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Personnel
The Responsible Engineer should authorize tests above normal working pressure.
Persons supervising pressure or leak tests must have sufficient knowledge and
professional experience of testing to fully understand the hazards of the activity and
the precaution which must be taken.
Communication
Effective communication, including formal procedures, must be established between sites
whenever the test envelope extends beyond one site, for example, pipelines.
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Wherever possible, warnings of an imminent pressure test shall be broadcast.
The test area shall be checked immediately prior to testing in order to ensure that
only essential personnel are present inside the barrier.
Throughout the test, the test area boundaries shall be patrolled to ensure that no
unauthorised personnel enter the area.
Permit to Work
Testing shall normally be carried out under the Permit to Work system. However,
where testing is carried out regularly and routinely in purposely-designated
facilities, a Permit to Work may not be required provided that written procedures
that include safety requirements are produced and adhered to.
Test Equipment
Pressuring equipment shall be provided with suitably calibrated pressure control /
regulator devices.
Suitably calibrated pressure indicating device(s) shall be provided in a location
clearly visible to the person controlling the pressure. Account should be taken of
pressure variation caused by elevation changes inside the envelope.
Pressuring equipment shall not be left unattended at any time during the test.
Pressuring equipment shall be isolated from the equipment under test and where
practicable disconnected, when the test pressure has been reached. The pressurising
valve should be locked in the closed position.
Pressure Envelope
A Competent Person shall inspect the equipment to be tested, prior to testing, to
ensure the equipment to be tested is free from any obvious flaws
The volume of equipment under test must be kept as small as possible so to
minimize the stored energy within the pressurized system.
Care must be taken to ensure that materials of construction have the required
ductility at the test temperature to prevent brittle fracture.
Hazard and risk identification shall, as a minimum, consider:
o the stability of components such as expansion joints and spring hangers
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o any interfaces with lower pressure systems or equipment (including heat
exchangers) and must ensure measures are in place to ensure that such
systems cannot be over-pressurised
o any connected high pressure equipment such as pulsation dampers and
accumulators.
Checks should be carried out to ensure that any attachments unable to withstand the
test pressure have been removed or isolated, e.g. gauges, instruments, sight-glasses,
etc.
Isolations
Blanking devices such as spades, blinds and screwed plugs, etc. shall conform to
the equipment specification. For plugs up to 1-1/2” NB, at least 7 to 8 threads must
be engaged.
Where testing is carried out against closed valves it must be assumed that the valves
leak, and downstream equipment must be protected against subsequent over
pressuring. This should be done by opening of suitable vents or by monitoring of
downstream pressures.
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respect to thermal expansion of liquids in a closed system.
The possibility of a further pressure increase due to thermal expansion should be
considered in the case of an extended test.
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Guidelines for Pneumatic Testing
In view of the danger due to the large amount of energy stored in the pressurized
system, pneumatic pressure testing is only permitted with written approval of the
Site Manager. It should be carried out only under the direct supervision of
competent inspection personnel or a senior engineer who will also prepare written
procedures for the work prior to it being carried out.
The equipment/plant to be pressure tested must be subjected to thorough
examination prior to testing. It may be necessary to 100% inspect all welds using
visual, radiographic or other NDT techniques (see section 3).
Except where it is required to meet design code or statutory requirements for
pressure testing, the test pressure should be limited to 10% above maximum
allowable working pressure. Pressure shall be increased gradually in small
increments. Close examination of equipment/plant shall be carried out only when
pressure has been reduced to maximum allowable working pressure.
During any pneumatic test, if the test pressure is above the maximum allowable
working pressure, or the pressurising source could exceed maximum allowable
working pressure, a pressure relief valve shall be fitted to the test equipment, set to
relieve marginally above the test pressure, and of adequate discharge capacity to
relieve the volume supplied by the pressuring source to a safe area.
The gas supply must be isolated when test pressure has been achieved.
Precautions should be taken to avoid chilling of gas during filling and emptying
vessels and overheating by rapid pressurization.
The pressure envelope must contain sufficient vents, to a safe location, to ensure
depressurising can be done safely and without adverse thermal effects.
De-pressurization after pneumatic testing must be gradual.
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never exceed 110% of the maximum allowable working pressure.
Note: Proposed leak test pressure may be above the system pressure safety
valve setting. In such cases it is acceptable to test to 1.5 barg lower than
the pressure safety valve setting.
Leak testing shall preferably use an inert liquid. Non-hazard gas may be used if a
justification is developed and recorded. In any event, the use of a flammable/toxic
test medium requires the Site Manager’s written approval.
Leakage detection may be visual, measurement of pressure/vacuum decay, audible
or electronic devices or fluorescent dyes, etc.
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o Inert gas must be vented to an area where personnel cannot be affected by it.
Consideration must be given to the flushing and preserving of systems that are not
being taken back into re-use immediately.
RECORDS
All pressure / leak test results shall be formally certificated and recorded where necessary
and all certificates included with the relevant equipment records.
CONTRACTORS
In cases where pressure / leak testing is contracted to a specialist third party, the contract
shall, as a minimum, specify the need to observe the requirements of this procedure and in
addition the:
roles and responsibilities of the relevant client and contractor personnel
authority for approval of procedures
required competency of the contractor personnel and the means of controlling
compliance
keeping of test records
means of monitoring the contractor’s safety management system.