Mechanical Integrity Quality Assurance (MIQA)

INTRODUCTION

Mechanical Integrity is the programmatic implementation of activities necessary to ensure that important equipment will be suitable for its intended application throughout the life of an operation. MI programs vary according to industry, regulatory requirements, geography and plant culture. A practical MI program will fit within a facility’s existing process safety and RMPs as well as other improvement initiatives (e.g., reliability, quality). Quality assurance of the Mechanical Integrity program begins with the procurement of reputable engineering firms that design the facility and its layout and selection of fabrication/installation contractors that construct and assemble the equipment and systems on the structure. It continues when vendors, manufacturers and/or production personnel calibrate and commission the facility. Personnel charged with developing and administering the MIQA program can optimize the process by taking advantage of existing programs and by knowing which people and groups of people are responsible for related activities. Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) is a tool used to achieve desired system output with optimal maintenance input. RCM is a systematic, logical approach to prioritize and assign preventive maintenance (PM) tasks that are applicable (i.e., can truly reduce failure potential) and effective (i.e., are worth doing).

MIQA interfaces with other safety element :

• Equipment Reliability: An MIQA program is the foundation of a plant’s reliability program. Reliability program activities (e.g., vibration monitoring, equipment quality control) contribute to MIQA.
• Workforce Involvement: Employees from various departments have input into the MIQA program.
• Operating Procedures: Operating procedures may cover MIQA-related activities, such as equipment surveillance as part of operator rounds, reporting operating anomalies, recording historical equipment operating data and preparing equipment for maintenance.
• Hazard Identification and Risk Analysis: HIRAs, also known as process hazard analyses (PHAs), can help define the equipment scope for the MIQA program and prioritize MIQA activities. MIQA history can help HIRA teams determine the adequacy of safeguards.
• Management of Change (MOC): MOC applies to MIQA activities and documents (e.g., new or modified equipment, changes to task frequencies and procedures). MOC review teams can include process and MIQA personnel. The MOC program may be upgraded to help manage equipment deficiencies.
• Emergency Management: Emergency response equipment needs to be inspected and maintained.
• Incident Investigation: MIQA records may be needed by investigation teams and Investigation recommendations may impact MIQA activities.
• Training: MIQA training is an overview of the process and its hazards can be consistent with the content of the operator training program.

Safety Incidents Relevance Forty-six percent of the largest losses in facilities are due to the failure of one PSM program element — mechanical integrity. The most recent update shows piping failures and leaks, cryogenic plant equipment failure, and weather conditions as major causes.

Safety Incidents due to QA failure There is a lot of issues involving mechanical integrity such as design failure, fabrication failure, maintenance failure, equipment deficiency management and others.

Incidents due to Procurement failure Use of a liquid chlorine transfer hose made of similar-looking stainless steel braid instead of Hastelloy C led to corrosion and hose failure resulting in a (22,000 kg) chlorine release during railcar unloading. Both user and hose vendor quality management systems were found to be inadequate.

Incident during equipment delivery A vendor made a change to a gasket on a gaseous chlorine strainer. The gasket was now designed for a new strainer model. The vendor updated its specification; however, a user of the older model strainer was not notified of the change by the vendor. The difference in gaskets was not caught during receiving. Installers noticed that the new strainer gasket was different. It subsequently failed a leak test.

Benefits

An MIQA program can expect benefits in the following areas:

• Safety of people, technology & business
• Asset reliability
• Cost avoidance (including safety, environmental, and financial costs)
• Regulatory compliance and industry association commitments
• Reduced liability and reduced damage to corporate reputation

Send us your enquiry to info@thesafetymaster.com or speak to our expert at +917665231743 

Incident Investigation by TheSafetyMaster

TheSafetyMaster™ conducts accident investigation or incident investigation for their clients and provides training and consultancy services in this field

Let’s overview steps of accident investigation

·       

           Identify the incident

The first step in conducting a successful incident investigation is to recognize when an incident has occurred so that it can be investigated appropriately.

The heart of the issue is that members of an operating investigation team all share a common language that supports their investigation objectives efficiently and accurately.

·        

     Investigation Team

The second step in conducting a thorough investigation is to assemble a qualified team to determine and analyze the facts of the incident. This team’s charter, using appropriate investigative techniques and methodologies, is to reveal the true underlying root causes.

·      

      Investigative Techniques

Fault Tree - Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) provides a structured method for determining the causes of an incident. The fault tree itself is a graphic model that displays the various combinations of equipment failures and human errors that can result in an incident.

Fishbone Diagram - The fishbone diagram is a simple tool that allows quick and effective root causes to be understood, in the pursuit of corrective actions. In a fishbone diagram, the various causes are grouped into categories and the causes cascade from the main categories, flowing towards the effect, forming what resembles a fishbone appearance.

·        

     Report Generation

The third step in incident investigation is to generate a report detailing facts, findings & recommendations. Typically, recommendations are written to reduce risk by:

• Improving the process technology

• Upgrading the operating or maintenance procedures or practices and upgrading the management systems.

After the investigation is completed and the findings and recommendations are issued in the report, a system must be in place to implement those recommendations.

·       Hazard Evaluation

     Basic fundamentals for near miss reporting, incident, emergency, crisis, hazard identification, Risk Evaluation by What if checklist, Bowtie, FMEA shall be covered.

·       Incident Investigation

     Any safety management system requires a clear governance and management organization without which system can’t be effective. In this session how to form a risk-based governance structure for II shall be covered with RACI of each member shall be explained for II Subcommittee

·        Investigation procedure

     Steps how investigations and root cause analysis (RCA) are performed. It explains the importance of near miss and incident reporting and investigation as a proactive tool to control risk before losses/harm occur. This will also develop understanding of investigations, including reporting & how to interview

·         

      Root Cause analysis

      Analyzing data for all human physical or system factors. Determining ALL root causes of each factor. Identifying root causes using the Root Cause “Fishbone Diagram” & “Fault Tree Analysis” techniques.

·         

      Report & Communication

      Report preparation through a case exercise shall be covered with a focus on employer information, incident details, description, root cause analysis, sequence of events, team structure, factors, nature of injury and many more points. All formats shall be shared. Further how-to communication and take action on preventive and corrective actions

·         

     Case Studies

Each topic shall be covered with lots of case studies, group exercises, interaction and experience sharing.

Send us your enquiry to info@thesafetymaster.com or speak to our expert at +917665231743 for getting above services today to achieve safety goals.

Process Safety Management by TheSafetyMaster

Process Safety Management in the Chemical Industry

Chemical Industry is one of the most critical industries that brings with it unique conditions that need to be properly cared for. While safety procedures in other industries are advisable they are absolutely mandatory in the Chemical Industry.

Nobody wants a repeat of major PSM incidents (Process Safety Management) like Chernobyl (the tragic Russian Chemical Industry accident) or another Union Carbide Bhopal Gas leak tragedy. Laws are very strict for high risk industries as life and health of hundreds of citizens is directly related to them.

TheSafetyMaster™, partners with such high risk driven Chemical industries to ensure safety of its employees, environment and general public.

There is wide range of dangers in the Chemical Industry that includes: accidental inhaling of poisonous gas, burning with acid, inhalation of dust or vapors of harmful gases, accidental pollution of air/ water/ land due to leaks or incompetent safety management procedures.

With a population dense country like India process safety in chemical industry is necessary.

There is science behind Process Safety Management System that involves proper diagnostic procedures, data fed-driven systems, testing tools, engineering solutions for process safety and dynamic real time results with in depth analysis.

At TheSafetyMaster™ we work passionately for the safety of people working in chemical industry as well as the ones directly or indirectly associated with it. We provide Process Safety Management Training and Process Safety Management System Implementation and Certification to the employees of our clients empowering them with critical know-how and information of all the safety procedures that must be followed in case of emergencies as well as on general day to day basis.

As a globally respected company, TheSafetyMaster™ provides complete solutions for process safety in the Chemical Industry. We promote the culture of safety, preparedness and risk mitigation to build an environment of trust, security and safety for every person working in this high risk industry. This culture of safety and preparedness is our motivation that leads us to provide supreme solutions in form of fire safety system, operational risk management system and risk mitigation system. Among our clients is the reputed DCM Shriram, Aurobindo Pharma, Atlas Copco, SRF, Honda, Amazon, SRF, Cadila Health Care Limited and many others.

Apart from Chemical Industry we serve other industries too that include automobile industry, food and beverages industry, FMCG industry, Oil and Gas industry, Logistics industry, Petrochemical industry, Pharmaceutical industry and construction/ building industry etc.

To know more about the Process Safety Management in industries you can join our knowledge pool for free by registering on our website. We provide easy and free access to informational material like Technical safety papers, newsletters, product sheets, safety downloads, blogs, frequently asked questions and relevant recent articles about process safety procedures used worldwide. We keep you updated with the latest advancements in the process safety management system taking place all around the globe. 

Visit our site www.thesafetymaster.com for more information or call us at tel: +91-7665231743 or write us to info@thesafetymaster.com  to know more about us or book an appointment with our team.