TABLE OF CONTENTS A design life of twenty or thirty years is normal for a new process plant. In an ideal situation, the facility would operate continuously for twenty years or more from the time of commissioning, without any interruptions. The reality is quite different, with many factors contributing to a significant reduction in operating run times. Some maintenance work requires a partial or total shutdown of the process plant. In the context of process plant shutdowns, readers in North America may be more familiar with the term plant turnaround.
We do not intend to cover all aspects of planning, executing and managing shutdowns in this chapter. We are limiting our discussion to the management of risks relating to shutdowns.
These factors fall into two main categories, loss of integrity and loss of efficiency. If the plant goes out of control and it is not possible to correct it in time or shut it down safely, this compromises its integrity. Mechanical failures that result in loss of containment, or structural failures that result in equipment or building damage also compromise the integrity. The outcome of such incidents would be personal injury, environmental or equipment damage. Loss of integrity causes long term damage to the company s profitability, public image, and employee morale. If the incident is very serious, it may result in the loss of the business itself, as in the case of Flixborough or Bhopal. Loss of efficiency affects the flow rate, yield and/or quality of...
