PetroStreet

What are the essential elements of a successful spring Supports inspection program? Please share key details which can be directly compared with for benchmarking purposes.

Start with identifying:
1. How many spring supports in total at site (sites normally have a document listing all such supports installed on unit wise basis, with their types, drawings, materials details)
2. Perform their initial baseline inspection, if never performed
3. Contact OEM of these supports to know about recommended inspection & maintenance schedule
4. Inform OEM about an overall situation of these spring supports
5. Develop an inspection plan /checklist to suit OEM recommended inspection plan
6. Enter all these supports as assets in maintenance program along with their maintenance /inspection plan and set OEM recommended frequency

I would highly recommend a baseline inspection before you connect with OEM and then to establish an inspection plan.
This baseline would provide you an idea where actually you have got some real issues.
By the way, I remember when we started off this program, we were having many spring supports with an information on their datasheets and OEM. But actual idea was to go through all, look into their condition in detail to understand where we need to focus once we get in touch with OEM and come up with some sort of maintenance strengthened with an inspection & monitoring.

The reality is that still there are sites where there is no active inspection program in place for spring supports.
That has to be addressed as a separate component from other general piping components.
Their function, issues, inspection & maintenance is required to be supported through a dedicated inspection plan.
See an article which contains some good information:
https://inspectioneering.com/journal/20 ... g-supports

Yeah, the thing is that yes there are still facilities where this program is not very well in place. I see gaps in critical check valves, expansion bellows as well. Nothing specific in place and then a failure happens triggering all such discussions.

Program should be defined in a way that you must not miss any area within your facility where there is a spring support and it is not included with correct dataset.
Make sure you assign area inspectors this task of logging in all spring supports from drawings and field inspection.
Enlist their manufacturers, associated data, and other details to know more what to inspect during inspection, and what is the current status.
Baseline status is required to be validated with support from Maintenance. There could be a lot many spring supports you would find at site not in their acceptable status. Someone should get them right first.