POWER November 2015 - 50

SAFETY
4. Ready for duty. The Wheatland Volunteer Fire Department is designated as the first
responder to all coal combustion events. Pictured here from the left are Kevin Brown, Bob Glasson,
Barry Sishc, and Scott Scheller. Courtesy: Basin Electric Power Cooperative
veloped for coal system equipment failures.
The procedures focus on calling LRS and
emergency response personnel to come together
and agree upon any workarounds
that may be required to continue operating
the coal system. This procedure ensures everyone
stops, assesses all the hazards, and
comes up with the best possible solution to
any problem.
Finally, the plant's Emergency Action Plan
was updated to ensure the well-equipped
Wheatland Volunteer Fire Department (Figure
4) is the first responder to all PRB coal
combustion events. This is a natural fit, as
eight members of the fire department are also
current LRS employees, making them very
familiar with the plant.
Training and Other Initiatives
Training has been critical to the improvement
in safety and operation of the LRS coal
system. LRS employees now undergo annual
general PRB coal awareness training, and
BEPC and the Wheatland Volunteer Fire Department
have collaborated on joint training
that addresses the unique hazards present at
the plant.
" Laramie River Station has types of haztivities.
Additionally, it will keep the coal
system well within NEP dust accumulation
standards, which will reduce the chance of
another coal dust combustion incident.
People and Procedures
When all is said and done, people following
proper procedures are what make everything
work and what keep everyone safe. The focus
team recognized the importance of the
human element and the need for a refined
operating approach, new procedures, and additional
training for all BEPC employees and
local emergency response personnel.
The LRS coal system is remotely operated
from the main plant control room, but
the focus team worked with both main plant
and coal yard personnel to refine operations.
The coal yard and main plant coal system
operator rounds were completely overhauled
with records now populating a new
database for better trending. Infrared cameras,
dust accumulation measurement, and
more thorough bearing temperature data
collection were added to the rounds. These
new parameters help to catch heat sources
before they become a combustion hazard
and aid in documenting the efficacy of the
washdown schedule.
Many new procedures have been developed
to minimize the risk of another event.
50
An operational modification identified by
the focus team is to run the coal system
conveyors at full load, which reduces wear
on components and reduces spill frequency
and dust generation. A major effort to restore
and add belt scales is under way and
expected to be completed by the end of
2015. This is expected to provide control
room operators with more accurate tonnage
information to ensure the system is running
at its optimal capacity.
To decrease the chance of coal dust combustion
in bunkers, employees developed an
online and offline main plant silo unloading
procedure. The online procedure calls for
unloading one silo in each unit every day to
flush out stagnant coal that can accumulate
at the profile change. This means that every
bunker is unloaded once per week to encourage
first-in first-out coal storage throughout
the system.
The offline procedure sets timelines for
how long coal can sit in an offline silo. Reclaimed
coal has a higher chance of spontaneous
combustion due to its higher oxidation
levels as a result of being exposed to atmospheric
elements for longer periods of time,
so the times vary depending on whether the
coal in the bunker came straight from a train
or if it was reclaimed from a stockpile.
Workaround procedures have been dewww.powermag.com
ards
we don't usually deal with, " said Bob
Glasson, Wheatland Volunteer Fire Department
training captain. " Basin Electric provided
us with training for coal dust combustion
and specialized equipment that has helped us
more effectively fight fires at the plant. "
Employees at LRS are also taking part in
BEPC's " Our Power, My Safety " process,
which consists of a series of safety initiatives
intended to spur continuous improvement of
working conditions and keep safety top-ofmind
for employees at both work and home.
Continuous Improvement (CI) initiative
#1, improved worksite inspections, has been
rolled out at all BEPC facilities, and CI initiative
#2, improved safety communications,
has been rolled out at LRS and several other
BEPC facilities. CI initiative #3, employee
education, will roll out in fall 2016.
BEPC's management understands that it is
imperative to make proactive changes by investing
in capital projects, improving maintenance
and operation techniques, updating
procedures, encouraging teamwork, and
conducting suitable training to help mitigate
hazards. Collaboration is encouraged within
facilities, as well as between companies and
coal experts.
" I am proud that we have done so much
in the last 28 months, " Larson said. " I feel
confident that within the next three years,
through the efforts of many, we will have a
world-class coal system. " ■
-Article submitted by Basin Electric
Power Cooperative.
POWER | November 2015

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POWER November 2015

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