Petrochemical Shelters for Hazardous Environments
- ChemSAFE Safe Havens

Petrochemical shelters from MineARC’s ChemSAFE range offer a safe and secure go-to area for multiple personnel in the event of a toxic chemical release, fire, explosion or other hazardous emergency response scenarios. The range includes fully transportable Safe Havens and Toxic Gas Shelters as well as Shelter-in-Place Room Conversions and Sealed Rooms with purpose-built life support systems.

Portable Safe Haven
- ChemSAFE Standard Design

The ChemSAFE Standard Design Safe Haven has been continuously refined to offer the latest in safe refuge technology, providing chemical facility occupants with optimal protective features such as blast resistance, toxic gas protection, scrubbing, and remote monitoring.

  • Blast & toxic gas protection
  • Zero air changes per hour
  • Advanced Series IV Control System
  • 8-40 people

Toxic Gas Shelter
- ChemSAFE Utility Design

The ChemSAFE Utility Design Toxic Gas Shelter is engineered for chemical protection; featuring a narrow construction for space restricted applications. The shelter’s ultra-portable design features lifting lugs and forklift slots, allowing easy manoeuvrability around any facility.

  • Toxic gas protection
  • ELV Control System
  • Narrow shell for space restricted areas
  • 6-30 people

Blast Resistant Building
- ChemSAFE BRB

MineARC’s ChemSAFE Blast Resistant Buildings (BRBs) are designed to provide protection from an industrial hazard such as a blast or flammable gas release. The open space pre-fabricated steel buildings can serve as work spaces or break rooms for general day-to-day use.

  • Multi-use building design
  • Up to 10psi blast rating
  • Integrated life support options
  • Network connection, smoke detectors

Shelter-in-Place
- ChemSAFE Custom Projects

ChemSAFE conversion of an existing room to Safe Haven allows occupants to shelter inside buildings, providing high levels of protection from toxic release.

  • Customised modular construction
  • ACH<0.1
  • Integrated life support options
  • Electrical packages available
  • Custom capacities

What is a Petrochemical Shelter?​

Model Rating (psi) Height (m/ft) Width (m/ft) Length (m/ft) Weight (kg/lb)
PS-BR-9-12-12-1P 1 2.75 / 9 3.65 / 12 3.65 / 12 6300 / 13700
PS-BR-9-8-20-1P 1 2.75 / 9 2.44 / 8 6.10 / 20 6000 / 13100
PS-BR-9-12-40-1P 1 2.75 / 9 3.65 / 12 12.20 / 40 13300 / 29200
PS-BR-9-20-40-1P 1 2.75 / 9 6.10 / 20 12.20 / 40 21300 / 46900
PS-BR-9-12-12-10P 10 2.75 / 9 3.65 / 12 3.65 / 12 9600 / 21000
PS-BR-9-8-20-10P 10 2.75 / 9 2.44 / 8 6.10 / 20 10300 / 225000
PS-BR-9-12-40-10P 10 2.75 / 9 3.65 / 12 12.20 / 40 22700 / 49900
PS-BR-9-20-40-10P 10 2.75 / 9 6.10 / 20 12.20 / 40 33900 / 74700

A petrochemical shelter or safe haven is a sealed environment, in which you can take shelter during a hazardous event when evacuation is not possible. These shelters help protect personnel in disasters (fires, explosions, and gas releases), as well as minimise the risk to, and enhance the effectiveness of, emergency responders.

To be classified as a safe haven, a refuge must:

  • Be a sealed, enclosed environment with 0% air changes per hour (ACH)
  • Provide a source of clean, breathable air by removing carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide from the internal atmosphere and adding in medical grade oxygen
  • Control the internal environment, through heating and cooling
  • Have a back-up supply of power to support the internal systems if mains power is lost

Petrochemical Safe Havens can be portable, modular, or developed in new or existing buildings. They are purposefully-designed for specific hazards at each petrochemical site.

You may also have heard a Safe Haven called:

  • Shelter-in-Place (SIP)
  • Protect-in-Place (PIP)
  • Refuge Chamber
  • Chemical Shelter
  • Safe Refuge
  • Toxic Gas Refuge
  • Temporary Refuge

Comparison Table

Name Capacity * Advanced Digital Control System ** iVAN *** Aura-FX Gas monitoring Vestibule (Airlock) Shelter-in-Place 12hrs Battery Backup Blast Rating ****
8-40 5-12 psi
6-30 1 psi
CUST 1-10 psi
CUST X
  • * Capacity Every safe haven is built with a certain rated occupancy in mind. The life support systems are designed to safely house this number of people for the designated duration.
  • ** Advanced Digital Control System All safe havens with a Series IV Scrubbing System feature MineARC’s unique Advanced Digital Control System.
  • *** iVAN iVAN is an on-board navigation assistant that guides occupants through operational procedures.
  • **** Blast Rating MineARC offers blast rating upgrades to all safe havens.

Increasing Blast Effects Comparison

Possible effects on the human body from increasing blast pressure: 

Direct Effects

PSI DESCRIPTION
2.1 Threshold for eardrum rupture
5.1 50% probability of eardrum rupture
7.1 90% probability of eardrum rupture
10 Threshold for internal injuries by blast
12 Threshold for lung haemorrhage
20.1 50% probability of fatality from lung haemorrhage
30 90% probability of fatality from lung haemorrhage
70 Immediate blast fatalities

Indirect Effects

PSI DESCRIPTION
0.5 Injuries by glass fragments
1.1 Threshold for skin lacerations by missles
1.5 People knocked down by pressure wave
2.1 Possible fatality by being projected against obstacles
4.1 50% probability of fatality from missile wounds
7.1 100% probability of fatality from missile wounds
8.1 People standing up will be thrown a distance

Overpressure Thresholds for Structures and Equipment

PSI DESCRIPTION
0.2 Threshold for glass breakage
2.2 Collapse of non-reinforced concrete or cinderblock walls
3 Collapse of industrial steel frame structure
5.1 Displacements of pipe bridge, breakage of piping
7.3 Displacement of cylindrical storage tanks, failure of pipes
10.2 Total destruction of buildings, heavy machinery damage
 

Emergency Management

When evacuation is not possible, Petrochemical shelters provide a safe alternative and are an essential part of emergency management. Shelters should be located in proximity to potential blast or gas release zones.

petrochemical-incident-example

Refuge Chamber Fundamentals

Case Studies