Reynolds Wrap Up: What Constitutes FEMI RAGAGEP?

Introduction

Do you ever wonder what makes up a fixed equipment mechanical integrity (FEMI) Recognized and Generally Accepted Good Engineering Practice (RAGAGEP) and where it comes from? I’ve heard many different opinions of what does and does not constitute FEMI RAGAGEP, including that of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) [1].

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Do you know how a Good Engineering Practice (GEP) becomes a RAGAGEP?
• Do you know what the various degrees of RAGAGEP are?
• Do you know whether your documented company FEMI practices are considered RAGAGEP?

If any of these questions leave you wondering, read on; I’m going to try to shed some light on these questions in this installment of Reynolds Wrap Up based on my own FEMI experience and perspective over the last 30 years since the OSHA process safety management (PSM) rule (OSHA 1910.119) was first promulgated. RAGAGEP clearly applies to all kinds of equipment used in industry, but in this article, I’m only going to address RAGAGEP for FEMI used in the hydrocarbon and chemical process industries [2].