Mechanical Integrity 101 | Oil Separators

Next time you are performing a Mechanical Integrity Inspection of an Oil Separator be sure to check the tightness of the nuts being used to fasten the manway access to the Oil Separator. Recently, I received this picture illustrating what vibration can do to a nut over an extended period of time. Thankfully, the design of the Oil Separator is such that the pressure inside the separator provides a seal to the manway. Nevertheless, this is an undesirable circumstance. If checking the nut tightness periodically doesn’t provide adequate peace-of-mind, another option is to double-nut each manway nut to prevent loosening due to vibration.