Jan 08, 2026
Refineries have a long process chain and complex operating scenarios, with significant differences in respiratory hazards faced by different occupations—some need to cope with flammable and explosive environments, some have to resist "dust-toxin composite" pollution, and others only need to prevent dust intrusion. The core of selecting purifying respirator is "matching risks on demand". The following combines the core occupations in refineries to clarify the applicable scenarios of various types of PAPR, providing a reference for enterprises to accurately configure protective equipment.
Explosion-Proof PAPR: Suitable for high-risk occupations in flammable and explosive environments. Scenarios such as hydroprocessing units, reforming units, gasoline/diesel storage tank areas, and confined space operations in refineries contain flammable and explosive gases such as hydrogen sulfide, methane, and benzene series, which belong to explosive hazardous areas (e.g., Zone 1, Zone 2). Occupations in such scenarios must use PAPR that meets explosion-proof certification. Typical occupations include: Hydroprocessing Unit Maintenance Workers (responsible for opening and maintaining reactors and heat exchangers, with high concentrations of hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide in the environment), Storage Tank Cleaning Workers (working inside crude oil tanks and finished product tanks, where residual oil and gas in the tanks are prone to forming explosive mixtures), Catalytic Cracking Unit Operators (patrolling the reaction-regeneration system, with the risk of oil and gas leakage), and Confined Space Workers (working in enclosed spaces such as reactors, waste heat boilers, and underground pipelines). Such PAPR must have ATEX or IECEx intrinsic safety explosion-proof certification, and core components such as motors and batteries need to isolate electric sparks to avoid causing explosion accidents.
Gas + Dust Filtering Composite respiratory papr: Main type for occupations facing "coexistence of dust and toxins" scenarios. Most process links in refineries simultaneously generate toxic gases and dust, forming "dust-toxin composite" pollution. Occupations in such scenarios need to select composite PAPR with "high-efficiency dust filtration + dedicated gas filtration". Typical occupations include: Catalytic Cracking Unit Decoking Workers (a large amount of catalyst dust is generated during decoking, accompanied by leakage of VOCs and hydrogen sulfide in cracked gas), Asphalt Refining Workers (toxic gases such as benzopyrene are released during asphalt heating, along with asphalt fume), Sulfur Recovery Unit Operators (there is a risk of sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide leakage when treating sulfur-containing tail gas, accompanied by sulfur dust), and Spent Catalyst Handlers (dust is pervasive when handling and screening spent catalysts, and the catalysts may contain heavy metal toxic components).
Dust-Only Filtering PAPR: Suitable for occupations with no toxic gases and only dust pollution. In some auxiliary or subsequent processes of refineries, the operating environment only generates dust without the risk of toxic gas leakage. At this time, selecting a simple dust-filtering powered respirators can meet the protection needs while ensuring wearing comfort. Typical occupations include: Oil Transfer Trestle Inspectors (crude oil impurity dust is generated during crude oil loading and unloading, with no toxic gas release), Boiler Ash Cleaning Assistants (cleaning ash in the furnace of coal-fired or oil-fired boilers, where the main pollutants are fly ash and slag dust), Lubricating Oil Blending Workshop Operators (lubricating oil dust is generated during the mixing of base oil and additives, with no toxic volatiles), and Warehouse Material Handlers (packaging dust is generated when handling bagged catalysts and adsorbents, and the working area is well-ventilated with no accumulation of toxic gases).
Supplementary Note: Some occupations need to flexibly adapt to multiple types of PAPR. For example, equipment maintenance fitters in refineries may need to enter confined spaces for explosion-proof operations (using explosion-proof PAPR) and also perform ash cleaning and maintenance outside equipment (using simple dust-filtering PAPR); when instrument maintenance workers operate in different plant areas, they need to use composite PAPR if maintaining toxic gas leakage points, and may use simple dust-filtering PAPR only for routine inspections. Therefore, in addition to basic configuration by occupation, enterprises also need to dynamically adjust the type of PAPR according to the risk assessment results before operation to ensure precise protection.
In summary, PAPR selection in refineries is not a "one-size-fits-all" approach, but focuses on "hazard identification", distinguishing three core types (explosion-proof, composite gas and dust filtering, and simple dust filtering) based on the type of hazards in the occupational operating scenarios. Accurate selection can not only ensure the respiratory safety of workers but also reduce the use cost of protective equipment and improve operational efficiency, building a solid line of defense for the safe production of enterprises.If you want know more, please click www.newairsafety.com.
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