The Compressed Gas Association (CGA), working through the International Harmonization Council (IHC), has released CGA P-98, Guideline for Pressure Testing of Field-Installed Piping and Equipment. This new publication provides harmonized safety guidance for pressure testing conducted on piping and equipment installed in the field.
P-98 aligns with EIGA Doc 254, Guidelines for Pressure Testing of Field-Installed Piping and Equipment, and supports a consistent approach to pressure-testing safety across the Asia Industrial Gases Association (AIGA), CGA, European Industrial Gases Association (EIGA), and Japan Industrial and Medical Gases Association (JIMGA).
Pressure testing is essential to verifying the integrity of new and existing equipment, but it also introduces significant hazards. Testing may take place in fabrication shops, industrial facilities or customer sites and can involve systems ranging from cryogenic installations to hydrogen equipment and high-pressure assemblies. The stored energy involved in pressure testing makes proper equipment, procedures and safeguards critical.
P-98 addresses these risks by providing guidance on fundamental safety practices, including dual pressure gauges, overpressure protection, secure test connections and appropriate safety distances. The publication also addresses a common misconception that hydraulic testing is inherently hazard-free compared with pneumatic testing.
Rather than prescribing a specific test procedure, P-98 provides guidance companies can use when developing their own risk assessments, training programs and pressure-testing procedures. Its harmonized approach promotes consistent safety practices across the industrial gas industry while allowing organizations to account for applicable local regulations and requirements.
CGA thanks the members and participants of the Process Safety Committee who contributed to P-98 since work began in 2018. Their technical expertise and sustained collaboration made the publication and its international harmonization possible.
