In order for a facility to extend the operating lifetime of aging equipment, safely, and cost effectively, it is necessary to implement the latest inspection and maintenance strategies. RBI has its roots in Process Safety Management (PSM) and Mechanical Integrity (MI) programs, and is gradually becoming accepted as good engineering practice for the implementation of inspection and maintenance programs. Sufficient RBI studies have now been completed on refineries and petrochemical facilities that give good guidance of how these projects should be planned, initiated, and implemented. These studies have resulted in numerous benefits for the plants, which include safety and compliance issues, cost savings, focused inspection plans, and assisting management in making informed and defensible operational decisions.
The Risk Based Inspection process is focused on maintaining the mechanical integrity of pressure equipment items and minimizing the risk of a loss of containment. RBI is not a substitute for a Process Hazards Analysis (PHA) or a HAZOP (operational hazards) study. Typically, PHA risk assessments focus on the process unit design and operating practices for a unit and their adequacy, given the unit’s current or anticipated operating conditions. RBI complements the PHA by focusing solely on the MI related degradation mechanisms and risk mitigation through inspection. In addition to this, RBI complements other programs such as Reliability Centered Maintenance programs. It does this by providing additional information, documentation, and consequence and likelihood evaluations that can enhance existing studies on a facility.

API RP580 is a Recommended Practice that provides the basic elements required to implement a Risk Based Inspection program. The document is designed to provide a framework that clarifies the expected attributes of a quality risk assessment without imposing undue constraints on users and offers users the flexibility to apply the RBI methodology within the context of existing corporate risk management practices.

The primary audience for RP 580 is inspection and engineering personnel who are responsible for ensuring the MI and operability of equipment covered by this recommended practice. However, while an organization’s Inspection/Materials Engineering group may champion the RBI initiative, RBI is not exclusively an inspection activity. RBI requires the involvement of various parts of the organization such as maintenance and operations. Implementation of the resulting RBI product (e.g., inspection plans, replacement/upgrading, etc.) may rest with more than one organization. RBI requires the commitment and cooperation of the total organization. In this context, while the primary audience may be inspection and materials engineering personnel, others within the organization who are likely to be involved should be familiar with the concepts and principles embodied in the RBI methodology.

API 581 is a Base Resource document that describes a specific methodology that can be applied on refineries and related facilities.


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