may result due to tube leaks or excessive water in
the black liquor.
Hazards of flue gas explosions in the furnace.
Leakage of smelt from the furnace wall has also been
observed due to failure of refractory line and corrosion in the
furnace casing.
Explosion in the dissolving tank with high level of liquor in
the tank.
Paper machine hazard is inherent in the large fast rotating
steam pressurized dryer cylinders.
Devasting explosion in the yankee dryers has been reported
in the literature [Ahonen et al., 2006]

29. Possibility of rupture in containers, pipelines and other
equipments because of buildup of pressure due to high
liquid -gas ratio.
Fire and explosion may take place by reaction with
turpentine, hydrocarbons, powdered metals and sawdust
etc.

30. Conveyors are used in chipper house for transporting chips and
constitute major fire risks.

31. Severe injuries have been reported due to failure of lockout
tagout systems.
Figure 2. Root Causes of Lockout/Tagout Events
Worker understanding and involvement in lockout/tagout
process can play an effective role in the prevention of lockout/
tagout events
Source: http://www.eh.doe.gov/web/oeaf/lessons_learned/ons/sn9605.html

32. The most commonly encountered risk factors for serious and
fatal accidents in pulp and paper industry are the paper making
equipment itself and the extreme size and weight of pulp and
paper bales and the rolls.
Arrest Loss of Stock from Packing Inside Knife Gate Valves

33. Occupational fatality in the pulp and paper mill has been
reported due to worker being caught in or between rotating
rolls or equipment and being crushed by falling or tumbling
objects especially rolls and bales.

34. Other causes of multiple deaths included electrocution,
hydrogen sulphide and other toxic gas inhalation,
massive thermal and chemical burns [Kenndey, 2002;
Toren et al., 2002].

35. Severe injury in debarker chipper may be also due to exposure
because of safety gaurds.

36. Major Accident reported in Pulping Section
– Burned by hot digester
– Cooking liquor,
– Digester crack and
– Burst, burned by exploding oxygen
tank,,
– Flash fire vapours in digester house,
resulting in death due to trapping of
worker in hot digester liquor

37. Potential health and safety hazards in pulp
and paper production, by process area
Wood preparation
Pulping
Sheet forming and converting
Other operations like Power generation , Water
treatment , Effluent treatment , Chlorine dioxide
generation , Turpentine recovery , Tall oil
production etc.

38. Process Area: Wood preparation
Process area Safety hazards Physical hazards Chemical hazards Biological
hazards
Log pond Drowning; mobile
equipment; slipping,
falling
Noise; vibration;
cold; heat
Engine exhaust
Wood room Nip points; slipping,
falling
Noise; vibration Terpenes and other wood
extracts; wood dust
Bacteria; fungi
Chip screening Nip points; slipping,
falling
Noise; vibration Terpenes and other wood
extracts; wood dust
Bacteria; fungi
Chip yard Nip points; mobile
equipment
Noise; vibration;
cold; heat
Engine exhaust; terpenes
and other wood extracts;
wood dust
Bacteria; fungi

39. Process Area: Pulping
Process area Safety hazards Physical hazards Chemical hazards Biological
hazards
Stone ground
wood pulping
Slipping, falling Noise; electric and
magnetic fields ; high
humidity
RMP, CMP,
CTMP
Slipping, falling Noise; electric and
magnetic fields; high
humidity
Cooking chemicals and by-products;
terpenes and
other wood extracts; wood
dust

40. Process
area
Process Area: Pulping Cont…………
Safety hazards Physical hazards Chemical hazards Biological
hazards
Sulphate
pulping
Slipping, falling Noise; high
humidity; heat
Acids and alkalis; cooking
chemicals and byproducts;
reduced sulphur gases;
terpenes and other wood
extracts; wood dust
Sulphate
recovery
Explosions; nip
points; slipping,
falling
Noise; heat; steam Acids and alkalis; asbestos;
ash; cooking chemicals and by-products;
fuels; reduced
sulphur gases; sulphur dioxide

41. SHE APPROACH
Motivational and promotion activities
Training ,education and awareness activities
Inspection,audit and testing
Investigation and analysis
System Perfection

42. Process Area: Pulping Cont………………
Process area Safety hazards Physical hazards Chemical hazards Biological
hazards
Sulphite
pulping
Slipping, falling Noise; high humidity;
heat
Acids and alkalis; cooking
chemicals and by-products;
sulphur dioxide; terpenes
and other wood extracts;
wood dust
Sulphite
recovery
Explosions; nip
points; slipping,
falling
Noise; heat; steam Acids and alkalis; asbestos;
ash; cooking chemicals and
by-products; fuels; sulphur
dioxide

43. Process Area: Pulping Cont……………
Process area Safety hazards Physical hazards Chemical hazards Biological
hazards
Repulping/de-inking
Slipping, falling Acids and alkalis; bleaching
chemicals and by products;
dyes and inks; pulp/paper
dust; slimicides; solvents
Bacteria
Bleaching Slipping, falling Noise; high humidity;
heat
Bleaching chemicals and
by-products; slimicides;
terpenes and other wood
extracts

44. Process Area: Sheet forming and converting
Process area Safety hazards Physical hazards Chemical hazards Biological
hazards
Pulp machine Nip points;
slipping, falling
Noise; vibration; high
humidity; heat; steam
Acids and alkalis; bleaching
chemicals and by-products;
flocculant; pulp/paper dust;
slimicides; solvents
Bacteria
Paper
machine
Nip points;
slipping, falling
Noise; vibration; high
humidity; heat; steam
Acids and alkalis; bleaching
chemicals and by-products;
dyes and inks; flocculant;
pulp/paper dust, paper
additives,slimicides,solvents
Bacteria

45. Process Area: Sheet forming and converting Cont.
Process area Safety hazards Physical hazards Chemical hazards Biological
hazards
Finishing Nip points; mobile
equipment
Noise Acids and alkalis; dyes and
inks; flocculant;pulp/paper
dust; paper additives;
slimicides; solvents
Warehouse Mobile equipment Noise; vibration; high
humidity; heat; steam
Fuels; engine exhaust;
pulp/paper dust

46. Process area Safety hazards Physical hazards Chemical hazards Biological
hazards
Effluent
treatment
Drowning Bleaching chemicals and
by-products; flocculant;
reduced sulphur gases
Bacteria
Chlorine
dioxide
generation
Explosions;
slipping, falling
Bleaching chemicals and
by-products
Bacteria
Other Operations Cont…………….

47. Other Operations
Process area Safety hazards Physical hazards Chemical hazards Biological
hazards
Power
generation
Nip points;
slipping, falling
Noise; vibration;
electric and
magnetic fields; heat;
steam
Asbestos; ash; fuels;
terpenes and other wood
extracts; wood dust
Bacteria;
fungi
Water
treatment
Drowning Bleaching chemicals and
by-products
Bacteria

48. Other Operations Cont…………….
Process area Safety hazards Physical
hazards
Chemical hazards Biological
hazards
Turpentine
recovery
Slipping, falling Cooking chemicals and by
products; reduced sulphur gases;
terpenes and other wood extracts
Tall oil
production
Acids and alkalis; cooking
chemicals and by-products;
reduced sulphur gases; terpenes
and other wood extracts

49.  Explosions can occur in Electrolytic cells, chlorine
pipelines, chlorine liquefier and hydrochloric acid units,
chlorine cylinders, chlorine pipe line.
 Liquid chlorine increases considerable in volume when
evaporated. Handling chlorine should be kept away from
direct source of heat.
 Explosion in the chlorine gas line has been observed due
to failure of gassifier.
 Leakage of gas line due to severe corrosion because of
moisture has been observed.
 Explosion in the blower in a malodorous gas collection
system has been observed.
 Fire in the waste paper due to human factor has been also
observed.
 Major accidents can result in releases, fires and explosions
during handling and transport outside processing unit

50. Occupational Health hazards
Numerous chemicals such as reduced sulfur compound (kraft
pulping), oxidized sulfur compounds mainly sulfur dioxide
(Kraft and sulfite pulping), chlorine, chlorine dioxide,
sulfur dioxide, terpenses and other volatile organic
compound that can have adverse effect on workers health.

51. Most significant occupational
hazards associated with pulp and
paper making are fatal exposure to
toxic and hazardous chemicals like
chlorine, chlorine dioxide, alkali
fumes, hydrogen sulphide and
mercaptans, dust wood. Bamboo,
straw, talcum powder, lime alkali
fumes coal dust, carbon monoxide.
There is increased risk in sulfite and
kraft mill for workers due to their
exposure to wood dust, terpenes, or
preservatives present in wood. An
increased risk of leukemia has been
found [Toren et al., 1998].

52. There is generation of highly
toxic compounds at various
stages of pulp and paper
manufacture and cause very
adverse affect to human
health.
It includes many chlorinated organic
compounds viz. adsorbable organic halogens
(AOX), Elemental Free chlorine (ECF), Dioxin,
furans, Talcum powder, dust and H2S.

53. Environmental, Occupational health
Safety Policy Accident prevention
It is well recognized managerial
and organizational errors are key
contributors to accidents or
disaster.
Several accident investigators have found that 80%
correspond to human error and 20% correspond to
technical failure which has been termed as the 80-20 rule
[Santos-Reyes Beard, 2001; Reason, 1997; Hale
Glendon, 1987].

54. Hazard identification should include
 Review and analysis of toxicity data of chemicals:
carcinogenicity,
 Potential hazards of physical pollutants;
 Noise, radiation,
 Electricity
 Evidence in favor of toxic effects
 Animal models

55.  Epidemiological evidence,
 Ecological studies,
 Evaluation of toxic effects
 Burden of disease, quantum of exposure.
 Preventive measures to avoid any failure, and
 Effective tools for creating electric safety awareness in
the work place is to display electrical safety related
pictures or poster at strategic locations.

56. Chlorine
Chlorine is one of the important raw materials in pulp and
paper industry, and a source of major hazard.
Risk and hazard in chlorine production, handling and
transportation of chlorine may be explosions, fire, physical
injury, chemical poisoning, short-term exposure to during
leakages [Mall et al., 2005].
Chlorine gas is highly toxic having pungent and
suffocating odour, irritant and may be fatal if inhaled.

57. Characteristics of Chlorine
Chlorine is a non-flammable gas,
but in the presence of an ignition
source and fuel, can support and
vigorously accelerate combustion.
• Chlorine gas reacts to other
materials by eating into, or
gradually wearing away, the
material by a chemical reaction.

58. RISK AND HAZARD IN CHLORINE HANDLING
AND PROCESSING
Explosions
Fire
Physical injury like burns etc. due to
physical contact with liquid chemicals
Chemical poisoning due to long
exposure
Short-term exposures to toxic gases
during leakages etc.

59. The hazards of chlorine production and
chlorination process involve:
Gas phase explosion
Runway reaction of thermal explosion,
deflagration and detonation in the condensed
phase

60. Comparison of Ranking of Chlorine with
Other Toxic Gases

61. CHLORINE SAFETY EQUIPMENT
Ammonia solution
Ventilation system
Self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) for
emergencies
Repair kit
Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
Hood
Chained
Emergency response phone numbers

62. Explosions
Gas Phase Explosion:
Self ignition, deflagration and detonation in the gas
phase.
Explosions can occur in Electrolytic cells, chlorine
pipelines, chlorine liquefier and hydrochloric acid
units, chlorine cylinders, chlorine pipe line.
Liquid chlorine increases considerable in volume
when evaporated.
Handling chlorine should be kept away from direct
source of heat.

63. Fires due to Chlorine
It my react to cause fire or explosion in contact
with turpentine, ether, hydrocarbons, hydrogen,
powdered metals, saw dust and phosphorus.
Chlorine itself does not burn but it does act as
an oxidizer and supports combustion, even in the
absence of oxygen.

64. CHLORINE is supplied as:
Chlorine gas Cl2
(gas) 100% Cl2
• Cylinders
• Tonners
• Rail Road cars
HAZARDS IN HANDLING OF CHLORINE: A CRITICAL APPRAISAL

65. Chlorine Rail Car Unloading
HAZARDS IN HANDLING OF CHLORINE: A CRITICAL APPRAISAL

66. Chlorine Trailer Unloading
SAFETY AND HAZARDS IN HANDLING OF CHLORINE: A CRITICAL APPRAISAL

67. Stationary Chlorine Tank
• 25 ton stationary tank
HAZARDS IN HANDLING OF CHLORINE: A CRITICAL APPRAISAL

68. Case Studies
Paper dust ignited during repair work in
milling room of a paper manufacturing
plant
The accident occurred in the process of tissue
milling and winding rolls (an intermediate
product) in a paper manufacturing plant.
1. Ignition causes
(1) Ignition of a paper dust layer at a law temperature
(2) Contact sparks from the dryer
(3) Friction sparks from the nozzle and chain of the dust
collecting system
(4) Sparks due to static electricity
2.Concentration of dust, etc.
(1)The room humidity was partly below 15 percent.
(2)The dust-collecting system was designed to release a large
part of collected air after filtering.
(3)The dust-collecting method and capabilities were
inadequate, considering the accumulated dust in the duct of
the system
Source:http://ncsp.tamu.edu/reports/jicosh_jp/2.htm

69. On February 9, 1998, a 40-year-old male
employee died while working at a paper mill. The
Employee was working at the winder station
http://www.public-health.uiowa.edu/face/Reports/PDF-Reports/Paper%20mill.pdf

70. Disaster management plan

71. CONCLUSIONS
To reduce environmental and safety hazards for better health
and safe work environment integrated approach at all level is
essential.
Additional efforts are needed to prevent high exposure events
in pulp and bleaching operations,
Hazard identification risk assessment/safety audit, and
Occupational Health and Safety management. Promote
Occupational Health and safety policy, Compliance of all
relevant statuary provisions in respect of OH S, relevant
legislative enactments, statutory regulations and orders.
Inherent safety is better than engineered safety.

72. CONCLUSIONS
Environmental health hazards can be minimized by
evolving eco-awareness, implementation of environmentally
friendly approach with minimization of toxicity and
releases of malodorous gases.
Employee’s active participation and sense of ownership is
required to improve productivity, reduce losses and
emission, and safer environment.
Several accident investigators have found that 80%
correspond to human error and 20% correspond to
technical failure that has been termed as the 80-20 rule.
Let us remember safety is first and the last. Health is wealth
and service to mankind is the best way of worship.

73. Continue
We live in a dangerous world. Yet it is
also a world safer in many ways than it
has ever been. Life expectancy is up.
Infant morality is down. Diseases that
only recently were mass killers have
been all but eradicated. Advances in
public health, medicine, environmental
have dramatically reduced many of the
major risks we faced just a few
decades ago.
Let us make the world more green,
safer and riskless

74. Continue
In the end I will quote the verse by the great saint Adi
Sankaracharya that “human actions ,human life, human
discipline human values are meant for purification of the mind
and not for material benefits alone”.
Let us not think and plan only, but act for betterment of
mankind through better safety culture Environmental
management.

75. Thank You