Updated Failure Rates and Risk Management in Process Industries

Abstract

In process industries more and more decisions are “risk based”, such as equipment inspection, maintenance and management of change. Risk assessment is, in turn, based on the “Failure Rates”. For process plants, where Major Accident Hazard Legislation is enforced, even competent authorities’ decisions, such as licensing and land use planning LUP, are “risk based” and, consequently, driven by Failure Rates. The Failure Rates currently in use for process equipment derive, basically from, a few large systematic studies conducted in the Sixties and Seventies on failure frequencies and modes. Many new materials, new production and management methods have been introduced and their effects on aging mechanisms on a large scale are still unknown. A few major multinational companies have proprietary failure databases, which are supposed to be up to date, both most companies, as well as Authorities, have to trust in public domain Failure Rates, which are poor and generic and could drive to questionable decisions. A few European Competent Authorities are trying to face the problem, by stating a set of trusted Failure Rates, suitable just for LUP. INAIL, as in charge for pressure equipment control throughout Italy, is gathering data for updating generic failure frequencies. The project is aiming to provide a sound knowledge base about pressure equipment failure rates and modes, in order to support the Risk Management by both industry and Authorities.

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