API Recommended Practice 580

API Recommended Practice 580 provides users with the basic elements for developing, implementing and maintaining a risk-based inspection (RBI) program. It provides guidance to owners, operators, and designers of pressure-containing equipment for developing and implementing an inspection program. These guidelines include means for assessing an inspection program and its plan. The approach emphasizes safe and reliable operation through risk-prioritized inspection. A spectrum of complementary risk analysis approaches (qualitative through fully-quantitative) can be considered as part of the inspection planning process. RBI guideline issues covered include an introduction to the concepts and principles of risk-based inspection for risk management; and individual sections that describe the steps in applying these principles within the framework of the RBI process include:

a) understanding the design premise;

b) planning the RBI assessment;

c) data and information collection;

d) identifying damage mechanisms and failure modes;

e) assessing probability of failure;

f) assessing consequence of failure;

g) risk determination, assessment and management;

h) risk management with inspection activities and process control;

i) other risk mitigation activities;

j) reassessment and updating;

k) roles, responsibilities, training and qualifications;

l) documentation and record-keeping.