(47c) Lessons Learned from Corrosion Under Insulation

Mechanical Integrity programs have been an essential element of process safety programs in the chemical and petroleum industries for decades. This is an area where considerable materials have been published regarding industry best practices for inspection and maintenance ? including excellent advice on inspection for ?corrosion under insulation?. However, The Dow Chemical Company experienced a significant near miss event at one facility recently caused by lapses in understanding by local personnel of corrosion under insulation causes or inadequate leveraging of learnings from plants of similar design.

This paper seeks to explain the circumstances behind this event and the key lessons learned such that other companies can avoid similar occurrences.