Pressure Equipment (commodities Act) Decree
All regulations governing pressure equipment have been included in the Pressure Equipment (Commodities Act) Decree. These regulations are divided into two parts: regulations for the construction phase of new pressure equipment and regulations for the operating phase of this equipment.
Regulations for the construction phase of new pressure equipment
The EU Pressure Equipment Directive 97/23/EC has been incorporated into Dutch regulations governing the construction phase of new pressure equipment (Basic Decree 311). This directive, often referred to as PED, applies to newly-constructed pressure equipment, whose design working pressure is more than 0.5 bar. Some examples of this are pressure vessels, piping, safety accessories, reinforcing materials, boilers and installations.
This equipment must have CE marking before being put on the market. First of all, the ‘conformity assessment procedure’ is carried out, in which the manufacturer determines a PED category and a certification module. The design data and the medium are the determining factors for the PED category. The manufacturer can choose from a number of certification modules which form part of the PED category determined. In many cases, the manufacturer has to involve a recognised certification body (NoBo: Notified Body) in this process.
Regulations for the operating phase of pressure equipment
The regulations for the operating phase of pressure equipment (Amending Decisions 339 and 387) set requirements for the operating phase of pressure equipment in the shape of certification obligations. The user is responsible for complying with these.
The main issues are:
- Inspection before Putting into Operation (Amending Decision 1),
- Periodical Re-inspection and Operation Inspection (Amending Decision 2),
- the user’s duty to care for the equipment.
The above inspections are carried out by an Approved Certification Body (ACB), or another inspection service such as IvG or KvG. Before putting pressure equipment into operation, the user must always find out whether an inspection is compulsory, and if so, what type of inspection is required.
Compulsory inspection of pressure equipment
If inspection is found to be compulsory, the user must draw up a reassessment plan before each re-inspection. This plan must contain the inspections and/or tests specifically indicated for the next inspection.
Pressure equipment which does not have to be inspected must be cared for by the user. This means that you are personally responsible for keeping pressure equipment in good condition. It requires a maintenance and inspection plan, e.g. an internal inspection to be carried out every 10 years in combination with a five-yearly check and readjustment of the safety accessories. You should coordinate the content and frequency with the risks attached to use of the equipment. Some examples of this are design data, medium, weather influences, location, etc.
Manufacture for your own use
The regulations for newly-constructed pressure equipment apply to manufacture for your own use because the user takes over the duty of the manufacturer in this respect. CE marking is not permitted in such cases due to the absence of trade.
Pressure equipment knowledge team
In addition to the numerous commissions we receive from our clients, D&F has a Pressure Equipment Knex!-team (knowledge team) which focuses on the latest developments regarding the Pressure Equipment (Commodities Act) Decree. This means you can rest assured that our experts are always up to date and that we provide top-quality services.
- Click here to read our Pressure Equipment White Paper.
- Of course you are always welcome to contact Daisy Markerink to make an appointment for a no-obligation initial meeting. You can call Daisy on +31-(0)316-712802 or mail her at d.markerink@denf.nl.
Training courses on pressure equipment
D&F provides two training courses on pressure equipment: one for the user and one for the designer.
You can follow our pressure equipment training course for users or pressure equipment manufacture training course