(55am) Alternatives to Car Seal Programs

Car seals are inexpensive metal or plastic cables attached around the valve handwheel and stem to ostensibly prevent an operator from turning the valve more than a few inches. Car seals are used when opening or closing that valve will result in a severe safety incident or process upset. While this is a widespread and easy solution to prevent improper valve operation, car seals have many problems.

I propose that captive key interlocks are a superior solution to ensure safety critical valve position due to their 20+ year proven track record of ensuring safe valve operation, their robust and permanent nature, and their extremely low probability of failure on demand.