Potentially defective ball valves

The following information has been reported to us as a safety alert received from the UK Health and Safety Executive.

“The results of recent investigations have indicated that several hundred potentially defective ball valves have been manufactured by a small UK based engineering company. Then majority of the ball valves in question appear to have been supplied to the offshore industry and to date there have been no known in-service failures. They are bespoke valves often used in high temperature, high pressure applications such as gas compression. Following joint action involving police, intermediate suppliers and the HSE it is believed that most of the valves have been identified, their end users alerted and appropriate action taken.

It is believed the valves in question vary in size from 0.75 inches to 8 inches and were manufactured between late 1995 and early 1999. The company appears to have traded under a variety of names during this period, including Nixon Industrial Valves, Nixon Valves, Nixon Industrial, Valve Shop Ltd (VSL), GBV Ltd, JSF Valves Ltd, JSF Derby Ltd and from the late 1997 to March 1999, Stanton Engineering and Stanton Ball Valves.

If you purchased one of the valves specified above and you have not already been contacted you should immediately determine if any of the valves are being used on a safety related duty and if so assess the risks having:

• checked all the documentation with particular reference to any associated test certification, from the original material specification to final pressure testing;
• contacted the relevant testing house that issued the certification to verify the authenticity of the certificate and that inspection/testing was carried out.

If after completing the above actions you have doubts about the integrity of any particular valve or its ability to perform the duty for which it was specified you should contact the company that supplied the valve to you for advice. In the event of any difficult, or if you require any further action you can telephone the Offshore Safety Division of HSE on 44 (0)151 951 3889.”