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 […]
There seems to be a lack of clarity regarding the frequency that Mechanical Integrity inspections must be performed on ammonia refrigeration systems and more specifically whether a 5-year MI inspection is required by the PSM regulation. Title 29 CFR §1910.119(j)(4)(iii) requires that “the frequency of inspections and tests of process equipment shall be consistent with applicable manufacturers’ recommendations and good engineering practices, […]
Question: What pieces of equipment in ammonia systems are required to have nameplates? Answer: The quick answer is that all equipment, valves, instruments, appurtenances, etc. should be equipped with nameplates as a best practice. Current codes and standards require nameplates on all major equipment. Here is a quick summary of relevant codes and standards on this topic: […]
I was recently asked the following question: I work for a company that uses anhydrous ammonia for emission control. One thing that I noticed is there wasn’t any information on the tank maintenance (integrity testing of the tank etc). We have maintenance plans for all the components associated with the tank but do you know […]
Question: Does decommissioned ammonia refrigeration equipment need to be inspected as part of the mechanical integrity program if it is still connected to the closed-circuit system, but valved-off and not under pressure? Answer: The fundamental problem with the question is that ammonia refrigeration equipment cannot be decommissioned while it is still directly connected to the closed-circuit […]
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