Turnarounds in the refining industry are high-pressure events—both literally and figuratively. One of the most critical components to inspect during these shutdowns is the flange, especially in alkaline process units where caustic materials like sodium hydroxide (NaOH) put extreme stress on equipment integrity. At Slate Pages, we are working with three major North American refineries to help them digitize and streamline their flange inspections using our Slate QR code tags and customizable mobile app.

Why Flange Inspections Matter

Flanges are connection points that seal together sections of pipe and equipment under high temperature and pressure. In alkaline processing, flanges are particularly vulnerable due to:

• Corrosion from caustic chemicals
• Gasket degradation
• Improper torque or alignment
• Fatigue from repeated thermal cycling

These factors make comprehensive flange inspection not just a best practice—but a compliance requirement.

Regulatory Drivers

Flange inspections are often mandated or strongly recommended under several regulations and standards, including:

• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.119 – Process Safety Management (PSM): Requires mechanical integrity of critical pressure-containing components.
• EPA 40 CFR Part 68 – Risk Management Plan (RMP): Mandates documented inspection and maintenance for hazardous chemical processes.
• API Standard 570 – Piping Inspection Code: Covers inspection, rating, repair, and alteration of in-service piping systems, including flange joints.
• ASME PCC-1 – Guidelines for bolted flange joint assemblies: Provides best practices for ensuring flange joint reliability.

Failure to comply can lead to safety incidents, environmental releases, or costly shutdowns.

How Slate Pages Is Changing the Game

Traditionally, flange inspections during turnarounds rely on paper forms, spreadsheets, and manual logs. These methods are inefficient, error-prone, and hard to audit. Slate Pages solves this by bringing inspections into the digital era.

Each flange or flange group receives a Slate QR code tag. When scanned, the app brings up a custom inspection checklist built for that specific flange. Data is entered via mobile device and saved automatically—with user, date, and time stamps attached to every record.

Key benefits include:

• Paperless workflows that eliminate lost data
• Real-time documentation and review
• Custom dashboards to analyze inspection history and spot trends
• Syncing across teams for consistent data entry
• Easy export for audits, regulators, or internal reporting

Sample Flange Inspection Checklist Items

Here’s a glimpse into what refineries are digitizing with Slate during alkaline unit turnarounds:

• Flange size
• Flange rating
• Flange type
• Flange thickness
• Flange cleaned
• Flange accessible for inspection
• Visual check for external corrosion or pitting
• % of corrosion across raised face
• Depth of corrosion
• Bolt torque verification (recorded values or pass/fail)
• Photo documentation (optional)
• Inspector signature and timestamp

Each of these steps can be customized per refinery protocol, and photos or notes can be attached for quality assurance or follow-up.

The Future of Flange Compliance

With increased scrutiny from regulators and heightened expectations around mechanical integrity, digitally tracked inspections aren’t just “nice to have”—they’re becoming the new standard. Slate Pages helps refineries prove compliance, improve safety, and maintain uptime.

If your team is still tracking critical flange inspections on paper, now is the time to switch. Slate Tags bring the physical and digital worlds together in one smart, seamless solution.