INTRODUCTION

Recent serious accidents ¹ involving unwanted release of hazardous materials in the process industries worldwide have focused attention on the need to provide a process by which such accident occurrences can be prevented. This chapter discusses one aspect of that process the design, construction, operation, maintenance, and modification of hazardous piping systems. The organization generally follows the sequence of piping design, construction, and operation discussed in greater depth in other chapters of this book. However, this chapter focuses on those elements of the design, construction, and operation of hazardous piping systems that are of particular importance to the owner, designer, and operator. Some of the elements discussed herein have been safely neglected in the design of more benign piping, but are mentioned here because it is felt they should be considered for hazardous piping. This chapter does not discuss in any depth the requirements or methods to perform process safety management, except to note elements of piping systems which may be susceptible to piping failures and need to be considered in any system designed to prevent fluid handling system failures. Lastly, this chapter does not discuss piping systems intended to handle nuclear power or nuclear power waste materials. These piping systems are highly regulated, and prescribed requirements are published elsewhere.

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Code for Pressure Piping, B31.3 Process Piping ² defines a hazardous fluid service as:

a fluid service...