HIGH-PRESSURE APPLICATION SAFETY CONCERNS

1. Weekly Safety Meeting
High-Pressure Application Safety
WSM-Erbil Office
22.12.19

2. • Sudden & unintended release of stored energy
• The risk of injury from a failing joint, connections, gauge, valve, fitting or
another component …
• High pressure will be considered as equal to and or greater than 1000 psi
(7000 kPa).
• The equipment which are producing high pressure in the rig are the mud
pumps, the discharge manifold lines, stand pipe manifold, rotary hose,
accumulator unit and its hydraulic lines, breathing air compressor discharge to
the cylinders of the cascade system, chicksan hoses used during pressure
testing and cementing operations, test pumps and lines used during BOP test.
Pressure Application Safety

4. Pressure System Hazards
• Flying object; valves, connectors, flanges, gauges and fittings
• Flying shrapnel; small pieces of pipe, pipe fittings, or other system components
that shatter into parts from pressure.
• Oxygen displacement
• Tell more…..

5. Common causes of Pressure system failure
• Over-pressuring a system
• Inadequate/improper pressure testing equipment
• Poor system/components design
• Operator error
• Inadequate repair/ modification to the system
• Failure to properly isolate parts being tested from other parts of the system
(segregation)
• Failure to properly isolate equipment from piping system being tested.

6. SSoW
• A written safety system of work for pressure
testing must be in place
• Instructions (Procedure/JSA) of the work to be
provided
• Correct Test set-up
• Proper selection of fittings
• Carrying out the initial test
• Checking for leaks
• Proper and effective supervision

7. Segregating the item under test
• Physical segregation is top intend
• The hierarchy of segregation:
 The use of a full enclosure to contain any projected missiles/blast energy, including protection between the
test controls and the assembly under pressure;
 The provision of temporary barriers/screens and systems for excluding nonessential personnel from the
area;
 Exclusion of people from the blast/projectile area while an item is under pressure during a test. It is good
practice to restrict personnel from the vicinity of any item while it is under pressure during a test.

9. Post-Test
• Follow the SOW to safely, gradually
release the pressure from the
system and collect the waste liquid
test medium when required.
•Release pressure before attempting
to fix any leak
•Drain the system
• No spill while bleeding off pressure
•Re-test the system after any repair

12. The requirements shall apply for use of
high-pressure equipment
• All high-pressure equipment will be equipped with appropriate high-pressure
fittings of equal or higher rating. Low pressure should rate fitting shall not be
used in a high-pressure system set-up.
• Fixed high-pressure piping shall be painted red.
• Mud pumps shall be equipped with pressure relief valves that are
appropriately set.
• The relief valves must be calibrated and tested; shall be set to discharge at a
pressure not in excess of the manufacturer’s recommended maximum working
pressure of the mud pumps and all connecting pipes and fittings.

13. Cont’
• The open-ended relief lines of the devices shall be appropriately sized, kept secured,
and piped in that will not endanger workers during discharge. Appropriate safety lines
shall be attached.
• Rotary hose safety lines at stand-pipe end shall be fastened to the derrick while the
swivel/ TDS end to the swivel housing.
• Chicksans used shall be secured with appropriate clamps and wire rope safety lines.
• Barrier off high pressure lines during pressure testing. Post warning sign “High Pressure
Testing in Progress”.
• Accumulator flexible hydraulic lines must be secured with whip checks at each end
connections.

14. Cont’
• Only trained and authorized personnel shall be allowed to test and recharge
the accumulator bottles to required pre-charge pressure.
• Breathing air compressor discharge hoses and fitting of appropriate size and
pressure shall be used in the high-pressure side of the cascade system. The
appropriate hoses and fittings shall be used as filler whip for refilling SCBA
cylinders.

18. “Love the life you live”