(84a) Latent Failures: What Lies Beneath

Integrity is a critical element of an effective process safety management program that covers many important reliability and asset integrity concerns. While more visible aspects of a mechanical integrity (MI) program (e.g., major pressure vessels and tanks) may be successfully managed, there are multiple other less visible or less understood issues that can fly “under the radar”. Effectively addressing these stealthy items within an inspection, testing, and preventative maintenance (ITPM) program, appropriately calibrated to the potential consequences of failure in a facility, can make a step-change impact on the overall risk profile of a site.

This presentation will review multiple overlooked components of an asset integrity program, including the following, along with a review of previous incidents and suggestions for better management of these sometimes hidden MI issues.

• -Pressurized vessels and piping containing Class 3 or Class 4 fluids (e.g., utilities, steam), particularly considering: a) the Wynnewood case resulting in the need to include these items and b) potential changes to the OSHA PSM regulation to better define criticality;
• -Material Verification for small or “bolt-on” components such as piping, fittings, or gaskets;
• -Appropriate ITPM program development for rotating equipment in the absence of common industry-wide RAGAGEP;
• -Equipment criticality of Basic Process Controls System (BPCS) instrumentation, applicable ITPM tasks, and how to focus ITPM efforts on instrumentation;
• -Implementation and effective user competency of mechanical integrity software (CMMS/IDMS); and
• -Critical ventilation, including identification and maintenance of safe-haven ventilation safeguards.

Just because an activity, device or component may be minor, its failure may produce a major hazard. By implementing lessons learned from past industry incidents, audits, and risk assessments, appropriate integrity management tasks can be applied to these underlying concerns to prevent hazardous consequences. With the use of effective software risk ranking, these tasks can be implemented appropriately to the degree of hazards presented and improve a facility’s overall risk profile while minimizing additional workload.