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1) What are Process Industry Practices (PIPs)?

2) What are there legal implications?

3) Which areas they usually cover?

4) Are they Easily available?

5) How much is there usage in the process industry?

Regards

1) PIPs are being made and developed by an organization which consist of process industry owners and working contractors. These practices cover all EPC cycle of process industry. You can better say them as good engineering, procurement and construction practices of process industry.
2) There are no legal implications imposed by PIPs. Companies having membership of PIP utilizes these practices and refer them during EPC of their new projects, modifications at existing plants.
3) They cover all the main areas of a process industry new projects / modifications like civil, structural, piping, pressure vessels, process control etc.
4) Yes, acquire the membership.
5) Usage varies from one industry to other. Those process industries having their own engineering, procurement, construction departments usually own PIPs but to a varying extent. Industries normally contracting out or acquiring services of other EPC companies does not really need them as they get such engineering practices from their Engineering contractor and applies them later on also for modifications / de-bottlenecking / extension projects.

I have seen PIPs with some of my colleagues and it just look like the same as what EPC contractor provides you with. For example, taking the case of piping, PIPs refer to the applicable piping code, pressure rating, piping fittings type, arrangements, pipe to branch connection guides (whether from weldolet, sockolet, pipe to pipe etc.). It also classifies your piping on the basis of pressure rating and service and then on the basis of piping class, it later defines NDT requirements etc. PIPs simplifies engineering, procurement and construction recommended good practices and this how translates everything in one single language both for owner and contractor.

In short, PIPs are good to have for Companies operating Process Plants if they already do not have a Process Licensor whom they pay some bucks every year.

Go to www.pip.org to view some samples of PIPs of your interest.
It would help you better understand how PIPs are prepared and what they mainly cover.