The Office of Pipeline Safety recently distributed this advisory bulletin concerning strapping tables for breakout tanks. Simply put, if the strapping table is wrong, the floating roof may in fact be on its legs when the operator thinks it is still floating, or vice versa. This type of error was a contributing factor to the storage tank explosion and fire in Glenpool, Oklahoma on April 7, 2003.
To: Owners and Operators of All Pipeline Facilities Who Rely on Strapping Tables to Determine Volume Based on Measured Height For Product Level.
Subject: Validation of Strapping Tables to Reduce the Likelihood of Errors That May Lead to Dangerous Conditions in Breakout Tanks.
Purpose: To advise owners and operators of all hazardous liquid pipeline facilities about the need to validate strapping tables.
Advisory: Strapping Tables are commonly used to determine the commodity volume based on product level within breakout tanks. If the strapping table is incorrect, operators may expose themselves and the community to unnecessary risks.
OPS seeks to advise operators that they should review and, if necessary, revise their breakout tank operating procedures to minimize risk. The strapping tables should be validated to reduce the potential for errors that may lead to dangerous conditions, such as static discharge inside a tank after a floating roof has been either intentionally or unintentionally landed. Pipeline operators, therefore, may need to adjust the measurements on their strapping tables to ensure accuracy.