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HEALTH AND SAFETY
Is Your Machinery and Equipment Safe? - Part 2
In many countries around the world you are legally obliged to look after the safety of your workforce. This means making sure that your plant and equipment are safe to operate. Your insurance underwriter may well require you to have an independent inspection body to conduct the right type of inspection service and conduct them at the correct intervals. In the UK these inspection activities must be accredited by UKAS or NICEIC, and the inspection bodies will also require capabilities in equipment certification as well as being a notified body for the Machinery, Lifts and Pressure Equipment Directives.
In the previous and following issues of Retreading Business we are covering definitions for a number of different categories of plant including lifting equipment, pressure systems, local exhaust ventilation systems, electrical equipment, power presses and process machinery. The first article dealt with lifting equipment, this issue is covering Pressure plant, Electrical and Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV)
The following and subsequent articles will contain details on the relevant legislation applicable to each of these categories, together with notes on the types of examinations required, and the frequency within which they need to be carried out. If you any doubt about your plant and equipment, your inspection service provider will be able to advise you and help plan your inspection requirements. This article is written from a UK legislative viewpoint but the principals covered will be relevant for many markets around the world. Outside the UK retreaders are advised to check their local legislation.
PRESSURE SYSTEMS
Definition;
Relevant fluids include steam, gases under pressure and fluids that are artificially kept under pressure and become gases upon release into the atmosphere.
Pressure system means a system comprising one or more rigid pressure vessels with associated pipework and protective devices. Written Scheme of Examination is a document that identifies the extent of the pressure system and outlines the examination requirements.
Relevant Legislation
Inspection requirements for pressure systems are consolidated within the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 (PSSR).The regulations apply to users and owners of systems containing ‘relevant fluids’.
They require the whole system to be inspected in accordance with its ‘Written Scheme of Examination’.
A Written Scheme of Examination is drawn up following a risk assessment of the system.
It must:
• Clearly define the extent of, and items of plant included in, the pressure system
• Detail the inspection frequency of relevant parts of the system
• Be drawn up or certified by a competent person.
In addition to thorough examination, which involves the system being closed down and vessels opened up, a working examination is also usually required. This involves testing the system under pressure and is sometimes more frequent than the thorough examination.
Hot water boilers, operating at more than 100oC, fall within PSSR. However, it is recommended that all hot water boilers should be inspected. Refrigeration and air- conditioning plant with combined compressor motors exceeding 25kW fall within the regulations, but it is also prudent to regularly inspect items below this cut-off.
Examination Frequency
There is some flexibility in establishing the frequency for thorough examinations permitted under PSSR. The thorough examination frequency are specified in the SAFed publication ‘Pressure
Systems - Guidelines on Periodicity of Examinations’.
Horizontal Multitubular Steam Boilers
Horizontal multitubular steam boilers are sometimes referred to as package boilers or shell boilers. These items can range from 1m to 4m in diameter and are typically used for generating steam or high-pressure hot water to be used in various process / manufacturing processes.
Heating Boilers
Heating boilers are in common use for all types of premises and can range from a central heating boiler, as in many homes, to very large cast iron sectional heating boilers for heating large office complexes.
Air Receivers
Air receivers, commonly referred to as air compressors, air vessels and air tanks, are widely used. They are found in garages, tyre repair depots and anywhere that requires compressed air.
Jacketed Pans
Jacketed pans are usually open topped semi-circular pans with a heating space surrounding the pan, typically steam heated and used where heat is necessary to assist in a process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Do all air receivers need to be inspected? What is the calculation for deciding when an air receiver needs to comply with statutory regulations?
Refrigerating Plant
Refrigerating plant is usually used for air conditioning in office blocks, where chilled water is used to control the air’s humidity. Larger and more complex types are used in the frozen food industry to both freeze and keep all types of food frozen.
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