Evolution of the Equipment Integrity Process - The Current Benchmark - Part 1

We’ve come a long way since my introduction to plant inspection processes in 1975 and certainly since the industrial revolution in the late 1800’s. As I recall from history class it was the intent of the wealthy industrialist to make money, plain and simple. Safety and environmental responsibility were not the primary concerns, in some cases not concerns at all! Hence, for safety’s sake, terms like “sweatshops” were coined. This was to connote factories and textile mills where human beings, often times young children worked, in poor conditions.

Thank God, that since then things have evolved for the improvement of all in many work cultures. Companies are able to make money while safety, environmental responsibility and working conditions have improved, vastly. The role of the inspection process has played a large role in making improvement, too! In fact, where companies are using risk equations and matrices to make decisions about equipment and plant operations, safety and environmental considerations, along with reliability, corrosion and inspection are being factored in. This assures they receive their due scrutiny. Safety and environmental typically receive the highest weightings! More on this later in the article.