The Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000

Made: 20th January 2000

Laid before Parliament: 31st January 2000

Coming into force: 21st February 2000

The Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 15(1), (2), (3)(a) and (b), (4), (5), (6)(a) and (b) and (9), 47(3) and 82(3)(a) of, and paragraphs 1(1)(a) and (c), (2) and (3), 14, 15(1) and 16 of Schedule 3 to, the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974[^f00001] (“the 1974 Act”) and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf and for the purpose of giving effect without modifications to proposals submitted to him by the Health and Safety Commission under section 11(2)(d) of the 1974 Act, after the carrying out by the said Commission of consultations in accordance with section 50(3) of that Act, hereby makes the following Regulations:

PART I — INTRODUCTION

Citation and commencement

1

These Regulations may be cited as the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 and shall come into force on 21st February 2000.

Interpretation

2

• (1) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires–

• “the 1974 Act” means the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974;

• “CDG 2007” means the Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2007;

• “competent person” means a competent individual person (other than an employee) or a competent body of persons corporate or unincorporate; and accordingly any reference in these Regulations to a competent person performing a function includes a reference to his performing it through his employees;

• “danger” in relation to a pressure system means reasonably foreseeable danger to persons from system failure, but (except in the case of steam) it does not mean danger from the hazardous characteristics of the relevant fluid other than from its pressure;

• “examination” means a careful and critical scrutiny of a pressure system or part of a pressure system, in or out of service as appropriate, using suitable techniques, including testing where appropriate, to assess–its actual condition; andwhether, for the period up to the next examination, it will not cause danger when properly used if normal maintenance is carried out, and for this purpose “normal maintenance” means such maintenance as it is reasonable to expect the user (in the case of an installed system) or owner (in the case of a mobile system) to ensure is carried out independently of any advice from the competent person making the examination;

• “the Executive” means the Health and Safety Executive;

• “installed system” means a pressure system other than a mobile system;

• “maximum allowable pressure” and “minimum allowable pressure” mean the maximum pressure and minimum pressure respectively for which a pressure vessel is designed;

• “mobile system” means a pressure system which can be readily moved between and used in different locations but it does not include a pressure system of a locomotive;

• “old pressure receptacle” has the meaning in regulation 2(1) of CDG 2007 which shall apply as if the receptacle were being carried by road;

• “owner” in relation to a pressure system means the employer or self-employed person who owns the pressure system or, if he does not have a place of business in Great Britain, his agent in Great Britain or, if there is no such agent, the user;

• “pipeline” means a pipe or system of pipes used for the conveyance of relevant fluid across the boundaries of premises, together with any apparatus for inducing or facilitating the flow of relevant fluid through, or through a part of, the pipe or system, and any valves, valve chambers, pumps, compressors and similar works which are annexed to, or incorporated in the course of, the pipe or system;

• “pipework” means a pipe or system of pipes together with associated valves, pumps, compressors and other pressure containing components and includes a hose or bellows but does not include a pipeline or any protective devices;

• “pressure receptacle” has the meaning in regulation 2(1) of CDG 2007, except that it includes any permanent fitting to a pressure receptacle, and regulation 2(1) shall apply as if the receptacle were being carried by road;

• “pressure system” means–a system comprising one or more pressure vessels of rigid construction, any associated pipework and protective devices;the pipework with its protective devices to which a pressure receptacle, an old pressure receptacle or transportable pressure equipment is, or is intended to be, connected; ora pipeline and its protective devices,which contains or is liable to contain a relevant fluid, but does not include a pressure receptacle, an old pressure receptacle or transportable pressure equipment;

• “protective devices” means devices designed to protect the pressure system against system failure and devices designed to give warning that system failure might occur, and include bursting discs;

• “relevant fluid” means—steam;any fluid or mixture of fluids which is at a pressure greater than 0.5 bar above atmospheric pressure, and which fluid or mixture of fluids is–a gas, ora liquid which would have a vapour pressure greater than 0.5 bar above atmospheric pressure when in equilibrium with its vapour at either the actual temperature of the liquid or 17.5 degrees Celsius; ora gas dissolved under pressure in a solvent contained in a porous substance at ambient temperature and which could be released from the solvent without the application of heat;

• “safe operating limits” means the operating limits (incorporating a suitable margin of safety) beyond which system failure is liable to occur;

• “scheme of examination” means the written scheme referred to in regulation 8;

• “system failure” means the unintentional release of stored energy (other than from a pressure relief system) from a pressure system;

• ...

• “transportable pressure equipment” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of CDG 2007 except that it shall exclude a tank within the meaning of those Regulations;

• “user” in relation to a pressure system, or a vessel to which regulation 15 applies, means the employer or self-employed person who has control of the operation of the pressure system or such a vessel or, in the case of a pressure system or such a vessel at or in–a mine within the meaning of regulation 3 of the Mines Regulations 2014 it means the mine operator (within the meaning of regulation 2(1) of those Regulations) for the time being of that mine;a quarry within the meaning of regulation 3 of the Quarries Regulations 1999[^f00004] it means the operator for the time being of that quarry.

• (2) Any reference in these Regulations to anything being in writing or written (including any reference to anything being kept in writing) shall include reference to its being in a form–

• (a) in which it is capable of being reproduced as a written copy when required;

• (b) which is secure from loss or unauthorised interference.

• (3) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to–

• (a) a numbered regulation or Schedule is a reference to the regulation or Schedule in these Regulations so numbered;

• (b) a numbered paragraph is a reference to that paragraph so numbered in the regulation or Schedule in which that reference appears.

Application and duties

3

• (1) These Regulations shall apply–

• (a) in Great Britain; and

• (b) outside Great Britain as sections 1 to 59 and 80 to 82 of the 1974 Act apply by virtue of articles 7 and 8(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (Application outside Great Britain) Order 1995[^f00005] save in relation to anything to which articles 4 to 6 of that Order apply.

• (2) Subject to Schedule 1 (which sets out exceptions to the Regulations), these Regulations shall apply to or in relation to pressure systems which are used or intended to be used at work.

• (3) Any requirement or prohibition imposed by these Regulations on an employer in respect of the activities of his employees shall also extend to a self-employed person in respect of his own activities at work.

• (4) Any requirement or prohibition imposed by these Regulations on a person–

• (a) who designs, manufactures, imports or supplies any pressure system, or any article which is intended to be a component part of any pressure system, shall extend only to such a system or article designed, manufactured, imported or supplied in the course of a trade, business or other undertaking carried on by him (whether for profit or not);

• (b) who designs or manufactures such a system or article shall extend only to matters within his control.

• (5) The provisions of Schedule 2 (which relate to the modification of duties in cases where pressure systems are supplied by way of lease, hire or other arrangements) shall have effect.

PART II — GENERAL

Design and construction

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• (1) Any person who designs, manufactures, imports or supplies any pressure system or any article which is intended to be a component part of any pressure system shall ensure that paragraphs (2) to (5) are complied with.

• (2) The pressure system or article, as the case may be, shall be properly designed and properly constructed from suitable material, so as to prevent danger.

• (3) The pressure system or article, as the case may be, shall be so designed and constructed that all necessary examinations for preventing danger can be carried out.

• (4) Where the pressure system has any means of access to its interior, it shall be so designed and constructed as to ensure, so far as practicable, that access can be gained without danger.

• (5) The pressure system shall be provided with such protective devices as may be necessary for preventing danger; and any such device designed to release contents shall do so safely, so far as is practicable.

Provision of information and marking

5

• (1) Any person who–

• (a) designs for another any pressure system or any article which is intended to be a component part thereof; or

• (b) supplies (whether as manufacturer, importer or in any other capacity) any pressure system or any such article, shall provide sufficient written information concerning its design, construction, examination, operation and maintenance as may reasonably foreseeably be needed to enable the provisions of these Regulations to be complied with.

• (2) The employer of a person who modifies or repairs any pressure system shall provide sufficient written information concerning the modification or repair as may reasonably foreseeably be needed to enable the provisions of these Regulations to be complied with.

• (3) The information referred to in paragraph (1) shall–

• (a) in the case of paragraph (1)(a), be provided with the design;

• (b) in the case of paragraph (1)(b), be provided with the pressure system or article when it is supplied by that person;

• (c) in the case of paragraph (2), be provided to the user of the system immediately after the modification or repair.

• (4) Any person who manufactures a pressure vessel shall ensure that before it is supplied by him the information specified in Schedule 3 is marked on the vessel, or on a plate attached to it, in a visible, legible and indelible form; and no person shall import a pressure vessel unless it is so marked.

• (5) No person shall remove from a pressure vessel any mark or plate containing any of the information specified in Schedule 3.

• (6) No person shall falsify any mark on a pressure system, or on a plate attached to it, relating to its design, construction, test or operation.

Installation

6

The employer of a person who installs a pressure system at work shall ensure that nothing about the way in which it is installed gives rise to danger or otherwise impairs the operation of any protective device or inspection facility.

Safe operating limits

7

• (1) The user of an installed system and owner of a mobile system shall not operate the system or allow it to be operated unless he has established the safe operating limits of that system.

• (2) The owner of a mobile system shall, if he is not also the user of it–

• (a) supply the user with a written statement specifying the safe operating limits of that system established pursuant to paragraph (1); or

• (b) ensure that the system is legibly and durably marked with such safe operating limits and that the mark is clearly visible.

Written scheme of examination

8

• (1) The user of an installed system and owner of a mobile system shall not operate the system or allow it to be operated unless he has a written scheme for the periodic examination, by a competent person, of the following parts of the system, that is to say–

• (a) all protective devices;

• (b) every pressure vessel and every pipeline in which (in either case) a defect may give rise to danger; and

• (c) those parts of the pipework in which a defect may give rise to danger,

and such parts of the system shall be identified in the scheme.

• (2) The said user or owner shall–

• (a) ensure that the scheme has been drawn up, or certified as being suitable, by a competent person;

• (b) ensure that–

• (i) the content of the scheme is reviewed at appropriate intervals by a competent person for the purpose of determining whether it is suitable in current conditions of use of the system; and

• (ii) the content of the scheme is modified in accordance with any recommendations made by that competent person arising out of that review.

• (3) No person shall draw up or certify a scheme of examination under paragraph (2)(a) unless the scheme is suitable and–

• (a) specifies the nature and frequency of examination;

• (b) specifies any measures necessary to prepare the pressure system for safe examination other than those it would be reasonable to expect the user (in the case of an installed system) or owner (in the case of a mobile system) to take without specialist advice; and

• (c) where appropriate, provides for an examination to be carried out before the pressure system is used for the first time.

• (4) References in paragraphs (2) and (3) to the suitability of the scheme are references to its suitability for the purposes of preventing danger from those parts of the pressure system included in the scheme.

Examination in accordance with the written scheme

9

• (1) Subject to paragraph (7), the user of an installed system and the owner of a mobile system shall–

• (a) ensure that those parts of the pressure system included in the scheme of examination are examined by a competent person within the intervals specified in the scheme and, where the scheme so provides, before the system is used for the first time; and

• (b) before each examination take all appropriate safety measures to prepare the system for examination, including any such measures as are specified in the scheme of examination pursuant to regulation 8(3)(b).

• (2) Where a competent person undertakes an examination for the purposes of paragraph (1) he shall carry out that examination properly and in accordance with the scheme of examination.

• (3) Where a competent person has carried out an examination for the purposes of paragraph (1) he shall, subject to paragraph (4) ..., make a written report of the examination, sign it or add his name to it, date it and send it to the user (in the case of an installed system) or owner (in the case of a mobile system); and the said report shall be so sent as soon as is practicable after completing the examination (or, in the case of integrated installed systems where the examination is part of a series, as soon as is practicable after completing the last examination in that series), and in any event to arrive–

• (a) within 28 days of the completion of the examination (or, in the case of integrated installed systems where the examination is part of a series, within 28 days of the completion of the last examination in that series); or

• (b) before the date specified in the report under paragraph (5)(b),

whichever is sooner.

• (4) Where the competent person referred to in paragraph (3) is the user (in the case of an installed system) or owner (in the case of a mobile system) the requirement in that paragraph to send the report to the user or owner shall not apply, but he shall make the report by the time it would have been required to have been sent to him under that paragraph if he had not been the competent person.

• (5) The report required by paragraph (3) shall–

• (a) state which parts of the pressure system have been examined, the condition of those parts and the results of the examination;

• (b) specify any repairs or modifications to, or changes in the established safe operating limits of, the parts examined which, in the opinion of the competent person, are necessary to prevent danger or to ensure the continued effective working of the protective devices, and specify the date by which any such repairs or modifications must be completed or any such changes to the safe operating limits must be made;

• (c) specify the date within the limits set by the scheme of examination after which the pressure system may not be operated without a further examination under the scheme of examination; and

• (d) state whether in the opinion of the competent person the scheme of examination is suitable (for the purpose of preventing danger from those parts of the pressure system included in it) or should be modified, and if the latter state the reasons.

• (6) The user of an installed system and the owner of a mobile system which has been examined under this regulation shall ensure that the system is not operated, and no person shall supply such a mobile system for operation, after (in each case)–

• (a) the date specified under paragraph (5)(b), unless the repairs or modifications specified under that paragraph have been completed, and the changes in the established safe operating limits so specified have been made; or

• (b) the date specified under paragraph (5)(c) (or, if that date has been postponed under paragraph (7), the postponed date) unless a further examination has been carried out under the scheme of examination.