Radiographic inspection of piping and vessel welds in existing plants
- Metallurgical Consultants, Inc., Houston, TX (United States)
The Code of Federal Regulations, Title 29, Part 1910 defines Occupational Safety and Health Standards. Subpart H, 1910.119 specifies requirements for process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals, including the definition of process safety information and the inspect and testing of process equipment. There is widespread misunderstanding of the 1910.119 requirements for inspection and testing of pressure vessels and piping systems and as a result the radiographic inspection criteria for original construction welds from industry standards are often applied to mechanical integrity inspections of pressure-containing components in existing plants. Misapplication of these workmanship standards to inspection of existing pressure equipment has led to unnecessary expense for repair of piping and vessel welds that were determined to fail the original construction acceptance criteria. In addition to unnecessary cost, weld repair of equipment in operating plants that requires hot-work permits may present greater risk to employees and the environment than does leaving original construction imperfections in place. Radiographic inspection of in-service pressure equipment that has performed satisfactorily should be focused upon determining if any progressive deterioration, such as corrosion, cracking, etc. is taking place that changes the ability of the system to function safely and reliably.
- OSTI ID:
- 287826
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960154--; ISBN 0-9648731-8-4
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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