Rusdee Azeem, Senior Electrical Engineer & Chee Ying-Chan, Business Project Manager from Petronas will be presenting at Hazardex Live 2024 on the company's Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) approach for explosion-proof equipment.

The oil and gas industry is inherently exposed to fire and explosion hazards due to the presence of flammable substances. To mitigate these risks, a significant portion of equipment utilized in this sector is designated as explosion-proof (Ex) type. Regular inspections of Ex equipment are vital to ensure safety and compliance, following the guidelines of IEC 60079-17. However, the conventional approach of uniform inspections for all equipment has led to resource-intensive processes, time consumption, and potential errors affecting production. Addressing these challenges, in 2020, PETRONAS has embarked on a journey to integrate risk-based inspection (RBI) methodology for Ex equipment, aiming to enhance efficiency and safety.

Inspired by the principle of "as low as reasonably practicable" (ALARP), PETRONAS has strategically adopted a risk-based inspection (RBI) methodology for Ex equipment. This entails categorizing Ex equipment within a facility into distinct lots based on both their physical location and associated risk levels. Utilizing the Guidelines for Managing Inspection of Ex Equipment Ignition Risk, aligned with IEC 60079-17, sample sizes and evaluation criteria are then determined.

The Ex-RBI program significantly optimizes inspection processes by reducing the number of Ex equipment subject to thorough inspection within a lot. The inspection findings from a representative sample serve as indicators of the overall quality of the lot, thereby allowing more targeted inspection efforts. Equipment deemed high risk undergo more rigorous inspection measures, including larger sample sizes and increased inspection frequencies, compared to lower risk equipment.

Notably, PETRONAS has also developed an in-house program to automate the sampling methodology and evaluation process.

About the speakers:

Rusdee Azeem is an accomplished engineer with a strong educational background and diverse career in electrical engineering and project management. He embarked on his professional journey in 2009 at DPI Consult, where he served as an electrical design engineer. Rusdee joined AECOM in 2010 where he held the position of Senior Electrical Engineer. In 2013, joined Petronas, specifically within the Upstream Development Division. Here, his focus shifted to the oil and gas upstream sector, where he contributed as a vital member of the project management team.

Chee Ying-Chan is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in electrical & electronics engineering at University Teknologi PETRONAS. From 2005 to 2010, she was an Electrical Engineer in OGP Technical Services (a subsidiary of Petronas) before becoming a Senior Electrical Engineer in Petronas, based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She is currently the business project manager, driving digital solutions for transformer and explosion proof equipment in Petronas.