Risk Based Inspection (RBI) assists in understanding the likelihood and consequence of component failure and provides a systemised program to manage plant safety and integrity. It enables the user to establish an inspection regime that reduces risk to as low as reasonably practicable.
Risk Based Inspection Programs
Is your Risk Based Inspection (RBI) program still relevant?
Challenges
Those responsible for maintaining and managing the integrity of plant have for many years been applying a RBI philosophy. The implementation of a RBI strategy has:
- focused inspection activities on the most at-risk areas of plant
- saved time and money by only inspecting areas shown to have a medium to high probability of failure, thereby improving safety and operational reliability, and reducing the risk of environmental accidents.
While RBI has served Australian power and process industries well, for many operators it may be time to re-evaluate this strategy in the light of ageing plant, changes to plant operation, such as base-load to cycling, and emerging advanced NDT and metallurgical assessment techniques.
Solutions
HRL has a team of experienced engineers that over the past twenty years has provided RBI advice and implemented systems for clients in a range of industries with high-value, high-risk assets. RBI services provided include:
- auditing of current inspection programs where an independent critical review is undertaken that reappraises the risk ranking process used in the original RBI evaluation and reviews past inspection results to determine any emerging issues
- review of RBI reporting procedures in line with current legislation and Australian standards
- changes to RBI scope if appropriate
- recommendation on advance inspection techniques that should save time and money, and/or improve detection of defects
- extension of inspection intervals if justified, or reductions of them if risks are found to be unacceptable
- an independent review of the inspection techniques program that the company directors can use as a basis for their risk mitigation strategies and governance.
For clients that want to maintain plant condition, efficiency and integrity, the HRL RBI and asset optimisation strategy is a market leader that can ensure a shrinking inspection budget is maximised by applying our expertise in materials, mechanical, combustion and process engineering, using an approach that focuses on where the real issues are.
Benefits
Benefits of a RBI program may include:
- enhancing safety
- avoiding unplanned outages
- eliminating or minimising downtime
- extending plant life
- satisfying regulatory requirements
- reducing operations and maintenance costs
- meeting insurance requirements.
