The American Petroleum Institute (API) issued three new first edition standards to enhance refinery safety and inspection programs as part of its core commitments to improving workplace safety and protecting the environment.
RP 583, Corrosion Under Insulation and Fireproofing: This standard will assist with industry inspection, and allow maintenance personnel to fully understand the complexity of corrosion under insulation and fireproofing, as well as the subsequent ways to reduce its occurrence at refineries.
RP 584, Integrity Operating Windows: A key part of process safety is the facility’s inspection program, and this standard was written to assist industry in developing the most efficient and effective inspection program based on each unit’s unique operational history.
RP 585, Pressure Equipment Integrity Incident Investigation: This standard describes how an effective investigation can be structured so organizations can learn from each incident, and use this knowledge to reduce the likelihood of future incidents.
RP 583, Corrosion Under Insulation and Fireproofing
This recommended practice (RP) covers the design, maintenance, inspection, and mitigation practices to address external corrosion under insulation (CUI) and corrosion under fireproofing (CUF). The document discusses the external corrosion of carbon and low alloy steels under insulation and fireproofing and the external chloride stress corrosion cracking (ECSCC) of austenitic and duplex stainless steels under insulation. The document does not cover atmospheric corrosion or corrosion at uninsulated pipe supports but does discuss corrosion at insulated pipe supports. The purpose of this RP is to:
- help owner/users understand the complexity of the many CUI/CUF issues;
- provide owner/users with understanding on the advantages and limitations of the various nondestructive examination methods used to identify CUI and CUF damage;
- provide owner/users with an approach to risk assessment (i.e. likelihood of failure and consequence of failure) for CUI and CUF damage; and
- provide owner/users guidance on how to design, install, and maintain insulation systems to avoid CUI and CUF damage.
The practices described in this document apply to pressure vessels, piping, and storage tanks and spheres. The document discusses the factors impacting the damage mechanisms, the guidelines to prevent external corrosion/cracking under insulation, the maintenance practices to avoid damage, the inspection practices to detect/assess damage, and the guidelines for risk assessment of equipment or structural steel subject to CUI and CUF damage.
RP 584, Integrity Operating Windows
The purpose of this recommended practice (RP) is to explain the importance of integrity operating windows (IOW’s) for process safety management and to guide users in how to establish and implement an IOW program for refining and petrochemical process facilities for the express purpose of avoiding unexpected equipment degradation that could lead to loss of containment. It is not the intent of this document to provide a complete list of specific IOW’s or operating variables that might need IOW’s for the numerous types of hydrocarbon process units in the industry (though some generic examples are provided in the text and in Annex A); but rather to provide the user with information and guidance on the work process for development and implementation of IOW’s to help strengthen the Mechanical Integrity (MI) program for each process unit. The scope of this standard includes:
- definitions of IOW’s and related terminology;
- creating and establishing IOW’s;
- data and information typically needed to establish IOW’s;
- descriptions of the various types of IOW’s needed for process units;
- risk ranking IOW’s;
- documenting and implementing IOW’s;
- monitoring and measuring process variables within established IOW’s;
- communication of IOW exceedances;
- reviewing, changing, and updating IOW’s;
- integrating IOW’s with other risk management practices;
- roles and responsibilities in the IOW work process; and
- knowledge transfer to affected personnel.
This RP outlines the essential elements in defining, monitoring and maintaining IOW’s as a vital component of integrity management (materials degradation control) and assisting in the inspection planning process, including Risk Based Inspection (RBI). Other Process Safety systems may be affected by or involved with the IOW program, including management of change (MOC), process safety information (PSI), and training. For purposes of this RP, these systems are only addressed to the extent of mentioning the integration aspects that are needed with the IOW program.
RP 585, Pressure Equipment Integrity Incident Investigation
The purpose of this document is to provide owners/users with practices for developing, implementing, sustaining, and enhancing an investigation program for pressure equipment integrity (PEI) incidents. This recommended practice (RP) describes characteristics of how an effective investigation could be structured so organizations can learn from PEI incidents. This RP is not intended to define or supplement criteria for compliance with regulatory requirements for which companies already have defined investigation processes in place. Rather, API 585 provides a specific focus on investigating PEI failures that are precursors to potential incidents that could have a significant impact on safety, health, and the environment.
Significant mechanical integrity incidents are rarely the result of one isolated issue; there are almost always less severe precursors to a major failure. These precursors are frequently called near misses when they are found. Additionally, this document highlights the value in recognizing these precursor occurrences and promotes investigating them to determine the immediate, contributing, and root causes. If these precursor occurrences are uncovered, investigated, and the contributing and root causes are resolved, then major catastrophic failures of pressure equipment could be minimized or prevented.
The investigation principles and concepts that are presented in this RP are specifically targeted for application to process pressure equipment in the refining and petrochemical industry but could be applied to other equipment at the discretion of the owner/user.
The following examples are the types of equipment considered to be within the scope of this document.
a) Pressure vessels—all pressure-containing components.
b) Piping—pipe and piping components (valves, expansion joints, sight glasses).
c) Storage tanks—atmospheric, low pressure, and pressurized.
d) Rotating equipment—pump and compressor cases and associated pressure-containing piping and pressure vessels, excluding seals.
e) Boilers and heaters—pressurized components.
f) Heat exchangers—shells, heads, channels, and pressure-containing components and tube bundles.
g) Pressure-relief devices.
h) Structural systems—integral to supporting pressure-containing systems.
i) Cooling water towers.
j) Stacks and flares.
Other types of pressure equipment can be included at the discretion of the owner/user.
For ordering information:
Online: API Publications Store
Phone: 1-800-854-7179 (Toll-free in the U.S. and Canada)
(+1) 303-397-7056 (Local and International)
Fax: (+1) 303-397-2740
API members receive a 30% discount where applicable.
SOURCE: American Petroleum Institute