The first article in this series described the general approach to fire damage assessment contained in API 579 and identified the importance of assigning appropriate Heat Exposure Zones to the portions of the unit that were involved in the fire.
Helpful Tips Define the objective of the fire damage assessment team.
This group is not necessarily also doing the fire investigation and will not do all the required follow-up inspections. Include the correct engineering specialists on the team. The team should always have both a mechanical and materials engineer. A civil engineer is also helpful if there is concern about the condition of foundations or structural support of major equipment. The assessment team must get into the unit early, preferably before anything significant has been disturbed.