Engineers, Scientists Convene to Reduce Risk and Threat of Corrosion

Citation

(2013), "Engineers, Scientists Convene to Reduce Risk and Threat of Corrosion", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 60 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ACMM.12860eaa.016

Engineers, Scientists Convene to Reduce Risk and Threat of Corrosion

Article Type:

Conferences, training and publications

From:

Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Volume 60, Issue 5

NACE International, the global authority on corrosion, hosted the first international Risk Management of Corrodible Systems Conference in Washington, DC, in June 2013. Assessing risk is an essential component in corrosion control planning and can drastically reduce the threat of destructive and, in some cases, catastrophic incidents.

The technical program included more than 100 presentations focused on the impact of risk management on corrosion engineering decisions, and introduced specific methods and tools that can be employed to reach management resolutions to improve safety and reduce costs. An exhibit hall featured engineering firms and integrity and risk management providers. “I’m often asked what risk management is,” says Oliver Moghissi, NACE International past President. “A risk is simply the potential for loss or damage. When we follow a sound risk management plan, we proactively identify, assess, and prioritize a threat and then take necessary, mitigative action to either reduce the probability that something happens and/or its consequence.”

And when it comes to corrosion, bad things do happen. Corrosion has caused pipeline leaks and ruptures, bridge collapses, water-main breaks, and it has compromised safety in military and civilian vehicles from aircraft to automobiles to ships. In addition to its threats to people, assets and the environment, corrosion carries a substantial price tag of more than $450 billion annually in the USA and $2.2 trillion worldwide, a cost that can be drastically reduced with proper corrosion control planning and strategy.

Risk management is practiced in many industries, including oil and gas, power and utilities, marine, aerospace, and in the nuclear industry where it is a requirement. Given the complexity of the material degradation processes, risk management of corrodible systems presents growing challenges to corrosion and materials engineers who must understand, evaluate and take action on risks to increase safety and reduce catastrophic and sometimes fatal failures. Risk management in the field of corrosion is focused on corrosion control, avoiding failures, and effectively managing assets in compliance with regulations and industry standards.

Attendees seeking to develop or advance their risk management strategy convened from 25 countries and included leaders of industry and academia; corrosion, materials, pipeline, civil, and mechanical engineers; and consultants, researchers, and scientists responsible for managing corrosion and degradation challenges.

“Every time you drive across a highway or bridge; when you turn on the tap water in your home or the gas on your stove, there are people ensuring the safety and reliability of those systems,” says Moghissi. “They spend countless hours on maintenance, testing and monitoring. We all must commit to understanding corrosion and risk management to keep our infrastructure serving the public safely and efficiently.”

More information is available from: http://www.nace.org/risk2013