Chemical Process Safety (PSM/RMP)

Comparison of Piping Inspection Requirements in Refrigeration Industry

Comparison of Piping Inspection Requirements in Refrigeration Industry Code Component Description Inspection Remediation Inspection Frequency IIAR 109 (1997) Uninsulated Pipe (4.7.4)   Examine for corrosion Clean pipe down to bare metal and paint with rust preventative paint. “Badly corroded pipe should be replaced.”  (4.7.4) – Annual ammonia safety check (5.2) – Thorough inspection every 5 years (5.3)   […]

Corrosion Rates and Remaining Life/Fitness for Service

Source Corrosion Rate or Degree of Corrosion Remaining Life or Fitness for Service Application API 570 Long-term (between last and initial inspections):   (use corrosion rate resulting in shortest remaining life) Piping Short-term (between last and previous inspections): Piping and Vessels NBIC – 23 a) calculated from data collected by owner or user on vessels in the same

How does OSHA and EPA define “retail establishment” in regards to their “exemptions” from PSM/RMP

Retail facilities are exempted from PSM requirements.  At first glance, it appears this is a pretty broad exemption, as the standard just states. This section does not apply to:1910.119(a)(2)(i) Retail facilities; But as I wrote about last month, not all retail facilities selling a PSM Highly Hazardous Chemical (HHC) in the USA are exempt. In

EPA’s RMP and Program 3 NAICS #’s

As we have discussed before, the EPA broke down its RMP rule into three (3) programs, and each program has criteria that will place the process in one of the three. However, the one criterion that confuses some businesses is how the EPA used the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) to qualify a process

Understanding why “bonding and grounding” may not be enough protection when handling non-conductive flammable liquids

In the world of flammable liquids processing, we have two (2) types of flammable liquids: Members can read all my articles on how these flammable liquids get classified as “conductive” vs. “non-conductive. This post is to explain HOW and WHY the traditional “bonding and grounding” used in the transfer of flammable liquids may be inadequate

Brittle Fracture (Catastrophic) Failure during HYDROTEST of Propane Bullet

I have posted numerous fatal accidents that occurred during the pressure testing of piping and pressure vessels.  Although hydrostatic testing involves less energy release should something fail vs. using pneumatic pressure, the hazard(s) are still HUGE and must be respected.  This incident involved a propane bullet built in 1994 and placed into service in 1996,

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