HSE Issues Safety Alert on Stainless Steel Connectors
April 17, 2015
Stress corrosion cracking can cause failure of some fittings
The U.K.’s Health and Safety Executive has just issued a safety alert warning about problems of stress corrosion cracking of type-316/316L stainless steel Lokring pipe connectors. The cracking has occurred in the driver/swage-ring section of the connectors. The agency is calling for companies to identify where they use such connectors in chloride-containing environments and then remove them from service wherever a failure could pose a safety risk.
The alert provides background on the incidence of the cracking as well as links to a HSE report on chloride stress corrosion cracking in austenitic stainless steels.
