These notes are re-produced here by Mandate Systems Ltd – Pressure
System Safety Consultants and are taken from the HSE website at
http://www.hse.gov.uk
WRITTEN SCHEMES OF EXAMINATION
Pressure Systems and Transportable Gas Containers Regulations
1989
CONTENTS
What is meant by a written scheme of examination?
What should I do first to draw up a written scheme of examination?
Which items of plant should be included in the written scheme
of examination?
What sort of typical pressurised systems might be included or
excluded from the written scheme of examination?
Are written schemes of examination necessary for portable gas
welding sets?
Who decides which items of plant are included in the written scheme
of examination?
What happens when the scope of the written scheme has been decided?
Which competent person should I choose?
Does the written scheme of examination need to be reviewed periodically?
What should I do next?
When should the first examination under the scheme take place?
Further information
On 1 July 1994 The Pressure Systems and Transportable Gas Containers
Regulations 1989 came into force fully. Users and owners of pressure
systems are required to demonstrate that they know the operating
pressures of their pressure systems and that the systems are actually
safe at those pressures. They also need to ensure that a suitable
written scheme of examination is in place.
This leaflet complements
the free HSE leaflets on Safe pressure systems and Introducing
competent persons and provides guidance
for the drafting of written schemes of examination. It cannot
cover all aspects of the Regulations, and you can obtain further
information
by reading the literature listed at the end of the leaflet, or
by contracting your local Health and Safety Executive Area Office
or Local Authority Environmental Health Department.
What is meant by a written scheme of examination?
A written scheme of examination is a document containing information
about selected items of plant or equipment which form a pressure
system, operate under pressure and contain a 'relevant fluid'.
The term relevant fluid is defined in the Regulations and covers
compressed or liquefied gas including air above 0.5 bar pressure
(approximately 7 psi), pressurised hot water above 110°C and
steam at any pressure. The typical contents of a written scheme
of examination would include:
-
identification number of the item of plant or equipment;
-
those parts of the item which are to be examined;
-
the nature of the examination required, including the inspection
and testing to be carried out on any protective devices;
-
the preparatory work necessary to enable the item to be examined;
-
the date by which the initial examination is to be completed
(for newly installed systems);
-
the maximum interval between one examination and the next;
-
the critical parts of the system which if modified or repaired
should be examined by a competent person before the system
is used again;
-
the name of the competent person certifying the written scheme
of examination;
-
the date of certification.
What should I do first to draw up a written scheme of examination?
The first step in drawing up a written scheme of examination is
to look around your workplace and decide which items of plant or
equipment operate under pressure and form a pressure system. Next,
you should follow the steps described in the HSE leaflet Safe pressure
systems. You should also check the exceptions to the Regulations,
since you may find that your particular pressure system does not
require a written scheme of examination at all. For example, it
is not normally necessary to include air compressors in the scheme
of examination. The best place to look first to see if any of your
plant or equipment is an exception under the Regulations is in
the HSE booklet A Guide to the Pressure Systems and Transportable
Gas Containers Regulations 1989 which is listed in the references
at the end of this leaflet.
Which items of plant should be included in the written scheme
of examination?
Items of plant forming the pressure system should be selected
for inclusion in a written scheme of examination if a failure of
the item could unintentionally release pressure from the system
and the resulting release of stored energy could cause injury.
Each system is likely to be unique, but the following questions
may help users to arrive at some decisions:
-
Do the manufacturers of the plant or equipment forming the
pressure system give guidance, instruction and the precautions
to be taken
for safe operation of the system?
-
Do you use or own any pressurised plant or equipment that currently
requires periodic statutory examination by a recognised inspection
body?
-
Do you use or own any pressurised plant or equipment that does
not currently require periodic statutory examination by a recognised
inspection body by which could fail and cause injury (for example
by damage or corrosion)?
-
Could failure of any part of the pressure system cause someone
in the vicinity to be injured by the release of pressure, fragments
or steam?
-
Does the pressure system contain any protective devices?
If
the answer to any of these questions is 'Yes' then
those items of plant may need to be included in the written
scheme
of examination.
What sort of typical pressurised systems might be included or
excluded from the written scheme of examination?
The following pressurised systems are likely to be included:
-
a compressed air receiver and the associated pipework where
the product of the pressure times the internal capacity of the
receiver
is greater than 250 bar litres;
-
a steam sterilising autoclave and associated pipework and protective
devices;
-
a steam boiler and associated pipework and protective devices;
-
a pressure cooker;
-
a gas loaded hydraulic accumulator;
-
a portable hot water/steam cleaning unit;
-
a vapour compression refrigeration system where the installed
power exceeds 25 kW;
-
a narrow gauge steam locomotive;
-
the components of self-contained Breathing Apparatus Sets (excluding
the gas container);
-
a fixed LPG storage system supplying fuel for heating in a
workplace.
The following pressurised systems are likely to be excluded:
-
an office hot water urn (for making tea);
-
a machine tool hydraulic system;
-
a pneumatic cylinder in a compressed air system;
-
a hand held tool;
-
a combustion engine cooling system;
-
a compressed air receiver and the associated pipework where
the product of the pressure times the internal capacity of the
receiver
is less than 250 bar litres;
-
any pipeline and its protective devices in which the pressure
does not exceed 2 bar above atmospheric pressure;
a portable fire extinguisher with a working pressure below
25 bar at 60°C and having a total mass not exceeding 23
kilograms;
-
a portable LPG cylinder;
-
a tyre used on a vehicle.
The above are typical examples for guidance purposes only. You
must decide whether your pressurised system is covered by the Regulations
in practice.
Are written schemes of examination necessary for portable gas
welding sets?
HSE have taken the view that written schemes of examination are
not required for the regulators, pressure gauges, hoses, torches
and other components that form part of conventional gas welding
sets (portable, twin cylinder, oxy-acetylene or oxy-propane sets
used for welding, cutting and burning).
Who decides which items of plant are included in the written scheme
of examination?
Users of pressure equipment which is not mobile, or owners of
mobile systems (eg hired pressure plant), have a legal responsibility
to define the items of plant which form a pressure system and within
that system the items of plant which need to be included in the
written scheme of examination. To arrive at a properly informed
decision, users or owners may seek advice from other sources such
as in-house engineering staff, inspection bodies or consultants,
but the legal responsibility for defining the scope of the scheme
rests with users or owners. The written scheme should generally
cover all items within a self-contained pressurised system which
may give rise to danger. If you have more than one self-contained
pressure system, you will probably need more than one written scheme,
ie one system, one scheme.
What happens when the scope of the written scheme has been decided?
The user or owner of the pressure system should contact a person
with sufficient knowledge and expertise about the system, ie one
who is capable of offering informed advice on the subject, and
discuss the scope of the written scheme with them, and if necessary,
modify the scope accordingly. The written scheme of examination
should then be submitted to a competent person (as defined in the
Regulations) who may or may not be the same competent person who
advised the user or owner on the scope of the written scheme. The
competent person will normally advise on the nature and frequency
of examination and any special safety measures necessary to prepare
the system for examination. If requested by the user, the competent
person may draw up and certify as suitable the written scheme of
examination, or he or she may simply certify as suitable a written
scheme of examination prepared by the user or owner.
Which competent person should I choose?
Guidance on the selection of competent persons is given in the
HSE leaflet Introducing competent persons. Users (or owners) of
pressure systems are free to select any competent person they wish,
but they should take all reasonable steps to ensure that the competent
person selected can actually demonstrate competence, ie the necessary
breadth of knowledge, experience and independence. In judging levels
of competence, users or owners may wish to know that a national
certification scheme has been developed for bodies that provide
services of this nature known as the 'National Certification Scheme
for In-service Inspection Bodies' (NCSIIB). Further guidance is
given in the References at the end of this leaflet.
Does the written scheme of examination need to be reviewed periodically?
The written scheme of examination must be 'suitable' throughout
the lifetime of the plant or equipment and it follows that it should
be reviewed and, when necessary, revised. For example, as the age
of some plant increases you may need to carry out more frequent
examinations or change their content or type. It is the user's
responsibility under the Regulations to ensure that the content
of the written scheme is reviewed at appropriate intervals by a
competent person to determine if it remains suitable, but clearly
the competent person should be in a position to give advice on
this aspect.
What should I do next?
The users and owners of pressure systems covered by a written
scheme of examination have a legal responsibility to ensure that
those systems are examined by a competent person in accordance
with the scheme.
When should the first examination under the scheme take place?
For new plant, it will generally be necessary for the first examination
to be carried out before the complete system is taken into use
for the first time. This should be specified in the scheme.
For existing plant, note the following points:
-
For plant not previously covered by a legal requirement for
periodic statutory examination, the first examination under the
scheme should
take place on the date specified in the written scheme of examination,
which should be in place by 1 July 1994.
-
For plant or equipment holding a current report of examination
under the Factories Act 1961, the written scheme need not be
in place until the current report interval expires, which may
be after
1 July 1994. The first examination under the scheme should
take place on the date specified in the written scheme of examination.
Further information
The following publications give detailed information:
A guide to the Pressure Systems and Transportable Gas Containers
Regulations 1989 HS(R)30 1990 HSE Books ISBN 0 11 885516 6
Approved Code of Practice Safety of pressure systems COP 37 HSE
Books 1990 ISBN 0 11 885514 X
Approved Code of Practice Safety of transportable gas containers
COP 38 HSE Books 1990 ISBN 0 11 885515 8
Introducting competent persons IND(S)29(L) ISBN 0 7176 0820 4
1992 HSE leaflet. Available in priced packs of ten copies or as
single free copies.
Safe pressure systems IND(S)27(L) ISBN 0 7176 0821 2 1991 HSE
leaflet. Available in priced packs of ten copies or as single free
copies.
The Pressure Systems and Transportable Gas Containers Regulations
1989 (SI 1989 No 2169) HMSO ISBN 0 11 098169 3
The Approved Codes of Practice list relevant HSE Guidance Notes
HSE priced and free publications are available by mail order from
HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO 10 6FS Tel: 01787 881165
Fax: 01787 313995
HSE priced publications are also available from good booksellers.
Other enquiries should be directed to HSE's
Information Centre, Broad Lane, Sheffield S3 7HQ
Tel: 0114 2892345 Fax: 0114 289 2333
This publication may be freely reproduced, except for advertising,
endorsement or commercial purposes.
The information is current at 11/95.
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