100 comprehensive guidelines for the major maintenance of refining and processing units – save them now!

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Article 1: All maintenance units shall establish corresponding major maintenance organizational structures. Establishing a well-organized and efficiently functioning structural framework is a strong organizational guarantee to ensure the smooth progress of major overhauls. During the annual equipment maintenance period, each company and entity involved in the maintenance work must establish its own maintenance command headquarters, in order to create a strong command structure for the maintenance efforts. This ensures unified command and action, with orders being followed immediately and restrictions being obeyed without delay. Article 2: Formulate maintenance plans and procedures with the goal of achieving stable operation over a long cycle of \"three years per maintenance\". Maintenance is necessary; it should be carried out properly to keep maintenance costs under control. Article 3: Adhere to the principles of safety, controlled quality, as well as green and environmentally friendly maintenance; plan meticulously and arrange maintenance times and schedules in a rational manner. Article 4: Adhere to the principle of a plant-wide shutdown for major maintenance; the utility systems should be regularly and thoroughly overhauled to minimize temporary shutdowns for maintenance purposes. Article 5: The technical plans and maintenance schedules for the equipment maintenance shall be prepared 24 months in advance. The preparation of the maintenance plan should be based on the technical plan for unit maintenance and completed 12 months prior to the maintenance. The plan accuracy rate must be no less than 95%. Article 6: In accordance with the requirements of the new “Regulations on Pressure Equipment”, inspection plans and programs for special equipment must be combined with risk assessment. Article 7: Formulate corrosion inspection plans and programs in accordance with the requirements of the \"Guidelines for Corrosion Inspection During Downtime for Maintenance.\" Article 8: Formulate a torque-controlled fastening plan and scheme in accordance with the requirements of the “Guidelines for the Installation of Static Seals”. Article 9: A plan for identifying and addressing potential hazards such as those related to the small connections of the equipment shall be prepared two months prior to maintenance work. Article 10: Process improvement and technical upgrade projects must have their design completed at least six months in advance and meet the requirements for long-term order placement; they can only be included in the maintenance plan after approval for any changes is obtained. The approved plan shall not be modified. Article 11: Once the equipment maintenance plan is approved, the unit responsible for production shall organize the preparation of plans for maintenance materials and spare parts. Materials and spare parts must be subject to procurement technical standards. For critical equipment and spare parts, a technical agreement must be signed, and a dedicated person should be assigned or a third party entrusted to oversee the manufacturing process. Article 12: The quality of maintenance materials and spare parts is the responsibility of the materials procurement department. Before the materials are released from storage, relevant quality inspection procedures must be carried out in accordance with relevant requirements and applicable standards, and quality certification documents must be provided. Article 13: The selection of contractors for major overhauls must comply with relevant regulations. Bidder companies should preferably be framework enterprises classified as Category I or Category II contractors for engineering construction, as designated in the current year or the previous year; however, such selection must also meet the requirements stipulated in the Bidding Law of the People’s Republic of China. Article 14: Special maintenance tasks such as mechanical cleaning of storage tanks, refractory and thermal insulation lining, inspection, and testing shall be selected from within the company’s approved vendor framework. Article 15: Six months prior to the shutdown of the facility, the unit responsible for production must organize a briefing on the maintenance tasks and prepare an organizational plan for the major maintenance work. Article 16: Three months prior to the shutdown of the facility, in accordance with the overall startup and shutdown plan, the maintenance tasks shall be assigned to respective work teams and individuals one by one, and on-site briefings shall be conducted. Prepare the maintenance technical plans and construction plans for key projects, as well as provide overall coordination for the maintenance of these key projects and installations. Article 17: Two months prior to the shutdown of the installation, the operation procedures or work instruction cards must be prepared. The construction unit, including the unit responsible for self-inspections, shall organize the workers to receive training on these procedures or cards. Article 18: Before shutting down the facility, the unit responsible for its operation shall identify the hazardous and environmental factors associated with the entire process of shutdown, inspection, and restart of the facility, prepare a risk assessment report as well as emergency plans for safety and environmental protection, and convey this information to the employees working at the facility and to the contractors carrying out the work. Article 19: Prior to shutting down the facility, the construction unit shall, based on the maintenance tasks and the risk assessment report provided by the production unit in charge, identify and evaluate the risks associated with the construction activities, formulate risk mitigation measures, and prepare an HSE work plan. This HSE work plan must then be submitted to the production unit in charge for review and filing. Article 20: The construction unit shall provide the maintenance HSE work plan and relevant safety precautions for entering the site to the workers prior to the maintenance work, and the recipients must sign to confirm receipt. Article 21: Before carrying out any work within the plant area for the first time, construction units must, in accordance with the regulations set forth by local safety authorities, have the unit responsible for the project conduct a review of their qualifications for special operations, provide them with safety training, and issue relevant certificates such as the safety education certificate. Article 22: The list of construction workers shall be submitted to the unit responsible for the area where production takes place, which shall review the qualifications of these workers and keep records of them. Each work site must designate a person in charge, a safety officer, and a quality inspector, who should be listed in the \"List of Construction Workers\". Article 23: Before commencing work, the construction unit must inspect, test, and maintain the machinery and tools to be used, in particular lifting equipment and power tools, in accordance with relevant regulations, and label them to ensure they are safe, in good condition, and functional; it must also submit a list of the machinery and tools in good condition to the entity responsible for the project. Article 24: Before maintenance work begins, the contractor shall finalize the construction contract and safety contract. Before contract execution, the local production unit must verify whether the construction contractor’s safety qualifications, the qualifications of project management personnel and technical staff, the number of workers, the proper mix of various trades, and the signing of labor contracts all meet the project requirements; it must also retain documentation as evidence. Article 25: For shutdowns and material withdrawal, there must be an approved shutdown plan, a chemical cleaning plan (chemical cleaning is mandatory during the shutdown of atmospheric and vacuum distillation units, catalytic fractionation systems, and coking fractionation systems), a purging and displacement plan, and a steaming plan. Equipment and pipelines in units prone to generating FeS and H2S must undergo passivation and purification treatments. Emissions must be strictly controlled to ensure that the environment is not polluted. During the material removal and purging phases, construction workers are strictly prohibited from entering the maintenance area. Article 26: The production site unit must formulate an isolation plan for the maintenance equipment. The boundary areas and equipment/pipelines that have not been taken out of service or disconnected from flammable, explosive, toxic, or harmful materials must be completely isolated using blind flanges and clearly labeled. A designated person should be assigned to manage the blind flanges, blind flange diagrams should be drawn, they should be numbered uniformly, and procedures must be followed for installing (removing) blind flanges. Article 27: Areas of the equipment where materials are stored and that are not to be maintained must be energetically isolated, and enclosed with warning ropes along with warning signs. Article 28: The oil separators, sewage wells, floor drains, gutters, and domestic and industrial wastewater systems within the plant area must be properly sealed. Rainwater and sewage drains within 15 meters of the hot work area must have fire prevention measures in place during hot work. Article 29: Attention should be paid to the removal of hazardous materials. Hazardous substances such as waste oil, chemical agents, and emissions resulting from shutdowns that are removed from the facility must be taken out of the facility area, and oil stains on the platforms, floors, as well as on the outer surfaces of equipment and pipelines must be cleaned thoroughly. Article 30: All types of safety and fire-fighting facilities, safety warning signs for operations, and protective equipment must be available in good condition; fire roads must remain unobstructed. Article 31: Environmental protection facilities shall be shut down after the production units have been purged and emptied. Article 32: Strengthen the management of waste emissions; the safety and environmental protection department of the unit where production takes place shall organize the filling out of the \"Waste Emission Confirmation Form\" and handle the signing procedures. Article 33: A clear handover point must be established when work is suspended for maintenance. Prepare the \"Equipment Shutdown Status Confirmation Form\", organize safety status checks according to the management level of the shut-down equipment, and complete the signing procedures. Important devices require upgraded management. Article 34: All personnel entering the maintenance site must strictly abide by the Company’s “Prohibitions on Violations” and all safety management regulations of the local production unit. Article 35: Adhere to the principle of \"whoever is in charge is responsible for safety management and supervision,\" establish a safety management and supervision system for major overhauls, and third parties may be engaged for such purposes when necessary. Article 36: Any maintenance or repair work must comply with ** and relevant industry standards and regulations. The “Sixteen Work Permit Management Regulations” for the refining and chemical sector must be strictly followed, with the issued work permit serving as the basis for commencing such work. Article 37: The production-site unit must provide training for safety supervisors overseeing maintenance operations, develop guidance cards outlining their responsibilities, and assign supervisors through signage. Article 38: Before commencing work each day, it is necessary to conduct safety awareness training for construction workers, and brief them on the safety risks and quality requirements associated with that day’s tasks. The operators must conduct another on-site identification of the operational risks. Article 39: When entering the site to perform work, construction personnel must carry their work permits, special operation certificates (or copies thereof), and relevant work documents with them at all times for inspection. Special operation personnel as stipulated herein—such as electricians, motor vehicle drivers, welders, riggers, scaffolders, etc.—must pass assessments and have their qualifications verified before they can operate while holding the required certificates. For on-site operations, it is mandatory to wear standardized work uniforms, work shoes, and safety helmets. Article 40: The construction unit shall maintain a fixed workforce and shall not replace personnel arbitrarily; any changes to the staff require the completion of relevant procedures. Article 41: When multiple types of work are carried out at different levels in a overlapping manner, the unit responsible for the production site shall organize and coordinate these activities uniformly, identify the safety risks arising from such overlapping work, and implement effective isolation measures. Article 42: Operators and unauthorized personnel are strictly prohibited from entering areas or premises where their unit is not conducting operations, as well as zones marked with warning signs and isolation barriers. Article 43: When carrying out operations in hazardous areas at the construction site, the construction unit must install warning signs and physical barriers, and provide lighting for warning at night. Article 44: Flammable and combustible materials are prohibited from being stored at the maintenance site. Any such materials that are removed from the site must be transported to a safe location promptly, with appropriate safety measures taken. It is strictly prohibited to use flammable liquids with high volatility such as gasoline to clean equipment, components, clothing, and floors. Article 45: For open manholes, protective devices must be installed before and after operations to prevent people from entering accidentally. Article 46: The erection, dismantling, and inspection of scaffolds shall be carried out in accordance with JGJ130 \"Safety Technical Code for Fastened Steel Tubular Scaffolds in Building Construction\". Scaffold poles must not be tied or erected to production equipment, process pipelines, or similar locations. Article 47: The lifting of large-scale equipment shall be carried out in strict accordance with GB50798 \"Code for Lifting Works of Large-Scale Petrochemical Equipment\" and the relevant requirements of the company. Article 48: During lifting operations, process pipelines or equipment shall not be used as anchorage points. Padding must be placed between the edges of load-bearing structures and the steel wire ropes during operation. It is strictly prohibited to use chain blocks to lift equipment by winding them around the equipment. Article 49: Hot work shall be carried out in accordance with AQ3022 \"Safety Specifications for Hot Work in Chemical Production Units\" and relevant requirements. Article 50: For work at heights, AQ3025 \"Safety Specifications for Work at Heights in Chemical Production Units\" and relevant requirements shall be followed. When working at heights (or on a grating deck), a tool bag should be used; the tools and materials employed by the workers must be placed in this bag when not in use. Large tools and machinery, as well as large components that have been removed, should be stored in a safe location where they remain stable. Debris generated during work must be placed in a safe location and cleaned up promptly; it is prohibited to throw garbage and waste downward. Article 51: At ditches, holes, platforms, escalators, etc. at the maintenance site, there must be safe and reliable permanent or temporary railings or covers, along with clear signs and safety warning boards. Article 52: A safe working area shall be established at the hydrostatic test site, and unauthorized personnel are prohibited from entering. During the test, the testers must not stand in areas where high-pressure water may leak, such as behind welding plugs or on the sides of flanges. Article 53: Temporary electrical work shall comply with JGJ46 “Safety Technical Code for Temporary Electrical Use at Construction Sites” and relevant requirements. For temporary power connection, disconnection, and interruption, work permits must be strictly implemented. Article 54: Acetylene cylinders used for maintenance shall comply with GB11638 “Dissolved Acetylene Cylinders” and the “Regulations on the Safety Supervision of Gas Cylinders”. It must not be placed in a horizontal position during storage or use; it should be secured with a stand to prevent leakage of propane, which could lead to fire or explosion. When in use, it must be kept at a distance of at least 10 meters from an open flame, and at least 5 meters away from oxygen cylinders. Sun protection measures should be taken in summer. Article 55: Establish a maintenance quality management system and define the division of responsibilities for quality management, ensuring that each maintenance task is assigned to a specific person. Article 56: Develop quality management procedures, establish relevant systems for quality rewards and penalties, supervision of the manufacturing process for key equipment, inspection of raw materials upon arrival, examinations for special types of workers, implementation starting from sample projects, and protection of finished products, and oversee their implementation. Article 57: Formulate professional quality control technical requirements and quality inspection plans, specify the professional quality inspection requirements during the preliminary, intermediate, and final stages of maintenance, and keep proper records of inspections and acceptance. Article 58: Welding operations shall comply with GB9448 \"Safety in Welding and Cutting\" and other relevant standards; welding procedures shall be developed, and these procedures must be followed strictly as specified in the welding procedure cards. Article 59: Fully implement the fixed-torque fastening technique, and strictly comply with relevant requirements such as the \"Guidelines for the Installation of Static Seals\" in the refining and chemical sector. Flanges, bolts, gaskets, and other fastening and sealing components must be used correctly; their issuance, inspection, and use require signatures from designated personnel. Article 60: Proper management of radioactive sources is required; their use, transportation, and storage must be carried out in strict compliance with **relevant laws and regulations. Article 61: Any defects identified through physical and chemical inspections shall be promptly reported by the inspection unit to the local production unit. The local production unit shall then organize the construction unit to formulate a technical plan for rectification. After going through the prescribed approval procedures, the necessary repairs or corrections shall be carried out. Article 62: During maintenance, preventive tests on electrical equipment must be carried out in accordance with DL/T596 \"Code for Preventive Tests of Electrical Equipment\". Article 63: Protective measures must be taken when disassembling, assembling, and transporting safety valves. The unit where production takes place shall assign a dedicated person to be responsible for setting the pressure of these safety valves, and require the unit responsible for this task to organize the work by type of medium and by factory, arranging the pressure-setting tasks in order of when the facilities came online. The newly replaced valves must pass a pressure test before installation, and the inspection records must be archived. Article 64: Maintenance work shall be carried out in accordance with the overall maintenance plan and the daily work schedule. The unit responsible for production must verify the daily workload list for the following day with the construction team one day in advance, so as to arrange the tasks for that day, complete the necessary work permits as well as make arrangements regarding the use of fire and electricity, thereby ensuring that the maintenance activities are carried out in a controlled manner in line with the overall plan. Article 65: Maintenance work shall be carried out in a scientific and environmentally friendly manner in accordance with the maintenance regulations of “five prohibitions,” “three no-exposures to the sky,” “three no-contacts with the ground,” “three lines,” and “ten prohibitions on improper use.” Article 66: There shall be a floor plan at the maintenance site. Signboards should be installed within the construction site, with clear markings and in prominent locations. Article 67: Temporary facilities at the maintenance site shall be installed in accordance with the unified requirements of the unit responsible for the production area, and must not block the maintenance passages or fire emergency exits. Article 68: Toolboxes and tools at the maintenance site shall be placed in designated locations; they must be retrieved and put back in place promptly after use. The removed parts should be placed in the order they will be reinstalled. Article 69: The pull wires of electrical and welding equipment must be horizontal and vertical, and must not cross each other. Used welding electrodes must be put back into the container at all times; they should not be discarded carelessly. Article 70: Materials, components, pipes, valves, flanges, elbows, unfinished equipment, precast elements, and other items that are brought into the maintenance site must all be properly labeled and arranged in an orderly manner. The quantity, specifications, and models should be clearly indicated, and measures should be taken to protect them from rain and moisture. Small items should be stored in the warehouse promptly. When distributing them, it is necessary to designate specific persons, locations, and quantities, and the distribution must be traceable. Article 71: Finished or semi-finished products that have been constructed must be properly sealed and covered. During concurrent construction activities, appropriate protective measures must be taken to prevent damage or contamination. Article 72: The maintenance site must be kept clean, with no leaks of water, oil, or gas, and the floor must be free of dirty water, oily residues, and debris. Garbage must be cleared daily. Article 73: Acids, alkalis, resistants, and other solvent chemicals used in cleaning equipment shall not be poured on the ground. Cleaning solutions, waste acids, and alkaline waters must be neutralized to meet the required standards before they can be discharged into the sewage treatment system. Article 74: Organic solids removed from equipment and pipelines (such as self-polymerized substances, sludge, bottom sludge of tanks, etc.) must be disposed of in accordance with the requirements applicable to hazardous waste. Article 75: Maintenance waste shall be stored by the construction unit at the locations and in accordance with the requirements specified by the unit responsible for that area of production, while the replaced old equipment shall have its return to inventory or disposal processed by the unit responsible for that area of production. Article 76: After the maintenance is completed, the work area must be left in order, with all materials removed and the site clean. The plant area, buildings, pump houses, areas above and below the towers, pumps and machinery, instruments, doors, and windows must be cleaned thoroughly before the plant starts operation, so that there is no residual material from maintenance work, no debris, no trash, and no dust, meeting the standards of \"one level surface, two things clean, three things visible, four things absent, and five things not lacking.\" Article 77: Insulation, anti-corrosion measures, and markings that have been damaged during maintenance must be restored promptly; pipelines that have been discarded or disconnected during maintenance should be removed and taken away as soon as possible. Article 78: Sites, roads, lawns, fences, etc., that have been damaged as a result of construction must be repaired promptly upon completion. Article 79: Strengthen the management of the handover interface between maintenance and production. Before the device is delivered and put into operation following maintenance, a pre-operational safety inspection must be carried out (by checking each item on the PSSR list in accordance with the \"Procedures for Pre-Operational Safety Inspections\"). Article 80: During the operation of the facility after the maintenance is completed, all participating units shall retain maintenance personnel, with a complete range of supporting maintenance roles. The coverage includes all equipment and facilities within the entire process flow of the shut-down units (including safety and environmental protection facilities), and is not limited to only those equipment and facilities that are under maintenance. The scope of service includes removing blind flanges during startup, system thermal and cold tightening, as well as handling equipment and pipeline failures during the startup process. Article 81: The escort personnel shall be on standby at the designated location for 24 hours for the vetted and registered participants undergoing inspection, with their communication devices kept functional. After the equipment is fed with materials, maintenance personnel are not allowed to enter the equipment site arbitrarily; if entry is necessary for work purposes, they must do so accompanied by personnel from the equipment team. Article 82: During the commissioning of the equipment, inspections of areas where temperature and stress changes are severe should be intensified. Pay special attention to inspecting the pipes of high-temperature equipment, steam systems, cryogenic low-temperature systems, as well as the expansion and contraction of equipment that operates under high pressure or experiences rapid pressure changes. Article 83: During the commissioning of the plant, special attention should be paid to checking whether the expansion compensators of high-temperature equipment or pipelines (such as boiler drums, headers, etc.) are in good condition and functioning properly. Article 84: During the commissioning of the unit, it is necessary to carefully check whether the deformation of the expansion joints exceeds the maximum allowable amount, and whether the supports at both ends of the expansion joints are in proper condition. Article 85: During the commissioning of the equipment, it is necessary to carefully check whether the supports and hangers are installed correctly at the positions and within the allowable deviation limits specified in the design, whether the fixed supports are tilted or loose, and whether there is any jamming in the sliding guide supports; also, it is important to verify that the displacement of the spring-based supports and hangers remains within their operating range. Article 86: During the commissioning of the plant, special attention should be paid to ensuring that the safety accessories of equipment or pipelines are in good condition and operational. Article 87: During the commissioning of the plant, high-temperature cold wall equipment such as heating furnaces and catalytic converters shall undergo thermal imaging inspections. Article 88: During the commissioning of the plant, inspections of the lubrication of all rotating equipment must be carried out, and records must be kept. Article 89: Before starting a large-scale unit, it is necessary to ensure that the oil supply is satisfactory; the lubricating oil turbine pumps and auxiliary oil pumps must pass their individual tests, the bypass valves and drain valves on the oil pipelines must be closed, the safety valves must be in operation, the oil tank heaters must be ready for use, and the unit’s safety interlock instruments must be functional. During the commissioning of large-scale units, parameters such as unit vibration, displacement, and bearing temperature must be checked, as well as leaks at all sealing points. Article 90: The pipes must be properly warmed up before starting the turbine; mechanical inspections should be carried out during the warming-up process, with records kept. Article 91: During the commissioning phase, check whether the instrument interlocks, safety monitoring instruments, safety surveillance visual systems, and environmental protection monitoring instruments are functioning properly, and organize cross-disciplinary coordination to confirm this. Article 92: Check whether the instrument equipment and cards in the high-temperature environment during startup are in normal condition. Article 93: Check whether the instrument control system and power supply temperature are normal during the startup process. Check electrical equipment such as switches, transformers, and motors for overheating or overload. Article 94: Before the plant is put into operation, it is necessary to conduct a review of past accidents and incidents that occurred during previous commissioning processes in order to draw lessons from them. Article 95: After a complete set of equipment is shut down for maintenance, a post-evaluation must be conducted on projects such as technical upgrades, technical improvements, major repairs, and replacements that are carried out during that maintenance period. Article 96: Three months after the commencement of maintenance work and the stable operation begins, an evaluation is conducted on the operating conditions of key equipment and major projects. Article 97: Summarize the optimization of the overall major maintenance plan, the construction organization and scheduling, as well as the overall coordination and process control. Article 98: Evaluate the contractor’s on-site management, operational technical capabilities, and the effectiveness of task execution. Article 99: Within one month after the completion of the major maintenance, the construction unit shall, in accordance with the requirements of the \"Management Specifications for Technical Documents Submitted upon Completion of Refining and Petrochemical Construction Projects\" (Q/SY1476-2012), compile the relevant documents and submit them to the unit responsible for production for archiving. Article 100: The production site unit shall file the original paper-based documents related to equipment involved in maintenance activities, such as major repairs, upgrades, technical improvements, and other change-related projects (including preliminary equipment management documents). These include documents from the factory stage (drawings, manuals, certificates of conformity, quality certification documents, test and inspection reports, etc.), as well as design, manufacturing, installation, commissioning, and other related materials. The relevant information shall also be entered into the comprehensive equipment management platform.