Stored energy that can release all at once
Boilers, pressure vessels and pressure piping hold large amounts of stored energy, and a failure can be explosive. In New Zealand they are regulated under the PECPR Regulations 1999, which require higher-hazard pressure equipment to be design verified and inspected by recognised bodies, using competent people, with design accounting for the New Zealand seismic environment. Owners must keep current certificates, maintain the equipment and its safety devices, and operate within design limits.
Pressure equipment includes boilers (which generate steam or hot water under pressure), pressure vessels (which hold a gas or liquid under pressure without generating it — air receivers, refrigeration vessels, heat exchangers, separators, accumulators), pressure piping, compressors and fired heaters. The defining hazard is stored energy: a catastrophic rupture can release steam, projectiles and blast.
| Requirement | What it means |
|---|---|
| Design verification | Higher-hazard pressure equipment must have its design verified by a recognised inspection body, with a certificate of design verification. Design must take account of pressure, temperature, loads and the New Zealand seismic environment. |
| Inspection | In-service inspection by an equipment inspector from a recognised, accredited inspection body, with a certificate of inspection before the equipment goes into or back into service, and at intervals. |
| Competent people | Design verifiers and equipment inspectors hold certificates of competence. |
| Hazard level | Equipment is classified by hazard level (AS 4343); some lower-hazard items are exempt from parts of the regime. |
A pressure equipment inspection is far more than a pressure test. It assesses the condition of the pressure-containing components — shell, headers, tubes and end plates — and the safety devices that prevent over-pressure, such as pressure relief valves, water-level controls and automatic shutdowns. Inspection reports must be kept at the workplace and be readily accessible.
If you own or control pressure equipment, keep its certificates current, maintain it and its safety devices, operate it within its design limits, and train operators. Manage isolation for maintenance — see energy isolation & lockout-tagout — and treat compressed-gas hazards alongside it; see gas cylinders & compressed gas and plant & machinery safety.
Keep your pressure-equipment records and certification dates in one place. Book a demo and we'll show you how it works — free 30-day trial included.
The Health and Safety in Employment (Pressure Equipment, Cranes, and Passenger Ropeways) Regulations 1999 — the PECPR Regulations — alongside the HSWA primary duty of care. WorkSafe is the regulator.
A boiler generates steam or hot water under pressure. A pressure vessel holds a gas or liquid under pressure without generating it — for example an air receiver, refrigeration vessel, heat exchanger or accumulator.
A check by a recognised inspection body that the design of higher-hazard pressure equipment meets the required standards, resulting in a certificate of design verification. In New Zealand the design must allow for seismic conditions.
Higher-hazard pressure equipment must be inspected by a recognised inspection body and hold a current certificate of inspection before it goes into or back into service, and is re-inspected at intervals appropriate to the equipment.
Because it stores large amounts of energy. A failure can release that energy all at once as an explosion, with steam, blast and projectiles, so design, inspection and well-maintained safety devices are essential.
