Chemical Process Safety (PSM/RMP)

These were found as I was doing a design spec for a new NH3 Supply Business.  These items are directly from the owner’s manual and were presented to the engineering firm after a “debate” on the reliance on Excess Flow Valve(s).  These are about the three best manufacturer’s rules for EFVs I have ever seen! …...

We have discussed the requirements for welder certification and their documentation, pressure and leak testing and its documentation, but the one area that I have not covered yet is the documentation of the Welding Inspector(s).  As we have said, the certified (“coded”) welder makes the weld(s) and then BEFORE any testing, a certified welding inspector…...

DESCRIPTION Ammonia compressor seal failure   INCIDENT OVERVIEW An intermittent compressor shaft seal leak resulted in multiple ammonia releases which activated low level (<50 ppm) ammonia detector alarms. The premises were not evacuated as the release was contained in a well ventilated mechanical room and the detector did not initiate a high-level evacuation alarm…. Membership...

DESCRIPTION Kraft paper pulping, strong black liquor was sprayed onto buildings and equipment.   INCIDENT OVERVIEW Erosion of a stainless steel pressure piping elbow located on top of a black liquor storage tank resulted in strong black liquor being sprayed onto buildings, equipment, and the and surrounding area.   INVESTIGATION CONCLUSIONS Black liquor is the…...

DESCRIPTION Failure of the main shaft seal ( mechanical seal ) of compressor #2 released ammonia vapor from the refrigeration system into the machinery room. INCIDENT OVERVIEW There was an ammonia leak from the main shaft seal, isolated to compressor #2 in the machinery room. INVESTIGATION CONCLUSIONS… Membership Required You must be a member to...

Damage description: Compressor valve packing failed to maintain a seal to prevent fluid escape.   INCIDENT OVERVIEW Ammonia saturated oil leaked from the two-way valve packing of a compressor into the machine room. The ammonia gases escaped from the leaked oil and triggered the machine room ammonia detector…. Membership Required You must be a member...

INCIDENT OVERVIEW A hairline crack formed in a suction header pressure gauge line resulting in a minor leakage of ammonia. INVESTIGATION CONCLUSIONS The suction header pressure gauge line in question was ¼ inch steel tubing which connected the ammonia suction header to the pressure gauge installed in front of the engineer’s control room so that…...

Anyone who has attended one of my Process Safety training courses has heard me use the phrase “circuitizing your piping” when we discuss the mechanical integrity aspect for piping.  API 570 is our baseline RAGAGEP for our Piping Inspection Program, but API 574 is how these inspections will actually be conducted and this standard is…...

It seems it does not matter if you have land under your feet or water – process safety challenges seem to be very similar!  In accordance with 30CFR250.1920(b)(5), lessees on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) are required to have their SEMS programs audited by an accredited Audit Service Provider (ASP) within 2 years of starting…...

During our process safety audits and engineering reviews for existing processes, the #1 deficiency that we still come across is the lack of piping MI inspections. However, there seems to be a major effort in getting these types of inspections completed as most auditors will now take issue if there are no “official” inspections by…...

We have tons to still learn from this event, but under the current economic conditions due to the virus, India has been in “lockdown” for five (5) weeks.  This incident, happened last night, lends itself to being a “polymerization event” based on the video and photographic evidence I have seen from my India members.  The…...