Safety Valves Are the Last Line of Defense—Make Sure They’re Ready.
Essentially a fail-safe device, safety valves release excess pressure while protecting equipment, employees, and the environment from damage or harm.
But when overlooked, these devices can lead to catastrophic failures, equipment damage, environmental harm, and threats to human life.
MCE’s Flow Control division has teams of experts who help you avoid these failures with consulting in choosing the right valves for your application, ensuring you meet critical specifications, providing onsite services and training, and getting product to when you need it.
Understanding the Critical Role of Safety Relief Valves
Often used interchangeably, the terms safety relief valves and pressure safety valves both serve to protect equipment, piping, and vessels from overpressure. However, they do have subtle differences:
Safety relief valves (SRV): A general term used to describe a valve that automatically opens to relieve excess pressure and re-closes after normal conditions are restored. They can function as either a relief valve (typically for incompressible fluids like liquids) or as a safety valve (typically for compressible fluids like gas or steam). SRVs are commonly used in ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) standards to refer to valves that handle both gas and liquid applications.
Pressure safety valves (PSV): A type of safety valve specifically designed for compressible fluids like gas or vapor service (e.g., steam, air, or hydrocarbons). PSVs open rapidly at a set pressure to prevent equipment overpressure. They are commonly used in the oil and gas, chemical, and power generation industries for compressible fluids.
Depending on the installation, safety valves and pressure relief valves can either:
- Reduce downstream pressure when it exceeds a threshold
- Maintain sustained pressures
- Reduce peaks or pressure pulses for longer equipment life
Note: What’s the difference between an SRV and a PRV (pressure relief valve)? SRVs stop operation until the system pressure reaches a safe level below maximum operating levels. PRVs operate to control pressure increases without stopping the system’s operation.
When do Safety Relief Valves Matter?
SRVs matter in industries that handle volatile materials, temperature and pressure swings:
- Oil & Gas: Valves are the last line of defense against overpressure events and downtime costing millions of dollars per day.
- Food & Beverage: Relief valves play a key role in preventing over-pressurization and ensuring compliance with food safety standards, such as safely directing the flow of cleaning and disinfecting fluids to ensure equipment cleanliness.
- Ethanol & Biofuels: Regular valve calibration and relief valve testing are essential during plant shutdowns and turnarounds. These facilities often rely on older infrastructure where valve failure could disrupt entire production cycles and cause catastrophic damage.
- Power Generation & Petrochemical: Safety relief valves must be tested and repaired to meet strict HSE standards. One lapse in pressure control could mean steam system failure, toxic releases, or equipment damage.
Safety Relief Valves Can Make or Break Your Day
Valves may malfunction for a number of reasons, often due to wrong calibration, wrong size, damage, blockage, or simply wearing out.
No matter the reason, improperly operating safety relief valves can cause your system to discharge fluids or gas at extremely high pressure and velocity, causing:
- Leakage
- Pressure swings
- Chattering
- Pipeline ruptures
- Vessel explosions
- Massive production losses
Valve failure= $1.5M/day in losses — Here’s how one call saved it all:
One MCE customer placed an after-hours call-out fee without hesitation because their site was losing over $1.5 million in daily production while waiting for a relief valve replacement. MCE division Precision Pump & Valve’s rapid response and access to in-stock valves got them back online fast. Precision Pump and Valve is a VR-Certified shop for all Section I and Section VIII safety valves.
Safety valve failures in oil and gas can have severe consequences, including explosions, fires, and dangerous chemical releases. Avoiding potentially catastrophic events requires careful valve selection and design scrutiny.
One example of the importance of safety valves is the 1979 Three Mile Island nuclear reactor accident. In which a pressure relief valve failed to close, leading to a loss of coolant in one of the reactors. This caused the reactor core to heat to levels resulting in a partial core meltdown and small amounts of radiation leakage. While there were no injuries or death, the accident drove the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (U.S. NRC) to implement stricter safety regulations and testing programs, especially for components that ensure safe operation. (Source: U.S. NRC Backgrounder on the Three Mile Island Accident).
This is a worst-case scenario, but failure doesn’t have to be this extreme to be costly and dangerous. Even small valve failures can lead to multi-million-dollar shutdowns.
>> How to Minimize Downtime for Oil and Gas Operations with Emergency Valve Repair Planning
Why SRV Repair Can’t Be Overlooked
Harsh conditions—including extreme pressure, corrosive fluids, abrasive materials, and high temperatures— can eat away at safety relief valves and compromise their performance. When valves fail to open or reseat properly, they put the entire operation at risk.
Neglecting SRV repair or replacement creates a domino effect:
- Unplanned downtime
- Production delays
- Violations of industry safety codes and regulations
- Damage to critical equipment
- Increased liability exposure
- Injury or danger to people and environment
- Lost credibility
- Financial loss
All valves, especially safety valves, are prone to eventual failure. Plan ahead with a trusted supply partner like MCE to reduce downtime and improve operational resilience in the future.
>> How to Spot Early Signs of Safety Relief Valve Failure
Avoid Expensive Unplanned Downtime with Smart Inventory Planning
How do you keep operations running smoothly? It requires strategic planning with a supply partner who provides expert assistance when you need it.
We work with your team to develop a smart inventory plan that addresses critical parts needs and lead times as well as necessary maintenance programs and inspections.
- Critical Valve Identification: Work with MCE experts to identify the valves in your system that are most likely to fail, as well as the ones that are critical to your operations.
- Pre-Stocking Components: Make sure you have ready access to components that are hard to find on short notice — especially trims, seals, and actuators.
- Consignment Inventory Solutions: Set up remote-managed inventory systems that will save you valuable time by supporting quick access in remote areas.
>> A Guide to Efficient MRO Inventory Management
Why Choose MCE to Future Proof Safety Relief Valve Health?
We promise a proactive and comprehensive approach to valve health. From knowledgeable consulting and technicians to readily available products and services, MCE’s team will keep your facility safe, productive, and regulation-ready.
MCE’s flow control division offers certified precision repair, replacement, and testing services for safety relief valves as part of a broader strategy to help your operation minimize unplanned downtime.
Our expert technicians can assess valve performance, identify issues early, and provide fast turnaround on necessary repairs—all while ensuring compliance with API and ASME standards. In addition to a broad selection of parts from top-rated manufacturers, we offer:
- Preventative maintenance and repair programs
- Resilient inventory management systems & VMI
- Remanufactured valves for reduced lead time (14 weeks down to 7–10 days)
- Access to AML-compliant products and substitutions
- 24/7 on-call crews ready to dispatch in emergencies
- Quick turnarounds from field service teams keep operations online
- On-site training for operators and maintenance personnel
- Coordination between MCE divisions (fluid power, automation, filtration, rotating equipment)
The cost of doing nothing is far greater than proactive repair. Talk to an MCE valve expert today to schedule a consultation.
