Guide

What does periodic inspection of pressure vessels cover?

Boilers, air receivers, compressor tanks and steam cookers sit in the same family; inspection is more than a pressure test.

How often

For this equipment family the inspection interval is one year unless the relevant standards set a different period. Where a standard sets a shorter interval, the shorter one applies; where the manufacturer's instruction requires more frequent checks, that is followed. The validity of an inspection depends less on its interval than on what the report contains.

The family is wide

Steam and superheated water boilers, heating boilers, thermal oil boilers, compressed air and gas tanks, dyeing vessels and steam cooking vessels are assessed in the same group. A steam cooker in a kitchen falls under the same regime as a boiler in a boiler house — and it is usually the one missing from the inventory.

What the inspection includes

Wall thickness, the opening pressure of the safety valve, the accuracy of the gauge, corrosion and weld areas, and conformity with the equipment's plate values. An inspection that consists only of a hydrostatic test is an incomplete one.

If operating conditions change

If working pressure, temperature or the fluid inside has changed, the interval is not waited out; the equipment is reassessed under the new condition.

In Optifora

The periodic inspection module records the equipment, sets its interval by family, reminds you as the date approaches, and attaches the report to the equipment's record. Equipment past its date appears separately in the list and counts as high risk in the assessment.

  1. Add the equipment to the inventoryRecord it with its serial number, location and family; equipment not in the inventory does not get inspected.
  2. Set the intervalSet the interval by family; where the manufacturer's instruction is more frequent, take that as the basis.
  3. Confirm the authorised personConfirm in advance that the person doing the inspection is authorised for that equipment.
  4. Have the inspection doneHave it done against its criteria; record the result as conforming or non-conforming.
  5. Attach the reportAttach the report to the equipment's record; tie any non-conformity to a corrective action.
  6. Put the next one in the calendarEnter the next inspection date; if the equipment changes, set the interval again.

Manage this in Optifora

Optifora is not a single program but a compliance platform assembled from modules. The catalogue states which module is ready today and which is on the roadmap.

See what Optifora is