European Master and Certification Program
in Risk Engineering and Management

VA-R29 P&C
Probability and Consequence of Failure of Equipment

Course code: 161331 (SEM)
Language of instruction: English
Duration of the course: 1 days (9h)
Lecturers: Daniel Baloš
Assessment: Written Exam, Transfer Paper, [optional topic for Project Study Paper]

Short description

The focus of the course is given to the RBI approach to the inspection planning in petrochemical industry as defined by the standard of American Petroleum Institute API RECOMMENDED PRACTICE 581:2008 Risk-Based Inspection Technology (API 581).
The course provides quantitative procedures to establish an inspection program for pressurized fixed equipment by using risk-based methods. The procedure includes calculation of probability and consequence of failure, risk analysis and inspection planning based on the assessed risk. The pressurized fixed equipments covered by this course are pressure vessels, piping, tankage, pressure relief devices and heat exchanger tube bundles.

Objectives

For each type of equipment foreseen the steps of the procedure will be followed up:

  1. calculation of probability and consequence of failure
  2. risk analysis and
  3. inspection planning based on the assessed risk. 

At the end of the course, students are expected to:

  • know to details of risk analysis as defined by API 581 for foreseen types of static equipment
  • use risk analysis to produce an inspection plan for a petrochemical plant.

Target Attendees / Participants

The course is dedicated to:

  • professionals (engineers, managers, inspectors, legislators, …) who wish to deepen their knowledge in the field of risk based inspection
  • other professionals dealing with risk and safety in industry
  • individuals with previous experience in the field of risk based inspection, but willing to extend their skills and take up new roles in this field within their companies
  • university students of Steinbeis European Master Program in Risk Engineering and Management, and similar programs

Course Content by Units

Unit 1: Pressure Vessels and Piping

Duration
(minutes)

·       Probability of failure

·       Consequences of failure

·       Risk Analysis

·       Inspection planning based of risk analysis

60

Review and conclusions of the Unit 1. Questions and answers.

15

 

Unit 2: Atmospheric Storage Tanks

Duration

·       Probability of failure

·       Consequences of failure

·       Risk Analysis

·       Inspection planning based of risk analysis

60

Review and conclusions of the Unit 2. Questions and answers.

15

 

Unit 3: Pressure Relief Devices

Duration

·       General consideration

·       Probability of failure

·       Failure Modes

·       PRD Testing, Inspection and Repair

·       Risk Ranking of PRDs

60

Review and conclusions of the Unit 3: Questions and answers

15

 

Unit 4: Heat Exchanger Tube Bundles

Duration

·       Basis of Model

·       Required and optional data

·       Methodology overview

·       Probability of failure

·       Consequence of failure

60

Review and conclusions of the Unit 4: Questions and answers

15

Literature

  1. Lecture notes: Probability and Consequence of Failure of Equipment
    version of September 11, 2012
  2. Transparencies, version of September 13, 2012

For more information about the European Master and Certification Program in Risk Engineering and Management in general, go the Homepage.
For more information about the European Master Program in Risk Engineering and Management in general, go the Master Study page.
To see more courses in the curriculum, go to The curriculum page, or by date and topic go to the Calendar of Courses page.
Contact: via email sti889@risk-technologies.com or phone +49 711 1839 781 or +49 711 1839 647
(Course profile ID: VA-R29, generated on April 6, 2025)