IdentificationOfEquipmentForMaintenance.ppt

7/29/2019 IdentificationOfEquipmentForMaintenance.ppt

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Identification of equipment

for maintenance

An lpb toolbox talk


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Identification of equipment

for maintenance

There are numerous cases of incidents occurring because

equipment given to maintenance has not been properly identified.

Yet these could have easily been avoided.


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Case 1: Mistaken identity

There were three crystallisers on a plant and a fourth was under

construction.

Two of them were labelled B and C, but the label on the third wasmissing and the label on the fourth had not yet been fitted.

A maintenance fitter was asked to remove an instrument from

item A.


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The crystallisers were

arranged as shown:

Which would you say is A?

? (Old) B (Old)

C (Old) ? (New)


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The fitter went out onto the plant and saw the labels on B and C.

He logically assumed that the other old crystalliser was A and that

the new one, which still had scaffolding round it, would be D.

He therefore removed the level controller from the old unlabelled

crystalliser.


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In fact the old, original items were labelled B, C and D and the

new one was to be labelled A. When the plant was built, space

was left for a possible future crystalliser and the letter A was left

for it.

Fortunately, the mistake was discovered before anyone was

injured or any equipment damaged.


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Case 2: Wrong joint broken

A process supervisor phoned a shift fitter and asked him to come

over and remake a joint. He expected the fitter to report to him

but did not actually tell him to do so.

The fitter went to the control room and reported to a process

worker.

The process worker assumed the fitter had seen the supervisorand that he had come to break a joint another job that had to be

done. He showed the joint to the fitter.


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The fitter broke the joint and a jet of liquid came out.


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Case 2: Wrong joint broken

No permit to work had been issued and the joint was not tagged.

Issuing a permit-to-work would not have prevented liquid coming

out of the joint when it was broken but the supervisor knew thatliquid might be trapped under pressure; he would have put this on

the permit and would have asked for protective clothing to be

worn.


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Case 3: Flying saucers

have landed!

A welder was given a permit to modify a pipeline; however he

started to weld on the wrong line.

The line he was actually welding was a common vent line from

three storage tanks containing a flammable liquid.

The tanks were not blanketed with nitrogen so there was an

explosive mixture in the vent pipe.

The mixture ignited, the explosion travelled back along the ventpipe to the three tanks and their roofs were blown off.


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An old lady living half a mile away telephoned the police to tell

them, Martians have landed a few fields away from my cottage.


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Things to remember

Equipment which is given to maintenance should be clearly

identified. If there is no permanent label it must be identified by

fitting a numbered tag to the equipment and putting the tag on the

clearance certificate.

If a pipeline is to be modified the numbered tag should be fitted tothe pipeline at the point where it is to be cut or welded.

Showing the equipment to the maintenance people or pointing it

out is not sufficient.

However busy we are, do not take short cuts when preparing

equipment for maintenance. Stick to the rules.


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Further information

BP Process Safety Series: Control of Work (available from

www.icheme.org/shop)

ICI Safety Newsletters (downloaded from www.icheme.org/shop )
http://www.icheme.org/shophttp://www.icheme.org/shophttp://www.icheme.org/shophttp://www.icheme.org/shop


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Disclaimer

Whilst the Institution of Chemical Engineers has made every

effort to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this

training presentation, it remains the responsibility of those

responsible for the operations to ensure that the regulations andguidance issued by the authorities are consulted, that an

appropriate risk assessment is carried out and that appropriate

procedures are stipulated and followed.

IdentificationOfEquipmentForMaintenance.ppt

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