Steam Operations Safety Training
Kirsner Consulting Engineering
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A small clip from one of four water hammer video clips shown during training. (Turn up Volume)
Steam wafts out of a fractured 6" cast iron valve after killing a worker .

Understanding Water Hammer in Steam Systems--This is what steam workers need to know before opening a steam valve in a high-pressure steam system! Over 2000 hours have gone into developing the most comprehensive seminar available anywhere on how to operate and maintain high-pressure steam systems so as to avoid life-threatening steam accidents. (See Program below) The Seminar includes videos of water hammer in the lab, a live demonstration of a rapid steam bubble collapse, and over 200 animated slides that show what's actually going on inside steam lines. This seminar doesn't discuss, for example, how traps work, it discusses how they fail. The second-day covers advanced topics like looped steam systems, the danger of flooded manholes, and start-up accidents where workers have been killed. Examples are based on actual accidents, in most cases, investigated by the presenter, Mr. Kirsner. While this intensive 2-day, 8 hour seminar was designed specifically for steam fitters and operators to enable them to avoid repeating the circumstances found in previous accidents, Engineers have been enthusiastic attendees too. (Read the Feedback from Attendees below). A one-day 6-hour seminar is offered for shift workers that can't be assembled for 2 days. The seminar has been given about 70 times in North America to about 2000 attendees. Their evaluations are available for review.

        • University of Regina, Canada up coming Sep 30, Oct 1, 2008
        • Pittsburgh NRG up coming August 19, 2008
        • University of Michigan, Ann Arbor up coming 12 thru 15 August 2008
        • Naval Submarine Base New London, CT tentively set for 7 & 8 of August 2008
        • Capital Steam Plant, Washington DC up coming 22 July, repeated 5 August 2008
        • NASA Langley Research Center, 25,26 March, 2008
        • International District Energy Distribution Conference, Boston, February 12th, 2008
        • Trigen Energy Corporation hosted by Boston Trigen Nov 26,25, 2007
        • Imperial Oil (ESSO) Cold Lake, Alberta, Nov 27, 2006 and again Sept 25,26,27, 2007
        • IMV Projects, Design Engineers, Calgary, 20 April 2007.
        • XCEL Energy, Denver, 18, 19 April 2007 (Power Plant Operators, Engineers)
        • Suncor Energy, Ft. McMurray, Alberta, Feb-Mar 2007, 19 seminars for Oil Sands workers
        • Ft. Wainwright Corps of Engineers, Fairbanks AK, Jan 30 thru Feb 2, 2007
        • Lockheed Martin, Oswego, NY, Dec 5,6, 2006 (Operators/Supervisors)
        • Fort McMurray Open Seminar, Keyano College, Alberta, Nov 30,2006
        • Calgary Open Seminar for Engineers, 24 Nov 2006
        • Husky Energy, Alberta, CA, November 23, 28, 2006
        • Huron (formerly IBM) Campus, Endicott, NY, September 26,27, 2006
        • Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA -- August 2006
        • Rohm & Haas, Houston,TX -- 28 Feb 2006
        • Air Liquide, Houston Texas, 24 February 2005 & March 3 2006
        • Brookhaven National Laboratory, February 7, 8, 2006
        • Newport Naval Station, 16, 17 August 2005
        • San Diego Naval Station, 11 May 2004 & repeated 14,15 July 2004
        • Washington State Governmental Facilities, Olympia, WA--29 & 30 June 2004
        • Freescale (formerly Motorola) Semiconductor Plant, Austin, TX, 1-2 June 2004
        • Oconee Nuclear Power Station, South Carolina, Sep 16, 2003
        • University of Missouri, Columbia Missouri--Oct 2001, April 2003
        • University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, April 2001, part II in June 2002
        • Kaba-ILCO Manufacturing, Winston Salem, NC-- Feb 14, 2002
        • BP Refinery and Chemical Complex, Scotland, UK--Feb 2001
        • US Military Academy, West Point, NY--Sep 11, 2000
        • Trigen Energy Corporation , Philadelphia, PA--Feb 11, 2000
        • University of North Carolina steam operators and engineers--Dec 3, 1999
        • Fort Wainwright Steam Fitting Crew, Fairbanks, Alaska--August 1998
If you think you understand waterhammer in steam systems,

Take the Waterhammer Quiz!

Fort Wainwright Honor Graduates August 1998

Permit-Required Confined Space Training. See Confined Space Seminar Program. This program focuses on understanding the dangers which motivated OSHA to design the regulation as well as how to use equipment to detect these dangers. It outlines a step by step pragmatic approach to dealing with the requirements of the Regulation.


The S e m i n a r P r o g r a m
Understanding Waterhammer in Steam Systems--
the type that kills Operators

1. Quiz--Let's Review what you already "know "about waterhammer in steam systems

2. Condensation-Induced Waterhammer-- This is the kind that kills operators!

  • What would YOU do if directed to open this steam valve? The worker who opened it was killed.
  • Do YOU know enough to have avoided this Accident? What Everyone "thinks they know" about Waterhammer .
  • Acquiring the Correct Mental Model--Let's look inside a steam pipe to see what's going on and prove that the conventional explanation of waterhammer in steam systems is WRONG!
  • How Condensation-Induced Waterhammer Occurs in Steam Systems. Hard to believe?--Watch this video, now watch this demonstration.
  • What makes a waterhammer impact so severe.
  • Video Of Steam Waterhammer in a Glass Model.
  • Why Isn't there more destructive waterhammer in steam systems. A discussion of all the circumstances that must be in place for a Condensation-Induced waterhammer to occur.

3. How to find Subcooled Condensate in steam systems--These are the tools you must know how to use.

  • Infrared Guns--You've got to understand 'Emissivity" and the "Field of Vision" to use the Gun
    • Infrared Camera Photos showing effect of emmisivity
    • Field of View
    • Recommended Alternatives to infrared guns: Temperature Crayons, Chemical Temperature Labels
  • Reading Steam Tables--You've got to know the saturated steam temperature to detect condensate

4. Recognizing an Unsafe Trap Assembly

5. Now Do You Know Enough to Avoid getting Killed?--Let's revisit the Fatal Accident we began with.

Part II- Real Accidents Lessons

6. Lessons from the Hanford East Power House Accident

  • Flash Steam-- Can you differentiate it from live steam?
  • Condensate Can Climb uphill
  • A common, but largely-unknown, Trap Failure Mode
  • Video of accident model hammering

7. Waterhammer in Condensate Systems

  • Why it's not a good idea to discharge HP trap discharge into pumped condensate lines.

8. More Accidents that demonstrate deadly mistakes

    NY University Building Waterhammer That killed the Operator--Recognizing a bad/dangerous Trap Assembly Configuration

    • What this Steam Worker did that caused his death.

    Hanford U-3 Pit Accident--Recognizing trap Misplacement.

    • Cold Condensate flowing into a Steam Filled line

Part III-Advanced Topics

9. Looped Steam Systems-- steam coming from two directions makes avoidance of waterhammer more difficult should condensate accumulate.

  • What can happen if condensate gets hung up in a Loop Distribution System
  • Example of "Unbalanced Manometer" type Waterhammer in loop System--Motorola example
  • Parallel Two Phase Flow Instability Under Low Flow Conditions

10. Flooded Manholes and Submerged Steam Piping--the danger of Nucleate Boiling and how this type of accident can be, unlike other accidents, self-initiating

11. A "Start-up Fundamentals" Accident . This accident, which killed an operator during warm-up of a branch steam system, illustrates how less-than-carefully-considered (and enforced) shutdown and start-up procedures for high pressure steam lines can result in a fatal outcome. I believe the error which ultimately was responsible for this accident is at the root of most start-up accidents.

12. Explanation of Your Accident. If you've had a recent waterhammer event, there's no lesson more apt to capture the attention of your steam workers than a

Do 2nd Page of Quiz, Discuss All Quiz Answers

The program consists of animated slides, photos of actual accidents, slow-motion videotapes of actual waterhammer events in the lab, and demos. The aim of the first day is to provide ordinary steam fitters a gut understanding of what actually causes water hammer in a steam system so they can figure out for themselves what to do when a dangerous situation arises. All theory revolves around an opening slide showing an actual pipe configuration in which an operator was killed and asking ."What would you have done to activate this steam line?". This theme is carried thru-out the first day culminating in the attendees accumulating the knowledge to be able to intelligently assess a dangerous steam situation, and take the correct action.

Due to the intensity of the information provided, the 8 hour seminar is conducted in two morning sessions from 8 a.m. to noon. My experience has shown that, after 4 hours of training, fatigue reduces the ability of attendees to absorb the material. Groups consisting of Design Engineers are an exception to this rule--their enthusiasm for the material has sustained them successfully thru a one-day 6-hour seminar. The 6 hour one-day seminar goes from 8 a.m to 2:30 p.m. assuming a half-hour for lunch. Besides groups of engineers, I've given the 6-hour seminar to Canadian oil companies that can't afford to get shift workers together for two consecutive days. The pace varies with the audience. It concludes with the Quiz and a round table discussion of the answers to the quiz.

What I Need for the Seminar

I need a computer projector and speakers that plug into my computer's audio output, a screen, a demonstration table (I boil water to make steam; at no time does steam pressure exceed atmospheric pressure in the can), and a magic marker blackboard. I generally will arrive a day in advance of the seminar to set up. Before the first seminar, I will send electronic copies of the Quiz, evaluation form, and steam tables to be reproduced for each attendee. The room should be set up conference style (U-shape is good) with attendees as close to me as possible. Provide (or we'll make them with magic markers at the beginning of the seminar) name tags (first name only) for attendees so I can call on them. Attendees will need pencils or pens. Attendees should be motivated to learn, and not coerced to attend. While I like to have fun during the seminar, I'm serious as a heart attack about the material. Before the seminar, provide me information about: the steam pressures at which you distribute steam, if you return condensate, if steam is superheated, if you use inverted bucket traps, if your system is "looped", and if steam lines ever become submerged in water. The presentation is available in American or metric units.

Optional Handout--What I Want You To Know

Click on the link to see a handout wallet-sized card produced for the Trigen Energy Corporation in February 2008.


Feedback about the Seminar from attendees and their supervisors:

  • Comments from March 26,27 NASA Langley Research Center Seminar:
    • The best part of the 2 days was that the knowledge was practicle and useable. A lot of seminars give you theory and no practacle [sic]. This was without a doubt, the best seminar I have ever attended--a Jocobs Technology employee.
  • Some Comments from February 2008 seminar for International District Energy Association:
    • The visual pictures and videos really drive the point home--Univ. of Washington attendee.
    • In answer to 'What was the Best Part"--All of it. I hope to schedule you for a visit to our University soon.
    • Best Part--Heineken can Experiment! Excellant presentation, Thanks!
    • Explanations were believable.--NRG Minneapolis attendee
    • Models were fantastic...sad to see you didn't have time to cover [more].-attendee from Phizer
  • From Alan Murphy, Vice President & General Manager, Trigen-Boston Energy Corporation, 'Wayne: I was very happy with the seminar. We are getting lots of dialog with the mechanics which is great.'

  • Imperial Oil attendee evaluation form, 25 Sep 07 in Cold Lake, AB-- Presentation was awesome and material content great!...This course should be manditory! .

  • From IMV Engineer Bent Nielsen's evaluation sheet, April 20, 2007--This is the best seminar i've been to. From another IMV attendee--You're a really good teacher--make things very clear; and from another, in answer to the Question "was this seminar worth your time?-- Absolutely. This is a great seminar.

  • From a SUNCOR attendee, Feb 2007, You kept the audience captivated. Everything was explained in simple terms and [you] not only explained water hammer but clarified some thermodynamic principles I have not studied for a while. You're a great teacher.

  • From a SUNCOR operator, When I told my co-workers that I was going to a waterhammer course, many of them laughed at me because they all knew what it was. They proceded to take turns explaining it. They were all wrong! Thanks for the clarification.
    .
  • From Derwin Bonnie, Training Specialist at SUNCOR Oilsands, March 2007,- - I still have people comming up to me with thanks for bringing you up here. I had an operator this morning say you were the best instructor and one of the best courses he has ever attended , he's a 17 year employee.
    .
  • From the training coordinator at another major Canadian oil company, Dec 2006--I got great feed back from my boss... on your seminar. Thanks I was sweating about sending a steam guy when I reviewed the text books they [were] WRONG!! [He] was very impressed and I slept real well last night. .

  • From Darryl Shyian at Imperial Oil, Cold Lake, Alberta, Nov 2006--Wayne, feedback is that the training was a success. Interesting to hear a couple of veteran operators state "that they actually picked up a couple of points"

  • From Mike Lotito, the Engineer who organized the four Huron Campus seminars, Sep 2006, "I've had nothing but positive feedback regarding the seminars. You really got the message across. It's not easy keeping the attention of a room full of people for 4 hours, but you managed to do it".

  • From a Huron Campus mid-shift worker at 3:30 a.m. in the morning-- I have learn [-ed] more in 4 hr than 27 yrs experience".

  • From a Puget Sound Naval Shipyard anonymous attendee, 8 August 2006, in answer to the evaluation question "Was the Seminar worth your time?"--"Definite Yes"; and-- "it will change the way we design service steam systems onboard Navy Ships".

  • Chuck Schuster, Steam Shop Supervisor, Brookhaven National Lab 9 Feb 2006--"Thanks for a very informative training class. You had something for everybody and the feedback was very positive.

  • From Ray Cournoyer, Engineer at Newport Naval Station, 8/17/05--"Best part: the Lab video of the U-shaped clear tube w/ water hammer and frame by frame display. Excellent."

  • From Paul O'Neill, Engineer for Subbase New London, CT, 8/17/05--" Will definitely change the way I design."..."Info will help prevent accidents definitely; it already has, as I told you, in the incident ...where [a man was withdrawn from a manhole just before an 8" valve bonnet blew about 4 years ago. [The supervisors evacuation order was based on your [magazine] article "Condensation Induced Waterhammer". ]

  • From an anonymous steam worker at Newport Naval Station, 8/17/05. " THANKYOU. I used to be a pipefitter in the Utility Crew and could have used this 12 years ago. It answered many questions for me."

  • Email Forwarded by Bill Lowery, Cogeneration Systems Engineer, University of North Carolina blowery@fac.unc.edu,Dec 08, 1999, Subject: Waterhammer Training
    • " The best training we have ever had since I have been here at Cogen (about 10 years)" Thank you for all the effort you put into this and the concern you have for the safety of the Cogen maintenance staff, and others on campus. .. Allen

  • From another UNC Steam Fitter (Read in a strong North Carolina accent)--"I been here 20 years and this is the first training session I ain't fell asleep in".

  • From Vin Badali of Trigen-Phiadelphia, vbadali@trigen.com--
    "Thanks again for an excellent presentation. It was truly an unusual day, as I think we all got quite a bit out of it". Regards, Vin

  • From a Trigen worker --"Worst Thing -- no donuts w/ coffee".

  • From two steam fitters at US Military Academy, West Point, NY:
    • "I actually learned more about condensate (cool condensate) being a cause of water hammer in steam lines, I had not realized this before"; and
    • "I feel safer going into manhole[s] knowing what I learned"

  • From Eric Mazzi, Manager Mechanical Services, University of British Columbia (UBC) eric.mazzi@ubc.ca
    --"thanks for your excellent work. The feedback from the seminar was excellent".

  • From Ralph Johnstone, Chief Engineer, University of British Columbia, referring to whether or not the information presented will help prevent accidents?"--"It better or the students just weren't listening".

  • From U. of Missouri Steam Operators and Fitters--
    • Theory helped me understand the example Wayne used later
    • I now look deeper into causes [but] Skip all Math!

  • From Steam workers at Western Carolina University via Steve Flury, Director, Safety & Risk Management:
    • "now that was really useful"-- attendee evaluation sheet
    • "that guy understands this stuff"-- attendee evaluation sheet

  • From attendees at Freescale (formerly Motorola) semiconductor manufacturing plant, Austin, Texas, June 2, 2004 from their written evaluations:
    • "Best $[ dollars] spent on training ever--"
    • Best Part of the Seminar: "Seeing the effects of condensate induced water hammer, i.e. lab simulations, aftermath of accidents, and the beer can imploding ".

  • From Washington State Seminar for State Governmental Steam Workers, June 2004:
    • GREAT job both days! Let me know when you can get the slides onto the internet so I can show it to our guys in the energy group. Jim Hayes email.
    • The best class I have ever had-- attendee evaluation sheet
    • You may have saved a life-- attendee evaluation sheet

  • From Navy civilian steam worker, San Diego Naval Station, July 2004--
    Everything you talked about was explained in great detail. Need more people around like you that cares about the workers and doesn't hesitate to explain the dangers of the job.

To view the verbatim feedback from All attendees at a seminar, follow the link at Evaluation Form.html.

Other Lecture Experience

  • ASHRAE sponsored Distinguished Lecturer, 2001 thru 2008 lecturing to HVAC engineers in the US and Canada on water hammer in steam systems and Chilled Water System Design
  • Faculty member at University of Wisconsin "Boiler Plant Design Course" November 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 speaking on understanding theoretical basis for steam waterhammer.
  • Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia State University -- Former Calculus Instructor in Math and Business Departments
  • State of Florida's Energy Office--Technical reviewer adjudging validity of energy conservation measures submitted in Technical Analysis Reports (TA's) to the to compete for grants through the Department of Energy's Schools & Hospitals Grant Program. Conducted certification training session for approximately 120 professional engineers seeking to write TA Reports in Florida in 1995 on how not to "blow it" when doing energy studies. Repeated seminar for State of Alabama Engineers.

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