Facility Integrity Management and Assessment of Associated Risk Conditions

This paper reviews the basic elements of a facility integrity management program (FIMP) and describes the process used to assess risk conditions related to a facility. The policies, goals, and objectives of the program should be defined before implementing it. The location and details of the facility and all its equipment must be described, and the information should be recorded in a computerized database. Important triggers for change management and the minimum features of change management are reviewed. Ensuring the competency and training of personnel responsible for integrity management is essential. The integrity management team must identify hazards associated and ways of controlling them. Once hazards are identified, risk assessment is performed and options for reducing risk are considered. Results of the risk assessment are then used to plan and execute activities of the integrity management program (IMP). Needed repairs or replacements are identified, planned, and completed. Finally, the IMP should incorporate a continuous improvement process and information from investigations of incidents at the facility, at other company locations, and within the industry.