As long ago as the 1990s, the dangers of substandard flanges in the petrochemical industry were highlighted, with a series of accidents in the petrochemical sector. Among the causes of explosions and fires were mismatched pipe fittings, inferior alloys and poorly manufactured flanges.

The plants were often situated outside the most prosperous nations in the world, but affluent conglomerates (based in the US, Canada or Europe) were often involved in the resource allocation. What is more, these accidents continue today – and they’re not always happening outside the wealthy nations. In the US, there have been hundreds of accidents in the last decade, often attributable to poorly maintained pipe systems.

Some companies import poorly manufactured, low-quality alloy pipe fittings from developing countries where industrial standards are non-existent, and operate a Health and Safety system which ensures flanges are not replaced when they show signs of imminent failure. Although these plants may be often located offshore, or in developing nations, the current economic climate means there is a danger of these poorly manufactured, potentially dangerous pipe flanges finding their way into the UK. There is concern they will arrive disguised to look like an industry-level product.

The answer is, of course, to only buy ANSI (or similar) BS industry standard flanges in high quality alloy, from trusted suppliers such as us at Chemipetro. After fitting, perform regular safety checks to ensure there are no leaks or corroded areas around the welds or joins. That way, the only way your plant will get in the news will be due to industrial excellence.