Inspection Action Steps

1- Work Request And Work Order

-Work request is issued by production department in order to repair or replace

equipment or a piece of the equipment.
-Maintenance reviews each request for completeness of information and verifies
the authority of the person approving the request.
-If additional information is required, maintenance returns the request to the
originator, giving reasons for the action.
-Maintenance assigns priorities and estimates the hours required for completion.
-Maintenance draw a work order for each work.
-If safety work permit is required, the foreman sends the work order to the Safety
Department for safety checks, safety precautions and authorization and, if
necessary, safety assistance during the work.

The work is then performed according to safety precautions.

2-Work Permit

The Safety department receives and analyze work request and work
order.
If additional information is required, the Safety department returns the
documents to the originator, giving reasons for the action.

The Work permit is issued and signed by safety department after visual
and instrumental checks of equipment to be maintained and
environment status.

The work permit defines safety conditions for maintenance operations

and, at the end of the work, it is used to indicate that the equipment is
safe and ready for use Various forms, tickets, logs, and schedules are
used to provide input, collect data, display data, indicate output, etc..
 The document authorises access to the machinery and equipment in
the plant. Only standards work permits forms must be used.

3-Inspection activates
EXAMPLE: ABSORBER COLUMN

Frequency of Inspections.

Column must be inspected and tested before being placed in service and
after any alteration or major repair.

The next inspection must be performed within 2 years, and the interval of
subsequent inspections must not exceed 5 years.

Where deterioration is shown to be rapid in any part of a vessel, the

inspection and testing interval will be shorter.

Hydrostatic test shall be made when recommended by the qualified

person performing the inspection.

Pre Inspections activities.

A review of the known history of the column should be performed. This

should include a review of information such as:

Operating conditions;

Date of last inspection;

Code Symbol stamping or mark of code of construction;

Serial number and materials of construction;

Records of wall thickness surveys, especially on columns where

corrosion is a problem.

Inspection Procedure.

The inspection may be external, internal, or both and use a variety of

non-destructive examination techniques. The inspection may be
 performed with the column in service or depressurised, but should provide
the necessary information that allows an adequate assessment of the
column.

External examination

1- Ensure That All Permit(s) to Work Involving Maintenance Activities are

available.

Check with Permit Issuing Authority

2- Check ladders and platforms status.

3- Install scaffolds around the column .

The scaffold is necessary to reach all point of the column.

4- Check cover sheet / insulation status.

It may be advisable to investigate the condition of the metal in case
of cover sheet/insulation degradation.

5- Check for evidence of leakage.

Any leakage should be investigated.

6- Check column connections.

Handholes, reinforcing plates, nozzles, or other connections should be
examined for cracks, deformations, or other defects. Bolts and nuts
should be checked for corrosion or defects. Weep holes in reinforcing
plates should remain open to provide visual evidence of leakage as well
as to prevent pressure buildup between the column and the reinforcing
plate.
7- Check welded joints.
Welded joints and the adjacent affected zones should be examined for
cracks or other defects. Magnetic particle and liquid penetrant
examination (at ambient temperature) are an useful means of
examining suspect areas.
Thickness Survey
The external inspection provides information regarding the overall condition
of the column. A thickness survey of the column shell and dished heads
should be performed and documented by a certified inspector using
ultrasonic testing equipment. The ultrasonic testing equipment should be
properly calibrated and have a waveform display with peak-to-peak
measurement mode capability and an accuracy of 0.1 mm. It is important
check the thickness every time in the same position.

Before entering any column, take the following precaution:

(General information)
(This work is carried out by the Operation Personnel).
Use air to purge column and headers from nitrogen used during purging
operation.
Nitrogen is not toxic, but it will not allow respiration;
Make sure that all inlet and outlet lines are closed and locked.
(Very important)
Never enter inside a column without a man stationed outside the column to
provide assistance, if necessary;
Use reduced voltage lighting;
Check the ambient condition inside the column;
Make sure the area to be entered is adequately ventilated;
Internal Examination
1- Open internal manhole on the tray. (Operation Personnel).
2- Install internal scaffolds (if necessary).(this job already done in inspection
workbook)
Perform a general internal inspection to identify possible problems.
The type of corrosion/erosion (pitted or uniform), its location, and any
obvious conditions should be established.
Data collected for equipment in similar service will aid in locating and
analyzing corrosion in. the column being inspected
The liquid level lines, the bottom, and the shell area adjacent to and
opposite inlet nozzles are often locations of most severe corrosion.
Welded seams and nozzles and areas adjacent to welds are often subjected
to accelerated corrosion.
3- Check the internal welds.
Generally, some type of surface preparation will be required prior to the
use of these examination methods.
These examination methods include: magnetic particle examination, liquid
penetrant examination, ultrasonic examination, radiography, eddy current
examination, visual examination, metallographic examination, and acoustic
emission
These examination techniques should be performed by experienced and
qualified individuals.
The type and amount of nondestructive examination should be determined
by the inspector.
4- Check demister for cleanliness.
5- Remove demister if necessary.
6- Check chimney and chimney trays.
7- Check the sieve trays.
8- Check the supports of the trays.
9- Check water inlet baffle.
10- Check vortex breaker.

Pressure testing

Perform pressure test. Only if necessary

Pressure testing is not normally part of a periodic column inspection.
However, a pressure test may be required when the inspection discloses
unusual, hard to evaluate forms of deterioration that may affect the safety
factor of the column.
A pressure test may also be necessary after certain repairs and alterations
have been made to the column.
Any repairs or alterations to a column will require recertification of the
column. On the column is indicated the required pressure during hydrostatic
test.
The only acceptable medium for pressure testing of repaired column is
hydrostatic testing of the column.
It should be noted that any other medium for column pressure tests is
prohibited (such as pneumatic testing by using air compressors to build up
the pressure inside a column) because this sets up the potential for an
explosion.

Post Inspections activities

1) Maintain a permanent record for each column. This record should have an
introduction page that includes the following information:

2) A column data report (first internal inspection).

Manufacturer's Serial Number.
Owner-User's Identification Number.
Column dimensional data (width, height, diameter, etc.).
Material of construction.
 Original wall thickness data for column.
Original code of construction including NDT tests method.
Safety factor computed from original code of construction.
Complete pressure relieving device information, including safety or safety
relief valve spring data or rupture disk data, and the date of the latest
inspection.

3) Progressive record including, but not limited to, the following:

The location and thickness of monitor samples and other critical inspection
locations, including locations and results of metal thickness surveys.
The limiting metal temperature and the location on the column when this is
a factor in determining the minimum allowable thickness.
The computed required metal thicknesses and the maximum allowable
working pressure for the design temperature and pressure relieving device
opening pressure.
The scheduled date of the next inspection.
The date of installation and the date of any significant change in service
conditions (pressure, temperature, character of contents, or rate of
corrosion)
Drawings showing sufficient details to permit calculation of the service
rating of all components on columns used in process operations subject to
corrosive conditions. Detailed data with sketches, where necessary, may
serve this purpose.
This document prepared based on ((COMPANY DOC. No. J-51-M-M-0001-00 MAINTENANCE
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