Under what circumstances is it necessary to use blind plates during equipment maintenance?
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According to Sinopec’s regulations on safety management for construction operations, \"2.3.2 All process pipelines and sewer systems related to the construction project must have effective isolation measures in place.\" Is it clear that process pipelines containing toxic, harmful, and flammable media must be isolated using blind flanges? Blind flanges are required whenever maintenance is carried out on pipelines or equipment that handle flammable media – for example, a blind flange is needed when replacing the mechanical seal of an oil transfer pump, and similarly, one is required when cleaning a filter... What are people’s opinions on the use of blind flanges during equipment maintenance? Background: During a maintenance task on the mechanical seal of one of our company’s oil transfer pumps, an operator’s incorrect operation of the valve led to a dangerous situation in which the pump under maintenance started leaking (fortunately, no one was nearby at the time). One of the key violations identified in the investigation was the failure to install a blind plate……
Blind flanges can provide complete isolation. In practice, maintenance work usually relies on blind flanges for isolation; however, there have been quite a number of incidents caused by temporary blind flanges (those that are not standard, typically made from iron sheets). Although blind flanges are useful, it is necessary to keep proper records of their use and disposal, otherwise problems can arise~~~~
Blind flanges manufactured to standard specifications are generally quite thick (ranging from 5 to 25 MPa), making it difficult to insert them into flanges; instead, it is necessary to lift the inlet and outlet pipes of the pump, which increases the risks associated with lifting operations and makes those risks more difficult to control.
That’s indeed the case; in some places, it’s difficult to use standard blind flanges.
It needs to be added where there is a risk of leakage of hazardous substances. Those with low pressure and small pipe diameters are often made from iron sheet. Other selection criteria for blind plates