Many in safety may not recognize that the “burst pressure” of piping is NOT the same as the Maximum Allowable Working Pressure (MAWP). ASME B31.3 requires the facility to identify and work within the MAWP. For those who may not know the difference and why it matters…
The 2026 edition of the code no longer relies on cross-referencing NFPA 55. This code now has full scope over all requirements related to hydrogen storage, use, and handling. This is a result of the NFPA Standards Council clarifying that the scope of the technical committee responsible for revising this code must be referred to
Four (4) people were killed, and several others sustained injuries after an LPG tanker crashed into a toll plaza and erupted in flames. The tanker was carrying around 18 tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and lost control before crashing into the toll plaza. According to the police, the tanker first hit a road divider
The primary difference between a pipe vent and a pipe drain lies in their location and function within a piping system. In both industrial process piping and residential plumbing, they serve as essential controls for pressure and fluid management.
While the terms “Non-Destructive Testing (NDT)” and “Non-Destructive Examination (NDE)” are often used interchangeably in casual professional conversation, they have distinct technical nuances based on the depth of the process and the intended outcome.
On August 28, 1992, a cryogenic tank ruptured in Hokkaido, Japan, and is a textbook case study in the catastrophic consequences of completely isolating a cryogenic vessel. The explosion occurred in the middle of the night at a food processing factory. The blast destroyed the upper half of the facility, damaged 25 surrounding buildings, and
The purpose of this Safety Alert is to highlight the risks associated with compromised pressure relief circuits on Cryogenic Tank Containers. Cryogenic Tank Containers are commonly used for transportation and/or storage of cryogenic liquids, including, but not limited to, Nitrogen, Oxygen, and Argon. A large explosion occurred at a cryogenic gas transport depot in Tamworth,
The transfer of hazardous materials from a cargo-tank motor vehicle to fixed-site storage poses a critical vulnerability in chemical handling. While high-speed highway collisions capture more attention, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) estimates that roughly 25% to 50% of serious HAZMAT transportation incidents actually occur during loading and unloading operations. These accidents
When we introduce a pipe welding machine (such as an orbital welder) into the fabrication process, the focus of the certification fundamentally shifts. Under industry codes such as ASME Section IX, the individual operating the equipment is no longer classified as a “Welder”; they are designated as a “Welding Operator.” Because the machine handles the
I am working with a client who is making every effort to comply with the Maximum Allowable Quantity (MAQ) limits for a flammable liquid process area. This process is a PSM-covered process, so I offered up how to work beyond the MAQ of 480 gallons for a fire control area. This compliance option 5001.3 was
It is designed to collect and remove condensate while isolating the relief valve from the mechanical stresses of the discharge piping. Here is a breakdown of its primary functions and operational mechanics:
