Risk Based Assessment
hrl: risk based inspection program has been optimised to minimise the risk of pressure equipment failure and associated business interruption.
Pressure plant can be divided into the following component groupings for easier handling:-
- Boiler Plant
- Feed Heating and Condensing Plant
- Auxiliary Pressure Vessels
- Safety Valves
- Large Bore Piping
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The fundamental role of a risk assessment (RA) is to identify any risks associated with the operation of equipment and to determine the severity of this risk to health and safety, business interruption (i.e. lost production), financial loss (i.e. through damage resulting in repair and/or replacement), and risk to the environment. Once identified and quantified these risks must be reduced to a level that is as low as is practically possible and attainable.
The steps employed in Risk Based Inspection are as follows:-
1. Determine the possible failure mechanisms that may affect the integrity and reliability of a plant item.
2. Determine the likelihood (probability) that a particular failure mechanism may be operative.
3. Determine the consequence if a failure eventuated.
4. Determine Risk based on Risk being the product of the Likelihood multiplied by Consequence.
5. Develop an inspection plan that will reduce risk where the calculated risk is deemed to be unacceptable. The effectiveness of past inspections influences the present assessed risk and correspondingly, future risk will be influenced by future inspection activities and in this way RBI can be used to mitigate any unacceptable risks to an acceptable level.
The RBI strategy employed by hrl: is similar to that given in AS/NZS 3788 and API 580.