According to the Chemical Safety Board (CSB) in the US, approximately 94% of chemical accidents in the United States are due to either lack of, or inadequate maintenance.
More precisely, 56% of accidents were down to inadequate mechanical integrity, 25% were caused because of delayed or deferred preventative maintenance, and 13% were because of the ageing infrastructure of the equipment.
Flame Arresters, Breather Valves & Emergency Vents are required to be inspected within 6 months from the date of first installation, and preventative maintenance needs to take place at least annually. However, depending on the process, and the condition of the components inspected, future inspection and maintenance activities may need to be more frequent.
“From experience, Flame Arresters, Breather Valves & Emergency Vents are often overlooked as many engineers adopt a “fit and forget” approach.” says Phil Roberts, Applications Engineer at Elmac Technologies Ltd. “This, of course, poses a significant risk to the people, property and of course the environment. Adequate maintenance is vital to the correct functioning of these safety critical products and poor or irregular maintenance can result in severe consequences for which the operator can be liable.”
Regular replacement of original spare parts, such as Flame Arrester Elements, Gaskets and Soft Sealing components which are prone to movement or friction wear, is important to ensure both the performance and longevity of the products.
All original spare parts supplied by Elmac will meet the strictest safety standards and ensure that both product warranty and ATEX certification remain valid.
Elmac Authorised Service Partners are available worldwide and offer excellent Technical and Service Support. They are authorised to conduct Safety Audits on site to make sure all supplied safety equipment is installed in accordance with the latest ISO 16852 and ISO 28300 HSE guidelines.
To arrange a free-of-charge survey of your flame arresters or breather valves, please submit an enquiry via our website and one of our local Service Partners will be happy to contact you directly.