ASME B107.300 establishes the safety requirements and limitations of use for torque wrenches

One of my favorite topics to discuss during hazard analyses, incident investigations involving LOPC, and audits are the use of torque wrenches. These wrenches play a critical role in process safety, yet they may be among the top 5 abused and misused tools in the mechanic’s toolbox. And sadly, many still wish to argue that torque wrenches are not required in process safety, regardless of what a manufacturer may require for the installation and maintenance of their component or what RAGAGEPs say about the installation and maintenance of critical joints/connections in a process. My go-to RAGAGEP for citing in my work is ASME B107.300, Torque Instruments…

(emphasis by me)

SAFETY REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS OF USE

(a) Instructors and employers shall stress proper use and safety in the use of torque instruments, information about which can be found in the HTI publication, Guide to Hand Tools—Selection, Safety Tips, Proper Use, and Care.

(b) Torque instruments shall be supplied with instructions indicating their accuracy limits, direction of operation, application, use, care, and guidance on the proper use of adapters and extensions. The instructions shall indicate the extent to which design features of the instrument, such as flexible or interchangeable heads, affect the accuracy of the instrument.

(c) Torque instruments perform correctly only when properly used, cared for, and calibrated.

(d) A fastener improperly torqued with a torque instrument may be very dangerous even if the torque wrench is in proper working order, or appears to be in proper working order but is out of calibration.

(e) The failure to follow manufacturer instructions [see para. 7(b)] for the use of these instruments is far more serious than with most hand tools. For most hand tools, improper use will harm only the user, but improper use of a torque instrument could lead to systemic failure.

ASME sums it up nicely – notice the references to PROPER USE and, more importantly, the CALIBRATION of these tools per the manufacturer’s requirements. This calibration requirement is one of our top PSM/RMP audit findings when equipment calls for specific torquing valves.

PLEASE see my other articles on the importance of proper torquing:

Lack of training with Hydraulic Torque Wrench contributes to fatality (BSEE)

Lack of proper assembly and torque leads to blown out gasket leading to ammonia leak from heat exchanger

Bolted Flanges – torque with dry/rusty bolts (Video)

Improper torque leads to Hydrogen fire and explosion

Ammonia Refrigeration, flange connections, gaskets, and torque (EPA Region VI)

Flanges, their bolts, their gaskets, and their TORQUE

Another Example of Torque Requirements – GASKETS

Torque Examples – Mechanical-Joint Assembly

Torque Requirements and Process Safety Management

The technical and safety crticial aspects of flanges, gaskets, and torquing

OSHA (State Plan) issues GDC citation regarding “Hot Bolting“