Tools, Equipment and Safe Work Practices
What this domain tests
This domain tests correct tool selection, inspection, and safe use. The exam favors practical judgments: which tool for which pipe, how to avoid contamination, and how to control grinding, lifting, and welding hazards.
Core rules
- Use a pipe wrench or chain vice sized to the pipe; a wrench that slips can damage the pipe and injure the user.
- Keep stainless-steel tools and abrasives separate from carbon-steel tools to prevent iron contamination.
- Check grinding wheels for cracks, fit the guard, and wear a face shield; never remove a guard for convenience.
- Use calibrated torque wrenches and pull them smoothly rather than using them as breaker bars.
- Inspect slings, shackles, and lifting points before lifting; keep hands clear of pinch points and use tag lines.
Worked example
A stainless pipe must be cut and beveled. Measure and mark the cut, use a dedicated stainless cutting wheel or saw, deburr the inside, and grind the bevel with a wheel reserved for stainless. Check square and root face against the WPS. Clean the end with a stainless brush and acetone. Reasoning: carbon-steel contamination embeds iron in the surface, which rusts and can initiate corrosion; dedicated tooling prevents that.
Traps
- Using a carbon-steel grinding wheel on stainless and calling the discoloration surface rust.
- Using an uncalibrated torque wrench for a critical flange.
- Grinding without a guard or face shield.
- Lifting a pipe spool from a valve handwheel or instrument connection.