§193.2615 Isolating and purging.

(a)  Before personnel begin maintenance activities on components handling flammable fluids which are isolated for maintenance, the component [any part, or system of parts functioning as a unit, including, but not limited to, piping, processing equipment, containers, control devices, impounding systems, lighting, security devices, fire control equipment, and communication equipment, whose integrity or reliability is necessary to maintain safety in controlling, processing, or containing a hazardous fluid] must [used in the mandatory and imperative sense] be purged in accordance with a procedure which meets the requirements of "Purging Principles and Practices (incorporated by reference, see § 193.2013)"; unless the maintenance procedures under §193.2605 provide that the activity can be safely performed without purging.

(b)  If the component or maintenance activity provides an ignition source, a technique in addition to isolation valves (such as removing spool pieces or valves and blank flanging the piping [pipe, tubing, hoses, fittings, valves, pumps, connections, safety devices or related components for containing the flow of hazardous fluids], or double block and bleed valving) must be used to ensure that the work area is free of flammable fluids.

[Amdt. 193-2, 45 FR 70405, Oct. 23, 1980, as amended by Amdt. 193-25, 80 FR 184, Jan. 5, 2015]