12 entries found for "Risk Management"
Why is Mechanical Integrity So Important to Process Safety Management?
by Michael Hurley, 12/3/2025
Tags: API 580 API 581 Damage Mechanisms Mechanical Integrity Process Safety Management Regulation Risk Management
Mechanical Integrity (MI) is the crucial foundation of Process Safety Management (PSM). Major accidents overwhelmingly result from equipment failures like ruptured vessels or corroded piping. This post details eight essential reasons why a robust MI program is vital, including preventing loss of containment , ensuring safeguards function as designed , and meeting mandatory OSHA and EPA compliance.
Are U.S. Refinery Incidents Increasing? A Clearer Look at the Data, the Debate, and When the Trend Began
by Michael Hurley, 11/26/2025
Tags: Mechanical Integrity Regulation Risk Management
Public data suggests U.S. refinery fires and explosions have increased significantly since 2018, with some analyses showing a tripling of incidents. However, industry process safety metrics indicate improvement. This article explores the evidence, why the datasets conflict, and the start of the upward trend.
Why We Still See Refinery Fires - More Than 30 Years After OSHA 1910.119
by Michael Hurley, 11/20/2025
Tags: HSE Process Safety Management Regulation Risk Management
Despite OSHA's 1992 Process Safety Management (PSM) standard, refinery and chemical plant fires continue to make headlines. This post breaks down the seven systemic reasons why these incidents persist. We explore how mere compliance, aging infrastructure, weak safety culture, and reactive risk management prevent the elimination of catastrophic risks.
Why Moving to RBI Makes Sense - No Matter Where You Start
by Michael Hurley, 11/5/2025
Tags: Mechanical Integrity Process Safety Management Risk Based Inspection Risk Management
Discover how transitioning to a Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) approach can deliver real value and significant cost savings over traditional time/condition-based Mechanical Integrity (MI) programs. We use a simple 100-vessel example to show a potential $645,000 savings per inspection cycle and discuss how RBI accelerates compliance and prioritizes safety-critical tasks.
Proposal for Individual Damage Mechanism Risk Calculation in API 581
by Michael Hurley, 10/22/2025
Tags: API 581 Mechanical Integrity Process Safety Management Risk Analysis Risk Based Inspection Risk Management Technology
In 2021, I published a proposed change to the API 581 PoF calculation. While I believe API 581 is solid as a recommended practice, I believe that inspection planning can be further optimized and fine-tuned to adapt to organizational needs. Since then, the original article has prompted a variety of comments and questions and so I have rewritten the original article for, hopefully, a little more clarity, and I have consolidated the top questions along with my comments.
The Top Three RBI Risks That Cannot Wait for a Budget Rebound
by Michael Hurley, 10/1/2025
Tags: CUI Inspection Mechanical Integrity Process Safety Management Regulation Risk Risk Analysis Risk Based Inspection Risk Management Value
When organizations face budget cuts, they may postpone projects, but certain risks are too critical to delay. This post highlights three such Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) risks that demand immediate attention: high-risk equipment, Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI), and overdue critical inspections. Acting now can safeguard people, assets, and the bottom line from costly failures.
A Practical Way to Incorporate the New PHMSA Underground Gas Storage Requirements Into your MI Program
by Michael Hurley, 3/11/2021
Tags: Damage Mechanisms Inspection Mechanical Integrity Process Safety Management Regulation Risk Analysis Risk Based Inspection Risk Management
PHMSA has out a new rule for underground natural gas storage facilities (UNGSFs). This is practical approach to incorporating gas wells into your mechanical integrity program with the rest of your surface and subsurface assets.
Plant Management 101: Common Work Processes
by Michael Hurley, 3/3/2021
Tags: Asset Performance Management Data Collection Data Validation Mechanical Integrity Process Safety Management Reliability Risk Management Training Work Process
This article deals with the dysfunctionality found in many refineries, chemical plants, and other production facilities. This can lead a facility to not reaching its value and reliability goals. One of the main reasons for this dysfunctionality is facility departments not using a common asset management work process.
Proposed API 581 Inspection Plan Optimization Example
by Michael Hurley, 2/4/2021
Tags: API 581 Mechanical Integrity Process Safety Management Risk Analysis Risk Based Inspection Risk Management Technology
This article deals with a proposal for a risk analysis option that allows for individual damage mechanism risk calculation. This is an example of how it can be applied and how it domonstrates value.
Proposed API 581 Inspection Plan Optimization
by Michael Hurley, 1/27/2021
Tags: API 581 Mechanical Integrity Process Safety Management Risk Analysis Risk Based Inspection Risk Management Technology
This article deals with a proposal for a risk analysis option that allows for individual damage mechanism risk calculation. This allows for these individual damage mechanism risks to be compared to a risk target that when reached generates an inspection task with its own due date.
RBI Value: Both Transitioning And From The Start
by Michael Hurley, 1/21/2021
Tags: Mechanical Integrity Process Safety Management Risk Based Inspection Risk Management
This article deals with the value of going directly to an Risk Based Inspection (RBI) program from nothing or transitioning from a time/condition based program and demonstrates that an RBI program is the efficient use of resources.
Risk Management for Kids
by Leon Johnson, 6/12/2018
Tags: Community Outreach Consequence Probability Risk Based Inspection Risk Management
One of our consultants brings Risk Based Inspection into the grade school classroom for Career Day.
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