API RP 585-ed.2

Die Annotation des Normtextes API RP 585-ed.2 :

API RP 585, 2nd Edition, March 2021 - Pressure Equipment Integrity Incident Investigation

General

The purpose of this document is to provide owner-operators with practices for developing, implementing, sustaining, and enhancing an investigation program for pressure equipment integrity (PEI) incidents. This recommended practice (RP) describes characteristics of how an effective investigation could be structured so organizations can learn from PEI failures, near-misses, or discoveries. This RP is not intended to define or supplement criteria for compliance with regulatory requirements for which companies already have defined investigation processes in place. Rather, API 585 provides a specific focus on investigating PEI failures as well as near misses or discoveries that are precursors to potential failures that could have significant impact on safety, health, and environment. As such, this RP can add value to process safety incidents/issue investigations by helping to focus specific investigative techniques that would enhance learning and enhance value from PEI incidents.

Significant pressure equipment mechanical integrity incidents are rarely the result of one isolated problem; there are almost always less severe precursors to an equipment failure. These precursors are frequently called near misses or discoveries when they are experienced. Additionally, this document highlights the value in recognizing these precursor occurrences and promotes investigating them to determine the immediate, contributing, and root causes. If these precursor occurrences are uncovered, investigated, and the contributing and root causes are resolved, then major catastrophic failures of pressure equipment could be minimized or prevented.

Industry Scope

The investigation principles and concepts that are presented in this RP are specifically targeted for application to pressure equipment in the oil, gas, refining and petrochemical industry but could be applied to other equipment and industries at the discretion of the owner-operator.

Flexibility in Application

Because of the broad diversity in an organization’s size, culture, national, and/or local regulatory requirements, API 585 offers users the flexibility to apply the investigation methodology within the context of existing incident investigation practices and to accommodate unique local circumstances. API 585 is intended to promote the use of systematic investigations as a way to learn from unexpected leaks and equipment degradation or near misses associated with PEI.

As such, API 585 is intended to supplement owner-operator incident investigation procedures when the incident involves pressure equipment failures, near-misses, and discoveries such as those that involved one of the equipment damage mechanisms outlined in API 571. As indicated below in 1.4, API 585 offers information focused on PEI incidents that can enhance the typical features of process safety incident investigations. Referencing API 585 in owner-operator and site investigation procedures may help to bring the PEI focus to bear on such incidents.

Investigation methodologies consist of investigators collecting evidence and conducting an analysis of the evidence to determine the causes. Many types of investigation analysis methods exist and are used throughout the industry. This document is not intended to single out one specific analysis method for conducting investigations. This document highlights PEI issues for investigation and provides guidelines and work processes for PEI incident investigations.

Pressure Equipment Integrity (PEI) Focused

Investigation is a vital element for learning from unexpected discoveries or incidents (e.g. finding significantly more corrosion damage or other forms of deterioration than expected) and can be used in a continuous improvement process. Investigating and determining the causes of unexpected leaks, equipment degradation, or near misses associated with pressure equipment may be used to improve mechanical integrity programs and management systems for maintaining PEI, such as design and construction procedures, maintenance and inspection practices, and operating practices including corrosion control documents (CCD) per API 970, Integrity Operating Windows (IOW) per API 584, and Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) planning per API 580. The API Committee on Refinery Equipment Subcommittees have produced a variety of codes and standards referenced in Table 1 to guide owners/users in maintaining PEI and reliability.

Types of Pressure Equipment Covered

Table 1 lists the types of equipment and associated components considered to be within the scope of this document. Other types of pressure equipment can be included at the discretion of the owner-operator.

Types of Equipment Excluded

The following non-pressurized equipment is not intended to be covered by this RP but could be included at the discretion of the owner-operator.

a) Instrument and control systems.

b) Electrical systems.

c) Machinery components (except pump and compressor pressure-containing cases).

d) Structural equipment not associated with a pressure-containing component or system.

e) Pressure vessels or piping systems on movable structures, including piping systems on trucks, ships, barges, and other mobile equipment.

Target Audience

The primary audience for API 585 is the owner-operator and specifically personnel working in the