Guidelines for Mechanical Integrity Systems

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• Publisher: Wiley-AIChE
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781118216224
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Chemical & Biochemical Engineering
• Index: Technology & Engineering

In recent years, process safety management system compliance audits have revealed that organizations often have significant opportunities for improving their Mechanical Integrity programs. As part of the Center for Chemical Process Safety's Guidelines series, Guidelines for Mechanical Integrity Systems provides practitioners a basic familiarity of mechanical integrity concepts and best practices. The book recommends efficient approaches for establishing a successful MI program.

1
Introduction

For decades, mechanical integrity (MI) activities have been a part of industry's efforts to prevent incidents and maintain productivity. Industry initiatives, company initiatives, and regulations in various countries have helped (1) define MI program requirements and (2) accelerate implementation of MI programs. MI is already ingrained in the culture of many process plants, as well as in other related industries. Some MI activities are essential for these facilities to maintain economic viability.

Since 1992, a major incentive for the chemical process industries (CPI) in the United States to implement MI programs has been the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA's) process safety management (PSM) regulation (29 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 1910.119) (Reference 1-1). This was followed by the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) risk management program (RMP) rule (40 CFR 68) (Reference 1-2). These performance-based regulations each contain an MI element that defines the minimum requirements of a program through six subelements that address:

• Application (equipment to include)
• Written procedures
• Training
• Inspection and testing
• Equipment deficiencies
• Quality assurance (QA)

The specific requirements are not prescriptively stated in these regulations, but the subelements represent time-proven practices for an effective MI program. The details of each subelement are left to the discretion of the facility to develop and implement. All PSM- and RMP-covered U.S. facilities in operation since the regulations were issued should have completed at least three compliance audits. Many of these audits reveal that companies continue to have significant opportunities to improve their MI programs. In response, the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS) Technical Steering Committee launched a project to develop a guidance book to address the development, implementation, management, and continuous improvement of MI programs.

This guidelines book was written for CPI companies; however, the majority of the information presented applies to other industries as well. Although this book was written in the United States, a conscious effort has been made to keep the book applicable to facilities worldwide. This book recommends efficient approaches for establishing a successful MI program, while taking into consideration that facilities with small staffs and fewer resources must also develop MI programs. The practices described in this book are intended to help facilities create or improve MI programs.

1.1 What is Mechanical Integrity?

For the purposes of this book, MI is the programmatic implementation of activities necessary to ensure that important equipment will be suitable for its intended application throughout the life of an operation. MI programs vary according to industry, regulatory requirements, geography, and plant culture. However, some characteristics are common to all good MI programs. For example, a successful MI program:

• Includes activities to ensure that equipment is designed, fabricated, procured, installed, operated, and maintained in a manner appropriate for its intended application
• Clearly designates equipment included in the program based on defined criteria
• Prioritizes equipment to help optimally allocate resources (e.g., personnel, money, storage space)
• Helps a plant staff perform planned maintenance and reduce the need for unplanned maintenance
• Helps a plant staff recognize when equipment deficiencies occur and includes controls to help ensure that equipment deficiencies do not lead to serious accidents
• Incorporates recognized and generally accepted good engineering practices (RAGAGEPs)
• Helps ensure that personnel assigned to inspect, test, maintain, procure, fabricate, install, decommission, and recommission process equipment are appropriately trained and have access to appropriate procedures for these activities
• Maintains service documentation and other records to enable consistent performance of MI activities and to provide accurate equipment information to other users, i...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Publications Available from the Center for Chemical Process Safety of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• List of Tables
• List of Figures
• Items on the Web Accompanying this Book
• Acronyms and Abbreviations
• Glossary
• Acknowledgments
• Preface
• Management Overview of the Guidelines
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Management Responsibility
• Chapter 3: Equipment Selection
• Chapter 4: Inspection, Testing, and Preventive Maintenance
• Chapter 5: MI Training Program
• Chapter 6: MI Program Procedures
• Chapter 7: Quality Assurance
• Chapter 8: Equipment Deficiency Management
• Chapter 9: Equipment-Specific Integrity Management
• Chapter 10: MI Program Implementation
• Chapter 11: Risk Management Tools
• Chapter 12: Continuous Improvement of MI Programs
• Index
• End User License Agreement