Relief System Design Training Course
Under OSHA’s 29 CFR 1910.119 Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals, ensuring the maintenance and accuracy of Process Safety Information (PSI) is a requirement for operators in refineries, petrochemical plants, and chemical plants. Relief system design and design basis are crucial components of PSI, ensuring protection against overpressure hazards. Our three-day, online or in-person training course is designed to equip process safety engineers and managers with the knowledge and skills necessary to meet these regulatory standards and internal corporate requirements.
Course Objectives
This comprehensive course provides a detailed examination of relief and flare systems, focusing on best practices and methodologies for overpressure scenario identification and relief device sizing. Participants will learn to develop relief system designs in compliance with Recognized and Generally Accepted Good Engineering Practices (RAGAGEP), including standards such as API STD 520/521/2000 and ASME BPVC Section VIII/Section I.
Course Content
- Application of API and ASME standards: API 520/521/526/2000/650/620/12, ASME I/VIII/XIII/B31.3/B31.1
- Importance of pressure relief systems documentation and OSHA requirements
- Overpressure protection design philosophy
- Comparison of relief device types
- Data requirements for relief system design
- Overpressure scenario analysis according to API 521 and API 2000
- Calculations for required relief rates
- Sizing of relief devices
- Installation considerations based on RAGAGEP
- Overview of flare and atmospheric disposal systems
- Application to various equipment types: process vessels, heat exchangers, pipes, rotating equipment, boilers, and low-pressure and atmospheric storage tanks
- In-course workshops utilizing equations and methods from standards
- Relief device chatter demonstration at our R&D facility (In-Person Course Only)
Course Instructor
Thuc Ngo, P.E.
Ms. Ngo is a licensed chemical engineer with over 12 years of experience in relief and flare systems design, revalidation, concern resolution, and atmospheric dispersion for upstream, midstream, downstream, and chemical plant operations. She has led and executed over 100 national and international projects, bringing her extensive technical knowledge and practical insights to our Relief Systems Design Training Course. As a Technical Engineering Manager, Ms. Ngo holds both a B.S. and M.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Houston.
Course Format
Day 1:
8:00am - 5:00pm CDT
- Introduction
- Overview of Standards/Relief Devices
- Overpressure Scenario Identification & Scenario Explanations
- Workshop Exercises: Scenario Identifications
Day 2:
8:00am - 5:00pm CDT
- Overpressure Scenario Calculations
- Workshop Exercises: Scenario Calculations
- Relief Device Sizing
- Workshop Exercises: Relief Device Sizing
- Boilers
- Workshop Exercise: Boilers
Day 3:
8:00am - 12:00pm CDT (Online)
8:00am - 2:30pm CDT (In-Person)
- Low-Pressure Tanks
- Workshop Exercise: Low-Pressure Tanks
- Installation and Disposal Systems
- Lab Demonstration
(In-Person Course Only)- After lunch, the class will visit our R&D facility to view a demonstration of stable and unstable relief valves, as well as the disassembly and reassembly of a relief valve.
- After lunch, the class will visit our R&D facility to view a demonstration of stable and unstable relief valves, as well as the disassembly and reassembly of a relief valve.
Pricing
The cost of the three-day In-Person Training Course is $2,000 per student.
- Relief Systems Design course manual
- 22 professional development hours certificate
The cost of the three-day Online Training Course is $1,850 per student.
- The Relief Systems Design Course Manual (digital copy)
- 20 professional development hours certificate
The in-person course will be taking place at the Hilton Garden Inn, located at
14919 Northwest Fwy, Houston, TX 77040.
If your organization registers 3+ students, Smith & Burgess will deduct $100 from each student's tuition cost. Email us for more information.
Insufficient Demand: We reserve the right to cancel a course if there is insufficient demand, as determined by us in our sole and absolute discretion. In this case, you will receive a full refund and/or the option to transfer the registration fee to a future course.
Why Smith & Burgess?
At Smith & Burgess, we recognize that almost every facility has changed or expanded since their original opening. Oftentimes, the relief and flare systems were not studied during expansion, potentially developing a critical point of failure in an industrial facility's safety and compliance.
With years of experience and a team of seasoned experts in process safety engineering, we offer a comprehensive suite of services tailored to our clients’ unique needs and challenges. Our engineers know how to design flare systems to maximize safety while minimizing physical modifications to a facility. Without a proper design, a facility cannot know if its flare system is in a safe location for discharge as required to ensure safe operation.
We use this knowledge and hands-on, in-the-field experience in relief systems design to create our training courses, and we provide only the best information and exercises. Our goal is to prepare those who take our courses to operate and design relief systems with the utmost expertise and capability to maximize safety and efficiency while minimizing environmental impact and cost.
2025 Course Registration
February 25 - 27
(Online)
Join us for our Q1 course online via Teams.
May 13 - 15
(Online)
Join us for our Q2 course online via Teams.
August 11 - 13
(Online)
Participate in our Q3 course online via Teams.
October 28 - 30
(In-Person)
Participate in our Q3 course in-person.
Testimonials
Major Petrochemical Manufacturer
Major Oil & Gas Refinery
Global Manufacturer of Differentiated Chemicals
Major Oil & Gas Refinery
Major Oil & Gas Refinery
Global EPC Company
Major Petrochemical Manufacturer
FAQs
When Is the Registration Deadline?
The final day to submit registration is one week prior to the training start date. However, seating is limited and reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.
If registration has closed for a class you are interested in, please contact Trisha to see if seats are still available and for the payment link.
Trisha Erasga
Trisha.Erasga@smithburgess.com
Will I Receive Professional Hours?
Yes. Anyone who attends all three days will receive a signed certificate from the course instructor.
- 20 hours of professional development (Online)
- 22 hours of professional development (In-person)
How Do I Prepare For the Course?
The course is a mix of presentation-style lectures, hands-on workshops, and industry-specific questions & answers. Feel free to email any current P&IDs or questions about specific topics you would like to discuss ahead of the course. Each student will receive a course manual with workshop examples and will have access to Wi-Fi.
All students will require a scientific calculator to complete the work/course.
Where is the Course Located?
The in-person course will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn located at, 14919 Northwest Fwy, Houston, TX 77040.
The online course will be conducted via Teams.
Will Food or Drinks Be Provided?
Smith & Burgess will be providing breakfast, lunch, coffee, and other beverages throughout the course for all our in-person training courses.
I'm Having Issues Making a Payment. What Should I Do?
If you experience this problem, please contact Trisha Erasga immediately to reserve your seat. She will be able to provide alternate options to pay for your course.
Trisha Erasga
Trisha.Erasga@smithburgess.com
Who Do I Contact For Any Additional Questions?
Trisha Erasga
Trisha.Erasga@smithburgess.com
Parimal Desai
Marketing@smithburgess.com
Office Number:
713-802-2647
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