Collecting Quality Failure Rate Data for the Chemical Process Industry

Quality failure rate data have long been needed by the Chemical Process Industry. Unfortunately, the emphasis too often has been on the collection of data rather than on its uses. One must answer the question of what to do with the data once it has been collected. The type of information that would allow more effective continuous improvement is often collected without any real thought other than, “sounds like we should have it,” or “we might need it someday.” Data collection is typically driven by perceived data requirements, regulatory requirements, and data that make day-to-day work assignments more efficient or provide proof of work performed.

The Center for Chemical Process Safety is wrapping up the first phase of a project designed to pour the foundation for an industry-wide reliability database. The database has been designed to make available high quality, valid, and useful data to the hydrocarbon and chemical process industries enabling analyses to support availability, reliability, and equipment design improvements, maintenance strategies, and life cycle cost determination.