One failing gasket. Days of downtime.

It wasn’t a major explosion. It started with a small leak in a process line at a petrochemical complex. In the first few minutes, the incident seemed contained. A small fire that could, in principle, have been brought under control quickly.

The escalation happened when the heat began affecting a nearby valve. Under normal operating conditions, it had worked without issue for years. But when exposed to fire, the gasket turned out not to be fire safe. The seal failed, allowing additional medium to escape and feeding the fire further.

What had been a limited incident turned into a far more serious situation, with additional emissions, greater safety risks and an extended shutdown of the facility as a result.

The damage wasn’t just financial. Statements had to be made to regulators. Questions were asked about what tests had been carried out beforehand. The honest answer was: the valve had been approved under standard factory conditions. Room temperature. Limited pressure. A short test window.

Nobody had tested what would happen if things really went wrong.

The question that always comes after

After every incident like this, the same question surfaces: could we have known?

More often than not, the answer is yes. Fire safe testing exists specifically to put these kinds of scenarios through their paces before they happen. The component is exposed to the heat of a real fire and then immediately tested for leakage and function. Not as a formality, but as proof that the part holds up when there is no room left for doubt.

What the petrochemical company had to go through afterwards was significant: all critical valves had to be retested and revalidated, documentation had to be submitted to the regulator and an internal investigation had to be endured. All of this could have been covered upfront with a single certified test.

Proof that holds up

At ITIS, fire safe tests are carried out under ISO 17025 accreditation. That doesn’t produce paper assurance. It produces traceable, internationally recognized results that you can present to an inspector, include in a tender dossier or use as substantiation in a permitting process.

Manufacturers can use this to demonstrate that their product does what it is supposed to do under the most demanding conditions. End users get the confidence that their installation not only meets the standard but also meets reality.

Want to know what it takes to get your components fire safe certified? Get in touch with ITIS. We are happy to discuss with you about what is needed. Or request a quote directly.