HSE Safety Alert

Catastrophic Rupture of Dead-Leg Pipework  The HSE have circulated a document warning Process Plant Operators of the increased risks of primary containment loss associated with dead-legs that are present in process pipe-work systems.  Background “A recent failure on a UK refinery involved an 8” diameter vertical relief line, approximately 5m in length, which catastrophically failed during normal operation part way along its length, releasing approximately 75 tonnes of extremely flammable material at elevated temperature and pressure. Connected to an insulated process header and...

Welcome to Lynne Adamson- SHEQ Co-ordinator

We’re pleased to welcome Lynne Adamson, our new SHEQ Co-ordinator. Lynne brings with her years of experience in SHEQ and project management roles within the engineering industry. Her previous roles have included, SHEQ Co-ordinator and QMS Lead Auditor for Jacobs Field Services and Project Co-ordinator at Smith & Nephew. Lynne has achieved her QMS Lead Auditor, IOSH Managing Safely, Prince 2, a Degree in Business & Leadership, Masters credits in Project Management and is currently completing her NEBOSH. Lynne’s role is to...

Responsive Solutions to Industrial Tube Inspections

Over the past few months our UK Tube Inspections Department have been extremely busy, so much so, we decided to compile a list of facts and statistics to demonstrate the work we've done... Our technicians have inspected in excess of 25,000 tubes Over 209 units - 158 Shell & Tube Heat Exchangers, 49 FinFan Air Coolers and a couple of boilers for good measure Approximately 94 miles of tubes were inspected We used over 22 Inspection Systems including IRIS, Eddy...

Asset Integrity- Evolving Systems for Industrial Plants & Refineries

As industry progresses through technological advancement, some Plants and Refineries, be it chemical, manufacturing, oil or other, have become increasingly complex in design, using more hazardous chemicals and potentially more dangerous processes. Plants that are now 50+ years old still operate using earlier technologies and now, as we see the materials changing in ways that weren’t foreseen, they need a different approach to risk and extending the life of their plant assets. If carried out correctly good Asset Integrity Management can...

Pulsed Eddy Current Technology for Corrosion Under Insulation

When Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI) occurs, it can lead to a loss of primary containment and possible environmental contamination. Unfortunately, the insulation used to optimise the thermal efficiency of the processes involved also makes it extremely difficult to locate the corrosion. In some cases, it may require the shutdown of the process but in all cases it will require the removal of the insulation to look for CUI. Most of the time, this is avoidable if a Pulsed Eddy Current inspection tool is used. A powerful tool for detecting...

TesTex NDT Ltd. UKAS Accreditation

In January 2018, TesTex NDT Ltd., one of the UK’s leading Inspection companies, announces it has been awarded ISO 17020 accreditation as a type “A” body by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) The accreditation certificate No. 9728 demonstrates that TesTex NDT fulfils the requirements of ISO/IEC 17020:2012 standard as a provider of various NDT methods & techniques as described on our Schedule of Accreditation. This prestigious accreditation is an internationally recognised standard and underlines TesTex NDT’s commitment to providing a quality service to...