Hello, my name is Mike Southern. I'm an independent consultant specializing in technical aspects of bitumen. I have worked for more than 20 years in a multinational oil company and for more than 30 years in the bitumen industry. In this video we will focus on the safe handling of bitumen. In previous videos, you have seen that bitumen is solid, or semi-solid at ambient temperature. For this reason it's generally handled hot in order to be used in the manufacture of bituminous products. The temperature of use varies depending upon the grade of bitumen and the application, but is generally around, or in excess of, 150 degrees Celsius. At ambient temperatures, bitumen is solid and there are no significant hazards from bitumen or most bituminous materials. Most applications of bitumen involve high temperatures above 100 degrees Celsius. There are specific hazards associated with bitumen that are not encountered with other oil products and, to minimize risks, proper procedures must be followed and appropriate Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE, must be worn. We'll now look at the main risks associated with storage, sampling and handling of hot bitumen : -Bitumen is stored and handled at high temperatures, it is sticky and non-volatile, therefore, it does not cool quickly and can lead to severe thermal burns on contact with skin. This is the most important risk in handling hot bitumen. Appropriate PPE should always be worn in situations where there might be exposure to hot bitumen. -Bitumen is stored and handled at temperatures in excess of 100 degrees Celsius. If water is allowed to enter a bitumen storage tank it will boil, turning to steam and leading to a huge increase in volume. This can lead to a spillage, or, in the worse cases, an explosion if the product cannot escape from an enclosed space quickly enough. -Although bitumen is handled below its flashpoint, flammable decomposition products may be formed and may accumulate in the headspace of bitumen storage tanks, resulting in a fire or explosion hazard. Safe working procedures should be followed when accessing bitumen storage tanks. -Bitumen fumes can be irritating to the eyes and the respiratory tract. High concentrations of fumes from hot bitumen may lead to respiratory problems or nausea. Therefore, exposure to high concentrations of fumes should be avoided through good working practices and keeping the temperature of use as low as possible. -Bitumen is typically manufactured from high sulphur crude oils. Some of those sulphur species in bitumen can decompose at high temperatures to form hydrogen sulphide. Hydrogen sulphide is an extremely toxic gas and personnel should assume that it may be present at hazardous levels in confined spaces that contain, or have contained, hot bitumen and safe working procedures must be used if entering such spaces. -Pyrophoric, or self-heating deposits may develop in bitumen tanks, which can self-ignite if exposed to oxygen. For this reason, large changes in levels of oxygen, such as might occur when a storage tank manhole is opened, should be avoided. Bitumen storage tanks should be considered as hazardous areas and because the headspace might contain flammable gases and/or hydrogen sulfide, personnel should avoid opening manholes for inspection, or sampling. In summary, bitumen is handled and applied at high temperature. Personnel working with hot product should be aware of the hazards, should wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment and follow safe working procedures to minimize the risks of injury. Thank you for your attention.