Prescriptive requirements for overpressure protection in the United States:

• Steam (ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section I, §PG-67 through PG-73)
• Compressed Gas Containers (29 CFR 1910.101)
• Acetylene (29 CFR 1910.102)
• Hydrogen (29 CFR 1910.103)
• Oxygen (29 CFR 1910.104)
• Storage of Flammable Liquids (29 CFR 1910.106)
• Liquefied Petroleum Gases (29 CFR 1910.110)
• Anhydrous Ammonia (29 CFR 1910.111)
• Air Receivers (29 CFR 1910.169)

Since many of us deal with a large variety of systems needing overpressure protection covered by the more general, performance-based Process Safety Management standard, with its heavy reliance on Recognized and Generally Accepted Good Engineering Practices¹, it can be easy to overlook the few systems out there that have additional prescriptive requirements for overpressure protection beyond the equipment design code of construction (such as the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section VIII) and general guidelines for the identification and analysis of pressure relief systems (such as API Standards 520, 521, and 2000). The list above provides many of these specific requirements in the United States.

The various requirements range from prescriptive sizing to detailed installation specifications. This brief series is intended to provide an overview of these requirements. For identification of overpressure scenarios, we find it useful to perform the typical broad-ranged analysis for these systems, then supplement that analysis with the additional prescriptive requirements. In this approach, it is useful to identify the intent behind the requirement; therefore, we will also delve into the basis for the requirements when possible.

As each category is discussed, we will update this page with the link to that discussion, and provide a link back to this general introduction.