Pneumatic Test update to old thread. 2

[mcm1209]

thread481-348164
At the time this was happening I was getting conflicting numbers from the PM in charge. I was never able to speak with the customers engineer in charge of the job.
I resigned 2 weeks after this thread was started. The test did happen with no incidents the week after I posted the referenced thread.
I was approached by the VP of the company and asked to travel to the job site to oversee the test. I refused to do so or send any of my guys. I communicated my concerns to him and he just simply walked away. I proceeded to send him and the ops manager an email stating that I was against the test 100% but received no response.
I was and still am opposed to the way it was handled.
The test was set up as a hydro from day one. You can't just change your mind and say "do a pneumatic test" from one min to the next. I spoke to colleagues of mine that have engineered pneumatic test in the past and they told me that there are different welding requirements, very strict QC of pipe mill providing the pipe. OQ when its load onto trucks for transport. QC when it is being lowered etc.....

I believe it was the amount of time given to perform the test and not being able to cross my t's and dot my I's that had me concerned. I did resign because of it and I have learned that the majority of upper management at my old company are no longer there. All fired

 

[BigInch]

I admire your style!

 

[BigInch]

Integrity is the word I was looking for.

 

[mcm1209]

Thanks
Resigning was the best thing I could have done. A month later I was interviewing and accepting a job with a major oil and gas company. I am now the customer and I found it amusing that their sales people would call on me, to see if we had something they could help us with. Guess how many jobs they got from us??

 

[BigInch]

Yes. Your chance to make sure that cosmic karma is balanced. More proof that what goes around comes around.
Congratulations and good luck with the new job too. Glad it worked out well, very well in fact. The business needs more like you.

 

[Duwe6]

Congrat's from me, too. One quibble on technical stuff:

"I spoke to colleagues of mine that have engineered pneumatic test in the past and they told me that there are different welding requirements, very strict QC of pipe mill providing the pipe. OQ when its load onto trucks for transport. QC when it is being lowered etc....."

Possibly for underground pipelines, but not for B31.3 in-plant stuff. However, that presupposes that the in-plant pipe spec demands seamless pipe for all small-bore lines* [if not all lines], and that only welders that have steadily and consistently passed their 5% RT weld sampling were used. Further, the smart folks will substitute UT [or Phased-Array] for RT on the non-carbon steel welds -- RT has a hard time finding fine, tight Lack-of-Fusion; with UT it is unmistakable.

*'Cute' requirement in A/SA-53 for pipe: only at 2"NPS and above is 'electric' [UT or Eddy-current, usually EC] testing of the ERW seam required. Thus why most refineries will not buy seamed small-bore pipe for anything.

 

[mcm1209]

It was a very hard decision to up and leave a very well paid job and not have another lined up. But everything happens for a reason, found a better paying job that respects my experience. Thanks for the compliments, just doing what was right.

 

[BigInch]

There are no special requirements for pipeline, or welding for pneumatic tests ... not that there shouldn't be.

 

[TrustedDesire]

Nice one... you hold your stand to safety and integrity and sold your self out...

 

[BigInch]

TrustedDesire,

Let me try to help.
"Sold your self out"
yourself is one word
"Sold yourself out" has a negative implication generally meaning that you will or have traded your convictions for money or favours of some kind. That is exactly the opposite of what mcm has done.
I'm pretty sure that is not what you really wanted to say.

 

[mcm1209]

I do hope he worded that wrong.
Unfortunately in this day in age, some are rewarded by "finishing" the project ahead of schedule or on time. Some using sketchy means to do it.