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Alberta Boilers Safety Association Volume 8, Issue 1, March 2003 Have you visited us on the Internet yet? - www.absa.ca THE PRESSURE NEWS provinces and the Government of Alberta responded by establishing a Fees and Charges Review Committee. As a result of recommendations from the Fees and Charges Review Committee, all Alberta public bodies, including ABSA, were expected to review their respective fee schedules. This review led ABSA to propose changes to the fee schedule that will see some fees increased due to two main issues highlighted during the review: 1. In some instances, fees paid by some stakeholder groups have been subsidizing other stakeholder groups. This subsidization of one On February 25, 2003, a new ABSA fee schedule effective April 1, 2003, was approved by the Minister of Municipal Affairs, the Honorable Guy Boutilier. Changes were made in Quality Control, Initial Inspections, Power Engineers, Pressure Welders and Annual Registration fees. No changes were made to fees in Design Survey, Shop Inspection or Special Inspections. These fee changes are a result of a review of ABSA’s current fee schedule. The purpose of the review was to ensure that fees are in line with the services provided, as per a precedent-setting 1998 Ontario court decision. The Eurig Estate decision had widespread implications for all NEW FEE SCHEDULE group by another is not equitable, and in fact is contrary to the court decision cited previously. 2. Annual Registration Fees had not been revised since before ABSA’s inception in 1995, while the scope and costs of services ABSA provides have increased in response to the province’s rapidly growing economy. As a result, ABSA’s expenses now outpace revenues under the current fee schedule, leaving ABSA potentially unable to fulfill its obligations under the Safety Codes Act. For a complete listing of the specific changes to each program please visit our Web site at www.absa.ca. v Over the years, we have recorded many incidents involving flange failures which have caused serious incidents. In the last few months, we have seen three incidents which were directly related to flange gaskets, resulting in millions of dollars of damage and in one case, an injury. These incidents were summarized as follows: a) A Class 300 gasket was installed in a Class 600 service. This gasket failed, causing a fire. b) A gasket failed in high temperature service. The bolt tensioning had not compensated for the high temperature. c) A temporary gasket used during a hydrostatic test failed and injured a shop worker. To ensure pressure equipment safety, it is critical that flange design and the principles thereof be clearly under-stood and applied by all user groups. (Continued on page 2) FLANGE GASKETS A WARNING TO ALL ED YAREMICHUK RETIRES Ed Yaremichuk, Southern Region Manager retired from ABSA effective February 1st, 2003. Ed started with the Boilers Branch in 1975 and was one of those individuals committed to pressure equipment safety who transferred over to ABSA when it was formed in 1995. His reputation with the industry is excellent as is his commitment to ensuring that pressure equipment is constructed and operated in a manner that protects public safety. Ed and his wife Fran celebrated their retirement with a trip to Australia and New Zealand in February and March. They will remain living in Calgary, where they have immediate and extended family. A retirement recognition event was held April 5 th in Calgary. Ed, on behalf of ABSA's staff and the industry, thank you for your contribution! v Ed and Fran Yaremichuk
Transcript of Gasket
Alberta Boilers Safety Association Volume 8, Issue 1, March 2003
Have you visited us on the Internet yet? - www.absa.ca
THE PRESSURE NEWS
provinces and the Government ofAlberta responded by establishing aFees and Charges ReviewCommittee.
As a result of recommendations fromthe Fees and Charges ReviewCommittee, all Alberta public bodies,including ABSA, were expected toreview their respective fee schedules.This review led ABSA to proposechanges to the fee schedule that willsee some fees increased due to twomain issues highlighted during thereview:
1. In some instances, fees paid bysome stakeholder groups havebeen subsidizing other stakeholdergroups. This subsidization of one
On February 25, 2003, a new ABSAfee schedule effective April 1, 2003,was approved by the Minister ofMunicipal Affairs, the Honorable GuyBoutilier. Changes were made inQuality Control, Initial Inspections,Power Engineers, Pressure Weldersand Annual Registration fees. Nochanges were made to fees in DesignSurvey, Shop Inspection or SpecialInspections.
These fee changes are a result of areview of ABSA’s current feeschedule. The purpose of the reviewwas to ensure that fees are in linewith the services provided, as per aprecedent-setting 1998 Ontario courtdecision. The Eurig Estate decisionhad widespread implications for all
NEW FEE SCHEDULEgroup by another is not equitable,and in fact is contrary to the courtdecision cited previously.
2. Annual Registration Fees had notbeen revised since before ABSA’sinception in 1995, while the scopeand costs of services ABSAprovides have increased inresponse to the province’s rapidlygrowing economy. As a result,ABSA’s expenses now outpacerevenues under the current feeschedule, leaving ABSA potentiallyunable to fulfill its obligations underthe Safety Codes Act.
For a complete listing of the specificchanges to each program please visitour Web site at www.absa.ca. v
Over the years, we have recordedmany incidents involving flangefailures which have caused seriousincidents. In the last few months, wehave seen three incidents which weredirectly related to flange gaskets,resulting in millions of dollars ofdamage and in one case, an injury.These incidents were summarized asfollows:
a) A Class 300 gasket was installedin a Class 600 service. Thisgasket failed, causing a fire.
b) A gasket failed in hightemperature service. The bolttensioning had not compensatedfor the high temperature.
c) A temporary gasket used during ahydrostatic test failed and injureda shop worker.
To ensure pressure equipmentsafety, it is critical that flange designand the principles thereof be clearlyunder-stood and applied by all usergroups.
(Continued on page 2)
FLANGE GASKETS
A WARNING TO ALL
ED YAREMICHUK RETIRES
Ed Yaremichuk, Southern Region Manager retired from ABSA effectiveFebruary 1st, 2003. Ed started with the Boilers Branch in 1975 and was oneof those individuals committed to pressure equipment safety who transferredover to ABSA when it was formed in 1995. His reputation with the industry isexcellent as is his commitment to ensuring that pressure equipment isconstructed and operated in a manner that protects public safety. Ed and hiswife Fran celebrated their retirement with a trip to Australia and New Zealandin February and March. They will remain living in Calgary, where they haveimmediate and extended family. A retirement recognition event was heldApril 5th in Calgary.
Ed, on behalf of ABSA's staff and the industry, thank you for your contribution!v
Ed and Fran Yaremichuk
The Pressure News Page 2 Volume 8, Issue 1, March 2003
NATIONAL BOARD -72nd GENERAL
MEETING
The 72nd Annual General Meetingof the National Board will be heldin Honolulu, Hawaii in conjunctionwith the ASME International Boilerand Pressure Vessel CodeCommittee meetings on April 28 -May 2, 2003.
Eminent featured speakers willmake presentations on variousaspects of pressure equipmentsafety. Numerous ASME Boilerand Pressure Vessel Codecommittees meetings will also beheld during the week, includingSections I, III, IV, V, VIII, etc., andthe ASME Boiler and PressureVessel Main Committee.
For further information, please visitthe “infoLink!” Page on theNational Board Web sitewww.nationalboard.org, or call theNational Board directly at:
Tel (614)888-8320 orFax (614)888-0750. v
worse, a serious incident. Forstandard ASME B16.5 flanges, thestandard determines the bolt circlediameter, the number of bolts in theflange and the allowable operatingpressure and temperature.
There are also a number of flangeface designs (e.g., raised face, flatface, ring joint, etc.) and surfacefinishes, and gasket designs (e.g.,rubber, spiral wound, garlock, or anynumber of acrylics, Tufline, steel ring,etc.)
It should be noted that eachcomponent of a flange has a designparameter or limits that must beconsidered whenever a flange isassembled.
- Flange material specification- Rated allowable operating
pressure and temperature.- Gasket selection required for the
flange rating.- Gasket material suitabilty for the
In October 2001, the Safety CodesCouncil determined that the role ofSafety Codes Officer in the boilersand pressure vessels disciplineshould be limited to persons in theemploy of the jurisdictional authority,i.e. ABSA. To address the fact thatthere would no longer be safetyCodes Officers employed by industry,the In-Service Pressure EquipmentCertification Program was created inconsultation with industrystakeholders.
To enhance and enforce safety ofapproximately 300,000 items ofpressure equipment in Alberta, alarge professional body of certifiedand experienced In-Service PressureEquipment Inspectors is required.Before this change, 96 Safety CodesOfficers had been certified. Of these96 Safety Codes Officers, 31 were notworking for ABSA. As of thebeginning of March this year, a totalof 192 In-Service Pressure EquipmentInspectors have been certified.These certified In-Service PressureEquipment Inspectors work togetherwith the ABSA Safety Codes Officersin establishing appropriate inspection
standards for assessing the integrityof in-service pressure equipment andmaintaining an excellent pressureequipment safety record for Alberta.
Information Bulletin No IB02-002,Certification of In-Service PressureEquipment Inspectors Directive,issued by Chief Inspector andAdministrator Dr. K. T. Lau onFebruary 12, 2002 makes certificationmandatory as of January 1, 2003 forall persons responsible for thecertification of pressure equipment inAlberta. Section 4 of the directivedescribes the authority andresponsibility of certificate holders.The authority and responsibility of thecertificate holder will be limited tothose duties designated by his/heremployer under the employer’saccepted owner-user program. Acertified In-Service PressureEquipment Inspector shall be directlyinvolved in inspection activities andmust be present at the plant-siteduring pressure equipmentshutdowns for internal inspection orwhen an Owner-User certified repairis being done. v
IN-SERVICE PRESSURE EQUIPMENT CERTIFICATION
PROGRAM IS A SUCCESS
In general, flange connections consistof mating flanges, gaskets and thebolting elements. Failure to considereach and every one of theseelements when doing up a flange mayresult in premature failure, leakage,environmental emissions and even
(Continued from page 1) process contained.- Bolt selection: material
compatibility with the flangematerial; loading and operatingtemperature
- Gasket loading for the gasketmaterial and the flange design:torque values. (some owner/usercompanies may have standardsthat are different from the gasketsupplier).
- Tradesman trained in installation(including bolting up) practice.
- Installation details communicatedto the tradesman: gasket rating,material, torque values, etc.
- Checklist to ensure that all therequirements were met.
In summary: Consult your designengineer and gasket supplier prior tobolting up any flange. That is theonly way to obtain satisfactoryresults in containment and morecritically, to ensure that the flangeconnection will not cause a seriousincident in operation. v
The Pressure News Page 3 Volume 8, Issue 1, March 2003
Gordon Campbell, General Managerof the Alberta Boilers SafetyAssociation, is pleased to announce arestructuring of the inspection side ofthe ABSA organization. With theretirement of Ed Yaremichuk from theposition of Southern RegionalManager, ABSA has taken thisopportunity to further improveprogram delivery. A decision wasmade to move away from a regionalinspection management structure to ahead-office management structurewith appropriate supervisors in theRegional Offices. To this end, onMarch 1st Mike Poehlmann, RPT(Eng), assumed the new post ofManager of Inspections withresponsibility for province-widedelivery of new constructioninspections, field services and qualitysystem certifications.
Mike joined ABSAin October, 1996.He is a 1st ClassPower Engineerwith a NationalBoardCommission andboth "A" and "B"endorsements.Prior to joining
ABSA, Mike was a boiler andpressure vessel inspector inSaskatchewan and prior to that, ChiefEngineer of a first class steam plant.He has been ABSA's Manager,Education and Certification sinceApril 1, 2001. Before that he was anintegral part of the delivery of ABSA'sowner-user program. Mike is wellrespected by Managers and staffalike for his energy, enthusiasm andknowledge.
Bernie Hurst,moves from hisformer position asNorthern RegionalManager to thenewly createdposition ofManager, ProgramDevelopment. Hewill continue to
report to the General Manager andwill work closely with Mike to ensurethat critical program efforts receivegreater attention and focus. Theseinclude:• ABSA’s Quality Management
System• Certification of new owner-users• Development of a proposed
ABSA REORGANIZATIONcertification program forinspection companies, and
• Technical Support
Bernie has excellent functional andtechnical knowledge of ABSAprograms that, along with his industryfocus, will provide strong leadershiptoward the accomplishment of thesecritical program efforts.
The greatest benefits we anticipatefrom the new organiztion structureinclude:• improved consistency in program
delivery province wide - onemanager setting standards andpriorities over all shop, field andQC programs
• greater assistance and clarityregarding technical standardsand support
• greater attention and focus toimportant program efforts
ABSA is committed to providingleadership in pressure-equipmentsafety and it is our opinion that thisnew structure will provide aframework that will enable us toimprove delivery and quality ofservice. v
REGARDING SMALL
BLOWOFF VESSELS
In accordance with Clause 6.5 of CSA B51-97,certain boilers require a blowoff vessel to coolblowoff that is being discharged to a sewer system.
The Administrator has determined that blowoffvessels having a maximum allowable workingpressure up to 1725 kPa (250 psi) with a maximumvolume of 150 litres are exempt from therequirement to have a certificate of inspection,under section 2(2)(c) of the Design, Constructionand Installation of Boilers and Pressure VesselsRegulations.
Although these vessels will no longer require acertificate of inspection, the owner is still requiredto ensure that they meet the requirements of theregulations, and CSA B51, and are in properoperating condition. The ABSA Safety CodesOfficer will continue to check that blowoff vesselsmeet the requirements of CSA B51 and are inproper safe operating condition. As part of thatcheck, the Safety Codes Officer may require thatthe owner open the blowoff vessel and prepare itfor inspection. v
SYNOPSIS OF BOILER AND PRESSURE VESSEL
LAWS, RULES AND REGULATIONS
The National Board has announced it will publish the newestedition of The National Board Synopsis of Boiler and PressureVessel Laws, Rules and Regulations on March 31. The industrypublication was formerly published and distributed by the recentlydissolved Uniform Boiler and Pressure Vessel Laws Society.
The price for the new National Board Synopsis of Boiler andPressure Vessel Laws, Rules and Regulations will be US$100(plus postage and handling). This completely revised publicationwill offer several key informational points for jurisdictions in theUnited States and Canada, including:• boiler and pressure vessel rules for construction and stamping• objects subject to such rules, as well as those subject to field
inspections• inspections required• fees required• jurisdictional contacts, including names, addresses and email
addresses.
Orders for the Synopsis are now being accepted by the NationalBoard. Purchasers can order their copies by calling the orderdepartment at 614.888.2463. Orders can also be submitted viaemail to [email protected] or through Catalog/Click2Orderon the National Board Web site. v
The Pressure News Page 4 Volume 8, Issue 1, March 2003
ABSA OFFICES
E dmonton - Head Office #200, 4208 - 97th StreetEdmonton, Alberta T6E 5Z9Tel (780) 437-9100Fax (780) 437-7787
Calgary Tower 3, #590 1212-31st Avenue N.E.Calgary, Alberta T2E 7S8Tel (403) 291-7070Fax (403) 291-4545
Fort McMurray #204, 9913 Biggs AvenueFort McMurray, Alberta T9H 1S2Tel (780) 714-3067Fax (780) 714-2380
Grande Prairie #203, 10109 - 97th AvenueGrande Prairie, Alberta T8V 0N5Tel (780) 538-9922Fax (780) 538-9400
Lethbridge #300, 515 - 7th Street SouthLethbridge, Alberta T1J 2G8Tel (403) 381-5465Fax (403) 327-2483
Medicine Hat #103, 346 - 3rd Street S.E.Medicine Hat, Alberta T1A 0G7Tel (403) 529-3514Fax (403) 529-3632
Red Deer #402, 4406 Gaetz AvenueRed Deer, Alberta T4N 3Z6Tel (403) 341-6677Fax (403) 341-3377
St. Paul Please note that our St. Paul office hasbeen closed. All services will be providedthrough the Edmonton Office.
Internet address http://www.absa.ca
CONTENTS
Ed Yaremichuk Retires ................................................................................. 1Flange Gaskets - A Warning to All ............................................................... 1New Fee Schedule ....................................................................................... 1In-Service Pressure Equipment Certification Program Success ................... 2National Board 72nd General Meeting .......................................................... 2ABSA Reorganization ................................................................................... 3Synopsis of B&PV Laws, Rules and Regulations ......................................... 3Regarding Small Blowoff Vessels ................................................................. 3Power Engineer Certificates Suspended ....................................................... 4
This Newsletter is a publication ofAlberta Boilers Safety Association(ABSA). ABSA grants readerspermission to make photocopies ofthis Newsletter for free distribution toemployees and business associates.Articles may be copied in part or inwhole provided credit be given toABSA.
Canadian PublicationAgreement No.
1470019
Alberta Boilers Safety Association#200, 4208-97 StreetEdmonton, AlbertaT6E 5Z9
As one of its delegated functions,ABSA investigates incidents andaccidents to determine their causesand to identify appropriate actions toreduce the likelihood of the incidents’being repeated.
Last year, ABSA investigated anincident in which a boiler wasdamaged beyond repair due tooverheating. The investigationfindings indicated the boileroverheated because it was operatedwith the water level in the boiler lowerthan the minimum level required forsafe operation. The incident wasfound to be the result of acombination of factors related to theboiler auxiliary mechanical systemsand to the actions of the supervisingpower engineers.
It is the owner’s responsibility toensure that all pressure equipment isoperated in a safe manner. Thepower engineers in the owner’semploy are responsible for the
supervision, maintenance and safeoperation of the boiler and itsauxiliary systems. As a result of theinvestigation, the owners and thesupervising power engineers wererequired to take some specificactions.
The owners were required to conducta review of their equipment andoperating procedures and to makeany changes that would help preventa recurrence.
Four power engineers involved in theincident were required to successfullychallenge a special examination as ameans of verifying their competency.The examination was made up ofboiler operation and safety questionsand included questions on safetylegislation, codes and standards.Two of the four power engineers didnot pass the examination. As aresult, their power engineercertificates were suspended pendingfurther examination. v
POWER ENGINEER CERTIFICATES SUSPENDED
