Risk-based inspection and maintenance in process plants and their practices in Taiwan

Abstract

The content of risk-based assessment and management and risk-based inspection and maintenance (RBI&M) employed in process plants are addressed in this article. Probabilistic analyses including probabilistic risk assessment developed in the engineering field over the past few decades are reviewed first. Following that, RBI and risk-informed management employed in the nuclear industry and risk-based inspection, maintenance, and other risk-based approaches used in chemical plants as well as their developments are reviewed, respectively. While most of the above were developed and practiced in industrialized countries, the current situation in Taiwan is also mentioned. Special attention is paid to the possibility and difficulties of employing RBI&M in Taiwan’s power and process plants. The difficulties in adopting existing risk-based approaches to inspect and manage Kaohsiung’s underground pipelines are pointed out in particular. Comments are made at the end of the article.

Keywords:

• Probabilistic risk assessment
• risk-based inspection
• risk management
• process plant

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to thank reviewers for a few of their comments and/or suggestions used in revising this manuscript.