NaturalGasPipingPressureTesting,Purging,andEquipmentRestarts TenHazardsandHowtoAvoidThem!

ByBryanBaesel&JohnPuskar,P.E. TheDanger Whenevergaspipingisrepaired,extended,ornewlyinstalleditmustbepurged.Therulesandbest practicesforhandlingthesesituationsareoftenmisunderstood,evenbythoseconductingthework. Thishascausedmuchpainandsufferingincludingdeaths,explosions,andthelossofbillionsofdollarsin industrialassets.Thisdocumentseekstoclearupsomemisconceptionsandprovidetheinsightsneeded tomakesurethisworkisdonesafelyatyourfacility.Thisarticlespeakstothreeareasofcodesand standardsthatapplytothesekindsofsituations.TheseareOSHA1910,NFPA54,andtheequipment standardslikeNFPA85orNFPA86. Firstofalltherearetwocodesthatdirectlyapplytothiskindofsituation.ThefirstisOSHA1910.147for lockout/tagoutofhazardousenergysources.Theresbeenalotwrittenaboutthisissueandmost peoplemakesomeattempttocomplywithit,atleastontheelectricalside.Inouropinionitsfollowed religiouslyforelectricalequipment.Itsonlyfollowedlessthanhalfthetimeforgaspiping,steam,and otherthingsthatcouldbedangerousinapipe.Weoftenfindalockonanelectricaldisconnectanda gasvalvethatisjustclosedbutnotlocked.Evenwhenpeopletrytoisolateequipmentcorrectlywefind thattheyoftendonotunderstandtheissuessurroundinglubricatedplugvalvesandtheirneedtobe sealedinordertoholdproperly.Lubricatedplugvalves(whichrepresents60to80%ofnaturalgas pipingsystemvalves)haveasmallgapbetweentheplugandthevalvebody.Ifthesealantisnotapplied annually,asrequiredbycodeandthemanufacturer,gaswillleakpasttheplugevenwhenthevalveisin theclosedposition.Wefindthatmostplantsdonothavetheknowledgeortheequipmenttosealthese andhaveneversealedtheminthelifeofthevalve.Hence,closingorlockingoutavalveinthis conditiondoesnotnecessarilyisolatetheenergysource.Ourwebsite,www.combustionsafety.com, hasapaperspecificallyaboutthisissue. TheothercodethatappliestothisissueisNFPA54(foundatandavailableforpurchasefromthe NationalFireProtectionAssociationswebsite,www.nfpa.org).ThisisalsocalledtheNationalFuelGas Code.Itprovidesallthatyouwouldeverwanttoknowaboutthistopic.Itisaratherlargedocument andtakessometimetostudyandtrulyunderstand.Wefindthatmanyconsultingengineeringfirmsand contractorsdonotunderstanditandinsomecaseshavenotevenheardofit.Weknowthisbecauseof thelackofisolationpoints(i.e.blanks,blinds,pancakes,etc.)andthelackofpurgepointsinstalledin mostindustrialplants.Thereseemstobelittleforethoughtgiventotheactualinstallationofthegas pipeandhowthegaspipewillbeputintoserviceandtheequipmentstartedup.Herearesome highlightsfromNFPA54aboutgettingpipingintoserviceorthemorecomplexmatterofaddingtoan existingsystem.
11699 Brookpark Road - Cleveland, Ohio 44130 - 216.749.2992 - Fax 216.398.8403 www.combustionsafety.com

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10GasPiping&EquipmentStartupHazardsandHowtoAvoid Shownbelowaretenhazardsinvolvedinpurgingnaturalgaspipingandhowtoavoidthem.Thesetips andtechniquesshouldbeincorporatedintoacomprehensivedocumentedprocedurefornaturalgas pipingpurging,pipingsystemdesign,andequipmentstartups. Design/Planning 1.PurgePoints Purgepointsarepipenipplesinstalledatstrategiclocationsinthe pipingsystemforthepurposeofintroducingorremovingnitrogenand naturalgasatvariousstagesoftheprocess. Thesearegenerally1schedule80nippleswithnaturalgasratedball valvesontheends.Itisimportanttoselectlocationsororientations tomakesurethesearenotsusceptibletodamagefromthingslike vehicletraffic(beingrunintowithatowmotororscissorslift). 2.IsolationPoints Youhavetobeverycarefulthatfueltrainsarenotexposedto excessivepressuresthatcandamagecomponentsduringpressure testing.Thiscanbedonewiththeuseoflineblinds.Valvescanbeleft Picture01:TypicalPurgePoint openorleakthroughintheclosedposition.Blindsprovidepositive isolationandeliminatethepossibilityofdamagingdevicesinafuel trainthatarenotratedfortheelevatedtestpressures(likeregulatorsandpressureswitches).Insome casesblindsalsohelptodopressuretestingcorrectlyaspressuretestingcannotbedoneagainstavalve. 3.PipingSupport Duringrepairssectionsofpipingmaybedisconnectedtoallowtheadditionofteesortoinstallblinds.It isimportanttoensurethatadequatepipesupportsexisttoensurethatsectionsofpipewillnotfall whendisconnected.Theclosestsupportmaybeontheothersideofthedisconnectedjoint. 4.Gaskets NFPA54doesnotallowthereuseofflangegasketseveniftheyappeartobeingoodshape.Toensure leakfreejointsitisimportantthatnewgasketsareusedaswellasproperlyratedboltsfortheflanges. Remembertoothatifyouarematingupflanges,itisraisedfacetoraisedfaceandflatfacetoflatface. 5.MaterialSpecifications Itisimportantthatonlyproperratedpipeandfittingsareused.Validatethatreputablesuppliersare usedandmaterialisfreefrommanufacturingandinstallationdefects.Thiswouldincludethingslike pinholesincastfittings,fittingswherethethreadsaremisaligned,andpipethatisnotoftheproper grade.

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Implementation 6.Nitrogen Theairwebreatheis78%NitrogenbuttwofullbreathsofpureNitrogen cankillyou.Thisinertgasisnothingtofoolwith.Makesureeveryone understandsthishazardandmakesurepurgepointsaremarkedand locatedinwellventilatedareas.Also,verifypressureratingsofhoses andregulators;largeliquidnitrogentanksarecapableofproducinghigh dischargepressures.WhendischargingNitrogenthepurgedischarge areasneedtobemonitored.Everyoneinvolvedinthepurgingand pressuretestingneedstobetrainedonthesafehandlingofNitrogen. 7.DischargeLocations Makesurethatpurgeendpointswherenaturalgasmaybereleasedare outsideandatleast25fromanyignitionsource.Haveareasropedoff forsecuritytokeepignitionsources(includingvehicles)andpeople away Picture02:NitrogenTank 8.SamplingDevices Donotuseacombustionfluegasanalyzer;useagoodquality, recentlycalibratedLEL(lowerexplosivelimit)meterduringnatural gasintroductionandremoval.Afourgasmetercanbeusedto monitoroxygenlevelsduringNitrogenpostrepairpurging.Make surethattwoLELmetersareavailable.Stoppingtheprocessdueto instrumentationerrorcancreateahazard.OneLELmetercanbe usedasabarrierprotectorforthepeoplenearthepurgeendpoint andtheotherforusewithatleasta6longsensingtubethatcan monitorconditionsattheactualdischargepoint.Dontactuallystand inharmswayatthedischargepoint.Insteaddoatimedand measureddischargeandthenwiththeflowstoppedcarefully approachtodoanLELcheckintheendofthepurgehose. Picture03:LELMeter

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9.PipingIntegrity Duringrepairsoradditionspipingmay notbeinstalledproperlyordisturbed duringwork.NFPA54requiresthatyou havedocumentationofpressuretesting forneworrepairedpipingsystemsprior tointroducingnaturalgas.Theresultsof thesetestsshouldberetainedforthelife ofthepipingsystem.Anysectionof pipingthathasundergonerecent additionsorrepairsshouldbeevaluatedif notestrecordsexist.Ourfirmhas Picture04:TestLocation establishedasabestpracticetheuseof pressurechartrecorders.Thesepaperandpenbatterypoweredrecorderscomewithverysmall pressureincrementgradations(1psig)andprovideexcellentrecordsofpressureandholdtimesoftests. 10.EmergencyIsolation Duringthereintroductionofnaturalgasafterthepostrepairpurgeitisimperativethatthenaturalgas valvesourcevalvebecontinuouslyattendedduringthereintroductionprocess.Communicationwith thisindividualshouldbecontinuouslymaintained.Ifaproblemisdetectedthesupplyofnaturalgascan beimmediatelyisolated.Inaddition,valvesshouldbeserviced,handlesinstalled,andvalvefunction verified. Anytimenaturalgaspipingsystemsaredesignedorworkedonthesepotentialhazardsshouldbe evaluatedandaddressed.Whiletheprocessisnotsimple,itcanbecompletedsafelyifplannedand properlyimplemented. Ourfirmdoesreviewsofpipingsystems,consultingforstartups,andactualhandsonpressuretesting andstartupofnaturalgaspipingsystemsandgasfiredequipment.Ournewwebsite, www.purgesafe.comcanshowyoumoreaboutwhatsavailable.Ifyoushouldhaveanyquestions pleasecallusat2167492992orcontactusonourwebsitewww.combustionsafety.com. AbouttheAuthors: BryanBaeselholdsaBachelorsdegreeinMechanicalEngineeringfromOhioUniversity.Heisthe EngineeringManageratCombustionSafetyIncandservesontheNFPA86(StandardsforOvensand Furnaces)andNFPA85(Boilers)committees.Hehasparticipatedinandormanagedover1,000fuel traininspectionsinmanydifferentindustriesandcountries. JohnPuskar,P.E.holdsaBachelorsdegreeinMechanicalEngineeringfromYoungstownStateUniversity andisthePrincipalofCombustionSafetyInc.HeservesasanalternateonNFPA86andASMECSD1 committeesandisalsoontheNFPA85committee.Hehasbeenpracticingforover28yearsandisa licensedProfessionalEngineerinseveralstates.