FOUNDATION PRINCIPLES

ISOLATION
TOPIC 3 CONTENT

Certificate IV in Engineering (Instrumentation)

MEM40105 (WT46)

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 TOPIC 3 - ISOLATION
TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 3
2 Instrument Isolation............................................................................................. 4
2.1 Isolation Introduction .................................................................................. 4
2.2 Process Isolation ....................................................................................... 4
2.2.1 Spool Piece ............................................................................................ 5
2.3 Signal Isolation .......................................................................................... 5
2.4 Electrical Isolation ...................................................................................... 6
2.5 Control System Isolation ............................................................................ 6
2.6 Duty Standby ............................................................................................. 6
3 Plant Shutdowns ................................................................................................. 7
3.1 Scheduled Plant Shutdown ........................................................................ 7
3.2 Unscheduled Plant Shutdown .................................................................... 7
4 Example of Isolation Tags ................................................................................... 8
5 Work Permit ...................................................................................................... 10
5.1 Work Permit Introduction.......................................................................... 10
5.2 What is a Work Permit? ........................................................................... 10
5.2.1 Reduce Risk ........................................................................................ 10
5.2.2 Document ............................................................................................ 11
5.3 Cold Work Permit ..................................................................................... 11
5.4 Hot Work Permit ...................................................................................... 12
5.5 Confined Space Entry Permit ................................................................... 12
5.6 Excavation Permit .................................................................................... 13
5.7 Bypass Certificate .................................................................................... 13
5.8 Blind List and Isolation Diagram ............................................................... 13
5.9 Electrical Isolation Permit ......................................................................... 13
5.10 Limitations on Work ................................................................................. 13
5.11 Responsibility of the Permit Issuer ........................................................... 14
5.12 Responsibility of the Permit Holder .......................................................... 14
5.13 Closing off a Work Permit ........................................................................ 15

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1 INTRODUCTION
The purpose of Topic 3 Isolation is to create a foundation of knowledge on which the
subsequent courses can further built upon to create the level of knowledge required
to successfully complete the Certificate IV in Engineering (Instrumentation).
The purpose of this topic is to get the instrument technician to think about and the
implications to the operation of the plant prior to removing an instrument from
service. Next, we review what work permits are and common terminology used.
Examples of isolation and information tags used in industrial plants are shown.
Your company work permit system and isolation procedures MUST be
followed. If you do not have a work permit, do not do any work on any
instrument connected to a process.
Good luck on this topic. If you have any questions, please contact your assigned
lecturer.

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2 Instrument Isolation
2.1 Isolation Introduction

Prior to isolating any instrument, the instrument technician should consider the
impact that the isolation will have on the process. The instrument technician may
perform four different types of isolations prior to taking an instrument out of service.
There are the process connection, signal connection, electrical power connection,
and the control system overrides they may be required. The work permit system will
not be discussed at this point. The intention is to have you focus on what an
instrument technician should think about above and beyond the work permit system
of your plant.
Before an instrument can be taken out of service for maintenance or replacement,
there are isolation and operational procedures that must be followed. It is critical that
you don’t just focus on the instrument but think about the operational impact the lost
of the instrument signal may have. A Piping and Instrument Diagram (P&ID), if it
shows the control, is very useful is seeing the interrelationships between the loops.
The operator may have to place one or more control loops in manual to avoid
process upset while you are working on the instrument. An instrument technician will
have a much closer relationship with the operators than an electrician or a mechanic.
The PI&D will show the instrument process connection, type of signal, control
functions, but not if the instrument has an external power source. As you develop
experience in instrumentation, you will become familiar with typical power
requirements of the instruments.
Your company work permit system and isolation procedures MUST be
followed. If you do not have a work permit, do not do any work on any
instrument connected to a process.

2.2 Process Isolation

Prior to removing an instrument from a process line, the instrument must be isolated
in accordance with your plant isolation and work permit procedures.
The instrument process connection will be either screwed or flanged. The instrument
may mount in the process line (inline), on the process line, or remote to the process
line.

on
line

Process Pipe inline

remote

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Some typical instrument process connections are:
 Analysers are usually remote mounted with tubing running from the screwed
process connection to a separate analyser panel. Since the transmitter is remote,
it is easy to isolate at various points.
 Pressure transmitters usually have a screwed process connection with the
transmitter mounted on or near the line. A pressure transmitter can measure
pressure, differential pressure, density, level, and flow. For level, the connection
often is flanged with an isolation valve. A pressure gauge is usually mounted with
a manifold on a pipe fitting. There are many variations of mounting for pressure
transmitters depending on the application.
 Flow transmitters/elements such as magmeters, vortex, positive displacement,
etc are inline between flanges. If removal is required, a section of the pipe would
be missing until a new meter or spool piece was installed. There are clamp on
flowmeters on the outside of the pipe but are not as common as inline flow
measurement.
 Flow switches, pitot tubes, annubars, rotameters, etc, usually connect to a
screwed process fitting.
 Temperature transmitters/gauges will have a thermowell inserted into the process
that separates the process from the measuring element. So it is easy to change
out a temperature sensor, such as a RTD or thermocouple, with no impact to the
physical process. The thermowell will have either a screw or flanged process
connection but are rarely changed out.
 Control valves are in the process line. So if required to be removed, then that
section of the line will be down until the valve is replaced or a spool piece
installed. Sometimes, on important lines, there will be a bypass line around the
control valve allowing for the plant to run manually while the control valve is being
changed out. A control valve can be very small (15mm) or very large (crawl
inside).

2.2.1 Spool Piece

If an inline instrument or valve is removed and there is not a replacement instrument,

a spool piece is often used instead. A spool piece is a short section of pipe equal in
length to the instrument/valve that the spool piece is replacing. Using a spool piece is
a temporary arrangement to get the plant back up and running.

2.3 Signal Isolation

Prior to disconnecting an instrument signal line/wiring, the instrument must be must

be isolated in accordance with your work permit procedures AND the operator must
know.
You do not want to just drop out a control signal without confirming the operator is
aware and the necessary control system adjustments have been made.

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2.4 Electrical Isolation

Prior to disconnecting an instrument power supply, the instrument must be isolated in

accordance with your plant isolation and work permit procedures.
Electrical isolation will be required for instruments that are not loop powered and
have a separate power supply. That power supply may be AC or DC and are called
4-Wire transmitters. Most instruments with a separate power supply will be 24VDC,
240VAC, or 120VAC depending on country. It is important for the instrument
technician to follow company procedures in regards to electrical power isolation.
Unless the instrument technician has a dual ticket with electrical, the instrument
technician may be restricted to only working with 48VDC or less and will not be
allowed to perform a 240VAC instrument power isolation.

2.5 Control System Isolation

Your work permit will most likely focus on the process and electrical isolations. As an
instrument technician, you must consider what impact there will be on the control
system. If you are not responsible to look at control logic impacts, at least ensure
yourself that the responsible person has thought of the implications of your actions.
You do not want to drop out a signal and have alarms and interlocks going off. It
could be embarrassing and costly. In Control & Signals, the control system will be
discussed in detail.

2.6 Duty Standby

In an industrial plant, equipment such as pumps, filters, generators etc. often have a
backup to allow the plant to run while the equipment is out of service. Often there are
duty and standby pumps. The purpose of having two pumps is that if the duty pump
requires maintenance, the standby pump can continue to run the plant while the duty
pump is out of service. With duty and standby, often the instrumentation required for
each pump set is also duplicated but not the instrumentation on the process line once
the two process pipes join. With duty standby pump system that has duplicated the
instrumentation, it is relativity easy to isolate the system to do required work on the
instruments.
In instrumentation, we also have a similar situation to a duty/standby pump. On
important installations with safety concerns, the instruments may also be duplicated
or even in triplicate. The control system will looked at the signals from the
instruments to see if there is a difference. If there is, then an alarm is raised and an
instrument technician called to resolve the problem. When there are three
transmitters measuring the same point, it works on the control system trusting the
two that match to continue controlling while alarming that the third appears to have
malfunctioned.

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3 Plant Shutdowns
Plant shutdowns are critical to the instrument technician. That is when you can test
and repair without having to worry about impact on the process.

3.1 Scheduled Plant Shutdown

A scheduled plant shutdown is just that. It is planned for in advance. For a major
shutdown, the planning may start a year in advance. For a short duration one shift
shutdown, planning may occur a few days before.
During a scheduled plant shutdown, regular maintenance is performed. It is also the
time for new construction to be completed. With instrumentation, since the
instruments are not large, the instruments are usually hung next to installation prior to
shutdown and wiring completed. During shutdown, the process connections are
made, installation completed, tested, control system modified, and the loop
commissioned.

3.2 Unscheduled Plant Shutdown

During an unscheduled plant shutdown, you will be called upon to fix instrument
problem, and if time allows test/repair an active loop. An unscheduled shutdown is
not good for business. It means something went wrong and a fix is required. Time is
of the essence to get the plant back up and running. Millions of dollars can be lost
during unscheduled shutdowns. If the unscheduled plant shutdown was a result of an
instrument problem, you will be busy and you will learn.

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4 Example of Isolation Tags
Each company will have its own isolation tagging system that must be followed. You
may have seen similar tags used in your work place or perhaps already have used
similar tags under a work permit system. A good tagging system will allow you to see
the status of an instrument at a glance making your job easier.
The Danger Do Not Operate and the Out Of Service tags clearly define that the
equipment is not to be operated. If you violate the tags and operate the equipment
without authorisation, then you will be disciplined and possibly even terminated
depending on the reason, work site, and the damage or injury caused from you
disregarding the company safety procedures. Remember the tags are for your
protection also; treat with respect.

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The Special Instructions and Information Tag are just that. They are a way of
communicating information about the equipment or instrument. For new construction
during the pre-commissioned phase prior to startup, the person who performed the
instrumentation pre-commissioning will hang a green tag to indicate that the
instrument has been inspected and is ready to operate.

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5 Work Permit
5.1 Work Permit Introduction

Every industrial plant will have a work permit system that states the required isolation
procedures. It is imperative that the instrument technician follows the company
procedures. It is not acceptable to assume that all industrial plants follow the same
procedures and that what you learned at one plant is applicable at another. Work
permit system may be similar but never assume identical.
Your company work permit system and isolation procedures MUST be
followed. If you do not have a work permit, do not do any work on any
instrument connected to a process.

5.2 What is a Work Permit?

A work permit system is a documented set of procedures. Under a work permit

system, there will be different procedures for different type of work being performed.
The procedures were established to protect personnel, plant and product during all
work being performed on the premises. The work permit system applies to everyone
who comes on the work site including employees, contractors, vendors, and visitors.

5.2.1 Reduce Risk

The permit to work system was implemented to help reduce the risk of:
 Explosion or fire during hot work
 Asphyxiation during confined space entry
 Endanger personnel in the immediate environment
 Electric shock when electrical work is being carried out
 Physical injury from mechanical plant that has not been isolated
 Injuries which lead to debilitating injury or death when recommended personal
protective equipment (PPE) is not used

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5.2.2 Document

Typically, a work permit system will document:

 Description of job
 Description of worksite location and equipment or vessel tag numbers
 Identification of hazards
 Precaution and safety measures
 Isolations to be put in place
 Personal protective equipment and safety equipment necessary to do the
work
 Time constraints like time to finish or start work from time of permit issue
 Need and frequency of gas testing
 Validation period of permit
 Signatures of all parties
 Signatures to confirm worksite has been restored back to normal and is safe
and that the permit is cancelled
The work permit system may include:
 Bypass certificate
 Blind list and isolation diagram
 Electrical isolation permits

5.3 Cold Work Permit

Cold work is work which will not generate any source of ignition, such as flame, spark
or temperature sufficient to ignite any flammable material. This could include the use
of non-power operated hand tools, erecting scaffold, inspection, painting, equipment
and clean up.
Typical examples of cold work are:
 Opening of pipe work by the movement of blinds, the breaking of flanges or
the removal of bonnets and glands from valves. Flammable vapours may be
released.
 Opening of all process machinery, both driven and driver, including where
applicable, sumps and crankcases. This also includes topping up and
repacking of all associated glands.
 Opening of all vessels, columns, drums, heat exchangers, condensers,
coolers, filters, furnaces and tanks. Flammable vapours may be released.
 Carrying out some equipment alignments.

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5.4 Hot Work Permit

Hot work is work which could generate fire, naked flame, heat or spark to ignite
flammable gases or combustible dusts.
Hot work includes, but is not limited to:
 Welding, soldering, cad welding, hot riveting
 Burning, flame cutting, flame heating
 Grinding, shot blasting
 Concrete chipping
 Use of electrical hand tools, power driven cutters
 Use of internal combustion engines
 Lighting a fire of any kind
 Use of any equipment which may provide a source of ignition
 Work on live electrical circuits which are not in electrical substations
 Use of cameras with external or inbuilt flash
 Use of x-ray generating equipment.
 Non-intrinsically safe test equipment
 Opening flame-proof enclosures

5.5 Confined Space Entry Permit

Confined space is an enclosed or partially enclosed space that:

 Is at atmospheric pressure during occupancy
 Is not intended or designed primarily as a place of work
 May have restricted means for entry and exit
The confined space may:
 Have an atmosphere which contains potentially harmful levels of contaminant
 Not have a safe oxygen level
 Cause engulfment
Confined spaces may include but are not limited to:
 Storage tanks, tank cars, process vessels, boilers, pressure vessels, silos
and other tank-like compartments
 Open-topped spaces such as pits or degreasers
 Pipes, sewers, shafts, ducts and similar structures
 Any shipboard spaces entered through a small hatchway or access point,
cargo tanks, cellular double bottom tanks, duct keels, ballast and oil tanks,
and void spaces, but not including dry cargo holds
Some typical tasks could be:
 Tank or vessel inspection or cleaning

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  Sewer inspection
 Boiler maintenance
 Pipe laying

5.6 Excavation Permit

Excavation permit is the digging or penetration into any ground surface and includes
such work as:
 Electrical and instrument cable installation
 Pegging (wooden or metal)
 Hand excavation
 Mechanical excavation
 Grading of leases
 Laying of piping

5.7 Bypass Certificate

Where safety controls of a process are bypassed or rendered inoperable for a

specific time and reason, a bypass certificate should be used.

5.8 Blind List and Isolation Diagram

Isolation points can be identified from the Piping and Instrument Diagrams (P&ID’s)
and by site inspection of the pipeline or vessel to be isolated. Once identified, details
must be recorded on a Blind List Drawing attached to the Work Permit. These lists
identify all isolation points, the flange size and rating (where applicable) and whether
each isolation point has been reinstated upon completion of the work to be done.

5.9 Electrical Isolation Permit

Electrical work can be defined as any work carried out on equipment or systems
which are heated, powered, driven or controlled by electricity, either AC or DC, e.g.
pump motors, mixers, switch racks, energised instrument electrical enclosures.
Electrical isolation of pumps, fans, compressors and other electrical equipment can
be registered into an electrical isolation permit which is attached to the work permit.

5.10 Limitations on Work

Under the work permit system only work stated on the permit may be carried out. Any
other work outside the scope of work stated on the permit will require a new permit to
be issued. Permits are not interchangeable. Hot work may not be carried out under
cold work permit even if it is deemed safe to do so.

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5.11 Responsibility of the Permit Issuer

It is the responsibility of the permit issuer to ensure that the scope and location of
work complies with the permit issued. This includes, but is not limited to, the
following:
 Inspecting the work site area with due regard to the identification of hazards
and proposed controls
 Ensuring that the work description or the format is correct
 Having necessary gas testing performed
 That the work is compatible with existing conditions
 Ensuring that all precautions or special conditions are in place before the
permit is signed
 Ensuring that other personnel in the area are aware of the work taking place
 Conducts regular inspections of the work site to ensure all conditions in the
permit are being met
 Ensure that the permit recipient fully understands the work to be undertaken
and safety precautions are met
 Ensuring that the worksite is left in a clean and safe condition
 Inform permit holder of any changes which may effect the validity of the
permit

5.12 Responsibility of the Permit Holder

It is the responsibility of the permit holder to ensure that:

 All the conditions of the permit have been carried out prior to commencing
work.
 Use required hazard reduction/control measures (including personal
protective equipment)
 Comply with requirements of the permit including standby personnel
 Keep within the scope, location and timeframe specified in the permit.
 They monitor the work to ensure that there is no infringement of the
conditions of issue of the work permit
 Wear the required personal protective equipment (PPE) and all safety
requirements are in place and functional. Site inspections must be carried out
to ensure that there are no safety infringements and to ensure that the
worksite remains safe.
 The permit issuer must also ensure that only the work being done is in
accordance with the scope of work which is being carried out. Any extra work
will require a new permit.
 In most locations, a work permit is valid for 12 hours or one shift, after which
the permit becomes invalid and a new permit has to be issued

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5.13 Closing off a Work Permit

Once a job has been completed or put on hold, the permit is cancelled and must be
closed off in accordance with procedures. To close off the permit, the worksite is
checked to ensure that equipment has been reinstated or has been isolated and that
the area has been made safe. To close off a permit, the permit responsible authority
will sign the permit cancellation section.

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