In all my Process Safety courses, we discuss the key RAGAGEPs for Primary Containment (ASME B31.3, ASME Section VIII, etc.). I am always taken aback by how many safety professionals tasked with managing PSM/RMP-covered processes know so little about these critical standards. I am not teaching them to be piping or pressure vessel SME’s; but…...
ASTM F2786 is an excellent source for reliable information on how to “Leak Test” Polyethylene (PE) piping systems. The practice provides information on apparatus, safety, pre-test preparation, and procedures for conducting field tests of polyethylene pressure piping systems after installation using gaseous testing media such as unodorized inert non-toxic gas or air, and applying pressure…...
A question I get not nearly enough, and when I do, the party that asked it is usually not happy with my answer. But when we pressure test our piping pneumatically, we MUST establish a “safe distance”. And simply stated, the distances START @… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View...
Here is a nice flowchart to help establish the “Pipe Category” per ASME B31…. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
The examination of the scene was conducted using a systematic approach using a basic method of fire investigation and scientific methodology outlined by the consensus committee of the 2024 edition of NFPA 921, “A Guide for Fire Explosion Investigation,” and the 2022 edition of NFPA 1033, “Professional Qualifications for Fire Investigators,” and other treatises as…...
The old argument that we cannot do Hydrostatic Testing on our piping and must do Pneumatic Testing is as old as I have been dealing with process piping (32 years and counting). I was raised in the process and semiconductor industries, where we ALWAYS did hydrostatic testing, and pneumatic testing was our last resort. But…...
Using the piping inspection RAGAGEP API 570, one of the first steps in our piping inspections/testing is to establish the “Class” our piping fits into. In most cases, I advise my clients to classify their PSM/RMP-covered piping as Class 1. However, there is a possibility that some flammable liquid piping could be classified in a…...
Those who know me or have been following my rants for years know my love of Bollards and Jersey Barriers. These simple devices (e.g., PASSIVE engineering controls) can prevent a lot of contact between mobile equipment and process/equipment. But as shown in the image below, Aerial Devices such as JLGs can reach OVER safety barriers,…...
Take notice… single hose. Means liquid gasoline is going in the tank, but where are the vapors going if there is not a vapor return hose back to the truck? ALSO, the tank has an atmospheric vent pipe somewhere so as to vent vapor pressure should the tank get warmer and the gasoline Vp increases…....
Most response groups practice the 2-in/2-out rule during a HAZMAT response. But the devil is in the details when complying with 1910.120(q)(3)(vi). How many have attempted to pick up a grown man, weighing 200+ pounds, while they are donned in a wet Level A suit and carry them out of the Hot/Warm Zone? I can…...
… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
This can be a sensitive topic at many facilities. I was raised to believe that whenever the pressure-retaining boundary is physically broken during line or equipment opening tasks, the line or equipment MUST be pressure- and leak-tested before being returned to service. I get a lot of hate mail and even more weird looks when…...
