Occupational safety challenges in cleaning gravity pipelines transporting hazardous mixtures

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Abstract

Our work focuses on the occupational safety aspects of periodic cleaning and mainte-nance work on underground gravity pipeline systems used to transport chemical in-dustrial materials. We develop specific technical and organisational recommendations that can be applied in practice to reduce the identified hazards. Some of our findings are based on objective measurement data, official test reports and standards, while certain conclusions necessarily reflect subjective experiences, as the specific charac-teristics of similar systems and local conditions significantly influence the severity of the risks. Our goal is to ensure that the conditions for safe working are met as fully as possible during cleaning work, thereby reducing the risk of serious accidents and oc-cupational diseases.