ANSI B31.3? – It's Only a Two Inch Pipe!

There has been a real push in certain areas of the country with respect to compliance with health and safety regulations around chemical storage and handling areas with some plants being identified with deficiencies.

The tension between what we need to do and what we can afford to do is a challenge felt by many water and wastewater providers. Often the requirements of legislation, codes of practice (COP) and standards seem to make simple systems complex with the associated increase in cost.

There is also significant variation in interpretation by the regulators as to what is acceptable and what is not in terms of compliance. This can make providing a compliant design very difficult. The variation in opinion of Drinking Water Assessors is a prime example of this.

What is perhaps more worrying is the apparent uncertainty on both sides of the client – consultant relationship. How does a client ensure that he is getting advice that at least meets the standards, COPs and legislation without necessarily being an expert himself? How does a client know that there is something missing from a project until it has been built and the dangerous goods inspector (DG) fails to provide the stationary containment certificate?

This paper will try to assist water and wastewater service providers in knowing what to ask before the Worksafe and DG inspectors fail an installation. It will use case studies to demonstrate plants that have not been designed in accordance with the relevant standards and the review process involved. It will address the cost implications of compliance versus non-compliance.