Industry Survey of Risk-Based Life Management Practices

The application of risk-based life management practices has generated considerable interest in industry. Plant safety and availability can be demonstrably improved through the application of risk-based methods alongside good plant management practices. The needs for and the experience of risk-based plant life management however, vary greatly across industry sectors. The principles of risk-based methods are documented and many risk-based techniques are widely available, but the practical interpretation of the principles and the use of the most appropriate techniques are subjects of great debate. This paper will identify technical and organisational requirements to implement risk-based methods. As part of this paper, a questionnaire survey has been carried out among companies to gain better understanding of the reality of plant life management and the needs of plant operators. This survey indicates that the benefits of risk-based methods for inspection (RBI) and maintenance (RBM) optimisation are recognised by different industrial sectors. There appears to be a lack of established and documented uniform RBI/RBM policy or guidance for application throughout the industry sectors. There is also an indication of insufficient resources and training to implement risk-based methods. Development of risk-based techniques by a competent team and an integrated user-friendly software based on a sound methodology remain as key issues. A case study is described of the application of RBI to an oil refinery process unit.Copyright © 2002 by ASME