scope:

Purpose

General

The purpose of this document is to provide users with the basic minimum and recommended elements for developing, implementing, and maintaining a RBI program. It also provides guidance to owner-users, operators, and designers of pressure-containing equipment for developing and implementing an inspection program. These guidelines include means for assessing an inspection program and its plan. The approach emphasizes safe and reliable operation through risk-prioritized inspection. A spectrum of complementary risk analysis approaches (qualitative through fully quantitative) can be considered as part of the inspection planning process. RBI guideline issues covered include an introduction to the concepts and principles of RBI for risk management, and individual sections that describe the steps in applying these principles within the framework of the RBI process include:

a) understanding the design premise;

b) planning the RBI assessment;

c) data and information collection;

d) identifying damage mechanisms and failure modes;

e) assessing probability of failure (POF);

f) assessing consequence of failure (COF);

g) risk determination, assessment, and management;

h) risk management with inspection activities and process control;

i) other risk mitigation activities;

j) reassessment and updating;

k) roles, responsibilities, training, and qualifications;

l) documentation and recordkeeping. The expected outcome from the application of the RBI process should be the linkage of risks with appropriate inspection, process control, or other risk mitigation activities to manage the risks. The RBI process is capable of generating:

a) a ranking by relative risk of all equipment evaluated;

b) a detailed description of the inspection plan to be employed for each equipment item, including:

1) inspection method(s) that should be used (e.g. visual, ultrasonic, radiography, wet fluorescent magnetic particle),

2) extent of application of the inspection method(s) (e.g. percent of total area examined or specific locations),

3) timing of inspections/examinations (inspection intervals/due dates),

4) risk management achieved through implementation of the inspection plan;

c) a description of any other risk mitigation activities, such as repairs, replacements, or safety equipment upgrades, equipment redesign or maintenance, IOWs, and controls on operating conditions;

d) the expected risk levels of all equipment after the inspection plan and other risk mitigation activities have been implemented;

e) identification of risk drivers