7: Process/Manufacturing Equipment Issue
Definition/Typical Issues
Did variations in the performance of process or manufacturing equipment cause the problem? Was there a performance gap for process or manufacturing equipment? Did process or manufacturing equipment vary from the design intent?
Examples of items coded under this node include:
- Valves (including relief valves)
- Piping
- Pumps
- Reactors
- Tanks
- Vessels
- Agitators
- Controls
- Indicators
- Switches
- Computers (this node only addresses computer hardware; software is addressed by Node #8)
- Displays
- Flares
- Conveyors
Note 1: Utilities are coded under the Utility/Support Equipment Issue (#10) node.
Note 2: Equipment that is not used in the manufacturing process is addressed under the Other Equipment Issue (#11) node.
Note 3: This node only addresses the hardware portion of the computer system. Computer software issues are addressed under the Software Issue (#8) node.
Examples
Example 1
- A spill to the environment occurred because a valve in the processing system failed. The valve failed because it was not designed for the environment in which it operated.
Example 2
- A valve in the processing equipment failed because the designer used obsolete materials requirements. Leakage through the failed valve resulted in a spill to the containment dike.
Example 3
- A process upset occurred because one of the flow streams was out of specification. The design input did not indicate all of the possible flow rates for the process. The pump was incorrectly sized for the necessary flow requirements.
Example 4
- A process equipment line ruptured because a gasket failed. The gasket was constructed of the wrong material because the design did not consider all of the possible chemicals that would be in the line during different operating conditions. A chemical that was not considered caused the gasket to fail.
Example 5
- During the past year, the failure rate for the process feed pumps has doubled. Maintenance records are inadequate to determine why any of the failures occurred. Work records just say that the pumps were repaired.
Example 6
- A number of processing equipment pump bearings have recently failed. Predictive maintenance was selected as the appropriate type of maintenance for the pump bearings during the maintenance program design. However, no procedure was developed to perform the monitoring of the pump bearings. As a result, the predictive maintenance activity was never implemented.
Example 7
- A process system line needed to be rerouted during installation to go around existing equipment, but this was not on the layout drawing. The reroute created a low point in the line that allowed contaminants to accumulate. Later, the pipe failed in this low section.
Example 8
- Field personnel could not determine from the installation package how to connect the power to a new drill press. They decided to connect it in the same way as others in the facility even though this drill press had a different manufacturer than the rest. As a result of the incorrect connection, the drill press control system was damaged.
Example 9
- To save money, a drill press was purchased to mix chemicals in a lab. The slowest speed on the drill press was still too fast for proper mixing of materials. As a result, technicians were routinely splattered with chemicals while using the drill press.
Example 10
- The computer for the plant control system failed when a circuit board in the computer failed.
Typical Recommendations
- Ensure that equipment is fit for its current use.
- Perform hazard assessments of equipment during its design and after the design is completed.
- Develop procedures for operation of equipment.
- Make original equipment manufacturer's manuals readily available.
- Design equipment with the end use in mind.
- Lay out equipment in the order in which it is used.
- Develop design specifications for computer hardware.
Cross-References
| Maritime Element(s) | |
|---|---|
| Node ID | Node Name |
| 2 | Machinery/Equipment |