WorkSafe Victoria is issuing a safety alert highlighting the hazards associated with using small-bore fittings following a number of recent incidents at Major Hazard Facilities (MHF). WorkSafe has recently been notified of three separate incidents involving the loss of containment of highly toxic and corrosive chemicals caused by the use of small-bore fittings for temporary connections. The connections were made using a mixture of imperial and metric-sized components that were NOT COMPATIBLE. One incident resulted in the partial evacuation of an MHF and the need for emergency services to attend. No injuries were reported from these recent incidents.
Important: When using small-bore fittings with temporary tubing, ensure metric and imperial components are not mixed.
Recommended ways to control the risks
Where temporary tubing is required, ensure connections are installed in compliance with relevant piping standards. Systems should be in place to ensure that metric and imperial components are not mixed and the wall thickness of the tubing is in the range specified for the fittings.
If it is not possible to positively identify the fitting type and tubing size, the tubing components should not be used.
Employees installing tubing must be competent and provided with information, instruction, training, and supervision.
A task-specific risk assessment should be conducted prior to implementing any temporary connections to identify and adopt any control measures.
Where practicable, permanent hard piped lines that are maintained and designed for the specific purpose should be used to reduce the risk of loss of highly toxic and corrosive chemicals.
The use of fittings and tubing must meet the manufacturer’s requirements.
CLICK HERE for the full alert.