(9c) Piping Integrity

One of the 14 Elements for a compliant OSHA Process Safety Management program is Mechanical Integrity, which includes a rigorous piping design and maintenance program.

However, even with the proper management system in place, there will be situations where on-stream leak repair (OSLR) of valves and piping is needed.

While this function is crucial to keep a plant running, and avoid unexpected shutdowns, process safety incidents involving OSLRs have occurred when this technology is not applied correctly, field conditions are not understood, or the repaired component is forgotten.

This paper will focus on:

• the importance of piping integrity
• how to safely implement common repair types for piping and valves
• critical design and calculation considerations
• the need for determining the root cause of the leak
• spotlight the importance of OSLR tracking and removal to meet the spirit and intent of PSM

The paper will also review:

• hazards associated with repairs
• what can and has gone wrong
• how to mitigate these risks both for the people performing the repair and the mechanical components

It will do this, using examples of process safety incidents where improper repair clamps and misapplications were the root cause of the failure, present real-world scenarios for consideration, and discuss how to prevent such occurrences at end users’ facilities by utilizing OSHA PSM principles.