Page 97 - Occupational Health & Safety, July/August 2019

If a plant is changing hands, the prospective owners will want to know whether they are getting their money’s worth and that their assets won’t pose an imminent safety or environmental liability. Having a good database of credible, third-party mechanical integrity reports can give them con- fidence that they are putting a true value on the company’s assets.
that your vessel is fit for service.
Sometimes we get called in to check a circuit of piping that
“looks bad,” and it does—rust has exfoliated and expanded all along its length. However, after cleaning up the pipe, we’ll perform ultra- sonic thickness testing and carry out fitness for service calculations based on the data. In some cases, we’ll determine that the pipe has lost only a small amount of thickness and is in fact safe to operate.
Going Beyond the Regulations
to Gain Operational Insights
We find that some of the companies we work with have found ways to gain additional value from the inspection, which help other parts of the organization meet their goals. This helps OH&S profes- sionals gain support for the times they have ordered a mechanical integrity inspection.
Some examples:
Prevention is better than cure: Sometimes, we get called in by OH&S managers who are concerned about the safety of a piece of equipment, and they just want it checked over. Because we en- counter a wide range of equipment in the course of our work and have a good idea of what can go wrong, we are often able to help discover potential problems. We also may be able to reassure the manager that there does not seem to be any cause for concern, as in the example of the visibly corroded pipe earlier.
Helping meet environmental compliance requirements: Failure to comply with environmental regulations—such as by having an un- scheduled release of a regulated liquid or gas—can result in poten- tial employee exposure, investigations, and sanctions such as fines. Having equipment tested for safety can have a secondary benefit, helping ensure that environmental regulations are met.
Determining operational life expectancy: Everything wears out eventually. Our work can help determine when that “eventually” might be—the operational life expectancy. Sometimes, we can point to changes that might be made—installation of a new protec- tive coating or some weld overlay, for example—to increase that lifespan.
Boosting productivity: After inspection, we may be able to deter- mine that the throughput of a process could be increased, because the equipment involved is actually rated at a higher pressure or ca- pacity than it is being used for.
Planning capital expenditures: Finance departments need to know well ahead of time if they need to budget for a major capi- tal expenditure. To this end, mechanical integrity reports can help them determine the likely timing of those expenditures by under- standing the lifespan of the equipment they have.
Putting a price on it: If a plant is changing hands, the prospective owners will want to know whether they are getting their money’s worth and that their assets won’t pose an imminent safety or envi- ronmental liability. This includes the value, expected lifespan, and maximum throughput of the equipment they’re acquiring. Having a good database of credible, third-party mechanical integrity re- ports can give them confidence that they are putting a true value on the company’s assets.
Being seen as an employer that cares about safety: Frequent me- chanical integrity inspections help flag potential safety issues, such as a leaking tank or pressure vessel, before they become serious. This creates a safer workplace. It also demonstrates to employees that their company cares about their safety, helping with worker recruitment and retention.
Working with you to help extend equipment life: Many times, we’ve had to give a manager some bad news: that a piece of equip- ment is nearing the end of its service life. However, we’re some- times in position to turn that into better news by helping deter- mine what changes could be made to lengthen that service life. This might involve replacing a worn flange, weld overlay of some pitting, or replacing a corroded area of a shell to keep the equip- ment in compliance. Based on our experience in the field, we’re often able to help put together a repair plan for making the equip- ment both compliant with applicable codes and workable for the repair contractor and customer.
Helping OH&S Professionals Get
the Resources to Do Their Work
The reasons above can help OH&S professionals build allies within other departments.
For example, consider the environmental compliance aspect. By understanding the applicable environmental regulations and the potential costs of being in violation, OH&S professionals can show that they have common cause with their colleagues on the en- vironmental side. Reducing loss of integrity events creates positive impacts throughout the organization. Potential injuries and expo- sures are reduced, process reliability and uptime are increased, the expenses of unplanned maintenance are avoided, and the impor- tance of safety culture is reinforced. It’s all about managing risk—in this case, both safety and environmental risks.
As we saw above, mechanical integrity inspections also can sup- port the work of the finance department in planning capital expen- ditures and in demonstrating the financial value of the company’s physical assets.
Being seen as a good place to work helps HR meet their goals, as well, by being able to attract and retain the best employees.
Clearly, mechanical integrity reports are essential for meeting regulatory obligations, but OH&S professionals can go beyond, to helping meet other goals of the organization, as well.
Keith Taylor is the Director of Mechanical Integrity at the Buf- falo, N.Y.-area multidisciplinary firm Encorus Group, which is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). His specialties include non-destructive testing, fixed equipment me- chanical integrity evaluations, failure analysis, API inspections, and repair procedure development. Contact him at 716-592-3980, ext. 143 or ktaylor@encorus.com.
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