In Alberta there are over 180,000 registered items of pressure equipment. Many of which were due for thorough inspections in 2020. Due to the present COVID environment, it may not be safe to perform large scale outages for some time.

Temporary Modification to AB-506 – 11.4.2 Reporting Deferrals to ABSA

Modifications have been implemented as a temporary measure to address the severe constraints on resources caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The constraints on resources make it extremely difficult to plan and execute turnarounds in 2020, and will result in cascading impact on future turnarounds. It is anticipated that owners of large inventories of pressure equipment will have the practical need to defer inspections for a large number of objects, and that the deferrals will be in excess of one year. It will not be practical to submit each individually to ABSA for prior acceptance.

Decision from ABSA

Acuren Solution

Acuren has the expertise and resources to guide an Owner-User through the mass deferral process. The team is able to analyze previous and current records, to determine suitability for pressure equipment deferral. Acuren is positioned well, to administrate and communicate deferral lists and aid with the Owner-User deferral documentation and submission. 

We have the competency to perform deferral assessments based on past and current records, to confidently assist the Owner-User in establishing which inspections can be deferred. Acuren is an ISO 9001 organization with an ABSA AQP for performing integrity assessments. Acuren has vast resources, and our PEIM group is able to reach out and utilize these resources when developing a deferral plan with an Owner-User.

Considerations we can assist with:

• The commitment to the safety of the public is number one, and an effective deferral system can aid economically for the Owner while still providing the expected level of safety to the public.
• By deferring low risk pressure equipment, and focusing on the higher risk pieces for inspections, an Owner is able to maintain their societal responsibility to public safety through these economically challenging times.
• Maintaining compliance to the Alberta Safety Codes Act by following the Administrator’s interpretation with our guidance, prevents an Owner from unnecessarily contravening the Alberta Pressure Equipment Safety Regulation, which could result in fines and having an addition financial burden to an already struggling economy.

If you would like more information, or to see how we can help, please contact:

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