002 016 1 PDF
002 016 1 PDF
002 016 1 PDF
1. PURPOSE
To establish a clear set of guidelines to be followed when performing Hot Tap and Stopple installations.
2. DEFINITIONS
Coupon – The part of the pipe that is removed during the Hot Tap operation.
Hot Tap – The method of making a mechanical tie-in by welding an attachment to the pipe that is in
service; then installing a valve and cutting a hole in the existing pipe through the new valve using a
tapping machine specifically designed for such a purpose.
Stopple – The installation of a flow-blocking device in a piping system that cannot otherwise be isolated
depressurized or cleared.
Contractor – the Company that supplies the Hot Tap and/or Stopple machine and its operating
personnel.
Hot Tap/Stopple Document Package – A collection of documentation required to obtain Hot Tap
approval:
Completion Plug - A metal plug sometimes installed in the tie-in piping after a stopple is completed, in
order to isolate the process from the tie-in entry point without the use of a valve.
Weldment – A welded-in pipe fitting that connects the new tie-in piping spool to the existing piping
system (e.g. a split tee or a weld-o-let)
Job Coordinator – Person assigned by the Operations Manager to coordinate a job. This is
typically the Operations Coordinator.
3. SCOPE
Hot Taps and Stopples shall only be installed on piping that cannot be safely cleared and/or
isolated due to operational and/or system design constraints. It must also be evaluated to see if
the Hot Tap or Stopple could be avoided by delaying the job until an upcoming planned Outage or
Turnaround. Any Hot Tap and/or Stopple must be part of an approved MOC with Hot Tap/Stopple
Document Package and shall require a PSSR prior to being put into service.
4. PROCEDURE
4.1 General
4.1.1 Hot Taps are NOT to be performed on piping containing:
a. Combustible vapor/air/oxygen mixtures with-in flammable and/or explosive ranges.
b. Hydrogen, if the equipment has operated above the Nelson Curve Limits
c. Any chemicals likely to violently decompose or become hazardous from the heat
generated by welding.
d. Strong Caustics or Acids
e. Oxygen or Ammonia
f. Any process stream containing ethylene or acetylene*
* Streams with “low” concentrations of ethylene/acetylene can be considered for
Hot Tapping contingent on concurrence from Corporate Process Safety.
4.1.2 Hot Tapping shall not be performed on piping under vacuum unless approved by the
TES Manager.
4.1.3 Hot Taps shall not be performed on piping that is lined, clad, or where stress relieving
is required.
4.1.4 Hot Taps made upstream of equipment and/or in-line instrumentation that are not
adequately protected by filters and cannot be isolated, shall be carefully evaluated for
safety and operational risks that could arise from a coupon or metal shavings being left
behind in the piping system. A risk analysis shall be completed and added to the
Document Package if this paragraph is applicable.
4.1.5 Hot Tap and Stopple machinery shall be operated by authorized Contractor personnel
only. Procurement maintains a list of approved Contractors. Potential new Contractor
must go through the Site’s procedure for qualifying new Vendors. It is the
responsibility of the Contractor to ensure such equipment is properly maintained and in
good working condition, and that their personnel are adequately trained.
4.1.6 When feasible, Hot Taps should be made on the “top” of the pipe vs. the “bottom”, in
horizontal pipe runs.
4.2.1 All piping components used in a Hot Tap or Stopple installation shall be in accordance
with the relevant Beaumont Site Piping Standards, with the exception of weldments
which shall be in accordance with Table 1 of this procedure Any proposed piping
component deviation will require approval from the TES Manager or designee.
4.2.2 All welding on piping components used in a Hot Tap installation shall be in accordance
with approved welding procedures.
4.2.3 Full port ball or gate valves are required for Hot Tap and Stopple installations, the Hot
Tap Contractor will supply the cutter diameter to be used for the Hot Tap and Stopple.
BASF will confirm the cutter will fit through the valve without damaging the seat.
These valves shall comply with the appropriate Beaumont Site Piping Standard.
4.2.4 The preferred method for completion of a Hot Tap and Stopple is a full port valve with
a blind. If a completion plug is to be used in the case of a Stopple, the elastomer
components shall require review and approval by the TES Group or Process
Technology Group to ensure compatibility with the process.
4.2.5 The piping and supporting structure must have an engineering review of the stress
loading from the weight of the hot tap and stopple machine. This review can be simply
good engineering judgment, or if good engineering judgment dictates, a formal stress
analysis shall be completed and included in the Hot Tap/Stopple Document Package.
4.2.6 Table 1 has been attached as a guideline for selecting the appropriate weldment. If
this table is not used, the TES Group must review and approve.
4.2.7 The location of the Hot Tap should be more that 18” away from all flanges or threaded
connections, plus more than three inches from any existing weld seam. Deviations
from these requirements must have the approval of the TES Manager or designee.
4.2.8 The design of the hot tap will allow for adequate purging after the Hot Tap and Stopple
is complete.
4.3 Preparation
4.3.1 Operations should be appraised of any requests prior to proceeding with the
preparations for the work. It is recommended a minimum two weeks advanced notice
be provided in order for Operations to have adequate time to prepare a risk evaluation
and emergency plan associated with completing the JSA, while the Contractor
performs mechanical checks in the field.
4.3.2 The location of the Hot Tap shall allow for:
a) Adequate clearance for the machine
b) Adequate support for the machine
c) Availability of air or electric power for the machine
d) Easy and safe egress for personnel making the Hot Tap or Stopple, and easy
access for emergency personnel.
4.3.3 The Contractor shall perform measurements and calculations to verify that the cutter or
the pilot drill shall not penetrate through the opposite wall of the line being Hot Tapped.
Preferably the drill should not penetrate beyond the center of the pipe. For size-on-
size or one size smaller connections, where the drill tip will have to move further into
the pipe, measurements must ensure that the drill will not contact the inner surface of
the other side of the pipe. The Maintenance/Construction representative shall review
these measurements.
4.3.4 Thickness measurements shall be taken in the location of the Hot Tap, extending out
to either side, a minimum of 12 inches, or the diameter of the branch pipe, whichever
is greater. If any of the following conditions exist, a engineering evaluation shall be
performed by a TES engineer, to determine if a Hot Tap can be safely performed:
a) Actual thickness < 3/16”
b) Actual thickness > 1”
c) Actual thickness < Nominal thickness – corrosion allowance
4.3.5 If stress cracking is possible in the service, shear wave examination of the surface of a
stainless steel pipe is required. If stress cracking exists, a qualified
engineer/technician shall determine the suitability of the existing pipe for the Hot Tap.
4.3.6 The attainable flow velocity in the line being Hot Tapped shall be verified. If the flow in
a line being hot tapped is within the following velocity ranges: Liquid: 1.5 – 15.0 feet
per second, Gas or vapor: 25.0 – 200.0 feet per second, then no engineering review is
required. For liquid or gas velocities outside these ranges, Site Engineering will review
the hot tap as per API Recommended Practice 2201 “Procedures for Welding or Hot
Tapping on Equipment in Service”, Latest Edition. The TES Group shall evaluate
required flow in vapor lines on a case-by-case basis.
4.3.7 The WPS (Weld Procedure Specification) must be selected by the BASF’s QA/QC
department and attached to the checklist Form A. Welding will be performed by BASF
site or Maintenance Contractor.
4.4.1 Section 1 and 2 of the Hot Tap Checklist Form A shall be completely filled and
approved as noted on the form, prior to the issuance of a hot work permit for the Hot
Tap weldment.
4.4.2 In some cases several days or even weeks may elapse between the completion of the
hot work step and the actual hot tap line cutting. Prior to issuing a Safe Work Permit
for the Hot Tap, the Shift Supervisor and the Maintenance/Construction
Representative shall sign off on the Hot Tap Checklist Form B, denoting the Hot Tap
can safely commence.
4.4.3 The Hot Tap Checklist Form B shall be completed as the job progresses in the field. It
is the responsibility of the Maintenance/Construction Representative to ensure the
Contractor provides all required information and signs off in the sequential order noted.
4.4.4 Prior to issuing a Safe Work Permit for a Stopple, the Shift Supervisor, Contractor
Representative, Maintenance/Construction Representative and Job Coordinator shall
sign off on the Stopple Checklist Form C, denoting the Stopple work can safely
commence.
4.5.1 The Job Coordinator together with the Maintenance/Construction Representative shall
ensure the planned location of a Hot Tap as being correct and clearly marked in the
field. The Hot Tap location shall have been cleaned as necessary to bare metal. This
includes removal of paint, insulation, and any other debris that could interfere with
potential Hot Tap operations.
4.5.2 The TES Manager, together with the Operations Manager, are responsible for
ensuring that an emergency plan has been identified and communicated appropriately.
The emergency plan must cover potential risks such as burn through during welding.
Radio communication with the control room is required while installing a Hot Tap and
while installing a Stopple.
4.5.3 All required documentation should be presented to the person issuing the hot work
permit.
4.5.4 The person issuing the hot work permit shall confirm that no unusual process
conditions exist, and the flow rate, temperature, and pressure ranges specified on the
Hot Tap Hot Work Checklist A form exist in the field.
5. Responsibilities
Job Coordinator – Ensure process conditions needed to perform the job safely exist, and
ensure adequate communication occurs between the Contractor, Maintenance/Project, and
Operations. Ensure Section 2 of the Hot Tap Checklist Form B is accurate.
Contractor – Provide equipment in good working order and properly trained personnel, in
additional to strictly following all safety and operations rules and procedures. Complete
Checklist Forms B and/or C if applicable.
Operations Manager – Ensure there are no other alternative to performing the Hot Tap
and/or Stopple work. Evaluate potential risks associated with the job and establish an
emergency plan to cope with these risks.
TES Manager – Ensure the job has been properly engineered and that all required
preparations have been carried out.
Safety Department Manager – Review the job scope and set-up in the field from a safety
perspective to help ensure all identifiable precautions have been taken.
6. RELATED DOCUMENTS
ANSI B31.3 Chemical Plant and Petroleum Refinery Piping
API Recommended Practice 2201 “Procedures for Welding or Hot Tapping on Equipment in
Service”
OSHA 1910.119 Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals
Beaumont Management of Change Procedure
Beaumont Pre-Startup Safety Review Procedure
Beaumont Hot Work Procedure
This table is to be used to select hot tap fittings for pipelines only. A selection from this table does
not require engineering review or mechanical calculations. NOTE: Incase of conflict with Pipe
Spec, Hot Tap Procedure will govern.
SYMBOLS
W- Integrally reinforced fitting (weld-o-let).
T- Full encirclement split tee.
P- Reinforcement pad is required. Pad width shall equal half of branch nominal size, and
thickness shall be no less than the header pipe wall thickness.
NOTES
1. For branch diameters greater than 2", reinforcement is required - either repad or split tee
as shown in Table 1. 1/8" NPT tapped holes shall be provided in pad or tee and shall be
sealed with RTV sealer. Repads will be pneumatically tested at 15 psig. Where
pneumatic testing is not practical (hot services), the use of integrally reinforced fittings
(O-lets) will be considered, use of these fittings must be approved in advance by the
engineer.
2. All branch fittings must meet or exceed main pipe schedule.
( ) Y ( ) N ( ) n/a Does this job fully comply with the Site Hot Tap/Stopple Procedure?
( ) Y ( ) N ( ) n/a Are approved welding procedures included with the Hot Tap/Stopple Document Package?
( ) Y ( ) N ( ) n/a Does the new installation fully comply with Site Piping Standards and/or approved deviations?
( ) Y ( ) N ( ) n/a Has the Hot Tap location been clearly marked in the field and the pipe cleaned to bare metal?
( ) Y ( ) N ( ) n/a Has the added stress loading on the existing pipe and support structure been addressed?
( ) Y ( ) N ( ) n/a Does the Hot Tap/Stopple location allow for sufficient clearance and easy access/egress?
( ) Y ( ) N ( ) n/a Have thickness and dye penetrant (per Section 4.3.3) results been reviewed and determined to be
satisfactory?
( ) Y ( ) N ( ) n/a Has the weldment been either selected from Table 1 or approved by Site Engineering?
( ) Y ( ) N ( ) n/a Has Site Engineering confirmed the required flow, and is it available for the Hot Work?
Signatures
Maintenance/Construction Representative
Print Name:
Signature: Date:
A hot work permit CANNOT be issued if Sections 1 & 2 are not signed and/or there are any “No” answers.
CONTROLLED DOCUMENT- 24 HRS
10:05 am 08/29/2014
-- UNCONTROLLED THEREAFTER --
SECTION 2 (Owner Approval) Hot Tap Checklist Form A
To be completed by the Job Coordinator Prior to Welding
( ) Y ( ) N ( ) n/a Does the JSA address the risks associated with losing a coupon or introducing metal
shavings?
( ) Y ( ) N ( ) n/a Does the JSA denote measures taken to reduce the risk of burn through, and provide
a contingency plan in the event of burn through?
( ) Y ( ) N ( ) n/a Will radio communication with the Control Room be available during the execution of
this work?
( ) Y ( ) N ( ) n/a Has a complete Hot Tap/Stopple Document Package been provided to the Operations
Manager or designee?
( ) Y ( ) N ( ) n/a If a stopple is going to be used, does the JSA address measures to be taken if the
stopple fails?
To ensure compliance with OSHA's Lockout/Tag-out Standard under 1910.147, the hot tap must be
justified. The OSHA standard, as proposed, stipulated that hot tap operations would be exempt from the
requirements of the standard if the employer could demonstrate that: (1) Continuity of service is essential;
(2) shutdown of the system is impractical; and (3) documented procedures and special equipment are
utilized which will provide effective protection for employees.
NOTE: Operation Signatures signify that the Hop Tap location and size are correctly identified, that the risks
of performing a hot tap and the alternatives to a hot tap have been reviewed, and that performing a hot tap is
necessary.
Signatures
Job Coordinator
Print Name:
Signature: Date:
A hot work permit CANNOT be issued if Sections 1 & 2 are not signed and/or there are any “No” answers.
Shift Supervisor
Print Name:
Signature: Date:
Maintenance/Construction Representative
Print Name:
Signature: Date:
Job Coordinator
Print Name:
Signature: Date:
Prior to proceeding with the Hot Tap, the above information shall be completed and confirmation of successful test
results provided, and radio communication established with the Control Room
Boring bar travel set at " Do-not-exceed dimension " to prevent drill through
Coupon Retrieved: ( ) Y ( ) N
Signatures
Maintenance/Construction Representative
Print Name:
Signature: Date:
Signatures
Shift Supervisor
Print Name:
Signature: Date:
Maintenance/Construction Representative
Print Name:
Signature: Date:
Job Coordinator
Print Name:
Signature: Date:
Prior to proceeding with the Stopple the above information shall be signed off, and radio
communication established with the Control Room
NOTES:
- These are dimensions/weights for a typical (Topaz or T D Williams) machine for planning purposes only. These
parameters may vary for a different machine.
- Values given in parentheses are for a heavier and larger machine.
B A T
Adaptor
Tapping Machine E