REFRIGERANTS
Understanding the Pressure Equipment Directive
Stephen Benton, member of the British Refrigeration Association (BRA) and Director of Cool Concerns, explains the EU Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) and the UK’s Pressure Equipment (Safety) Regulations (PE(S)R), breaking down the key elements, showing contractor responsibilities and looking at what to consider during design and installation.
What is the PED and PE(S)R?
The PED is one of many EU directives. They lay down basic rules for construction to ensure a consistent level of safety and to enable free trade. Compliance is demonstrated by a CE mark, backed up by a Declaration of Conformity. Directives are transposed into national regulations, in the case of the PED this is the Pressure Equipment (Safety) Regulation in the UK. The PED has been in place since 2002, and post Brexit we still comply with it because it is a UK regulation (and why wouldn’t we – it is a practical way of ensuring pressure systems are safe). Technically the PED and PE(S)R are identical, there
you demonstrate compliance – more on that later. Throughout this article we refer just to PED for simplicity, but everything also applies to the PE(S)R. The PED, like other directives, is not a design guide – it lays down basic rules and lists essential safety requirements. However, to make things
simpler, there are European standards (such as EN 378-2) which are harmonised with the PED.
meets the relevant essential safety requirements. For example, strength testing a system to EN 378-2, clause 6.3.2 (Strength pressure test) meets the PED essential safety requirement for a proof test.
Why does the PED/PE(S)R apply to installing contractors? The PED applies to any system that runs at a pressure of more than 0.5 bar g, with a few exceptions which are not relevant to us. So it applies to RACHP systems.
the market – so it is for new systems, not existing systems (unless an important change is made). Manufacturers of RACHP systems must demonstrate compliance with the PED. If you are installing a site built or connected system you are classed as the manufacturer of that system.
If you are installing a system in the EU (e.g. in
Ireland) or in Northern Ireland it must comply with the PED, be CE marked and be assessed party organisation authorised by an accreditation organisation in the EU. Post Brexit, the UK government introduced UKCA marking where goods must be assessed by an Approved Body for the British market. Approved Bodies are accredited by UKAS (the UK Accreditation on the requirement for the UKCA mark to be used in place of the CE mark for the GB market. If you are installing a system in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) it must comply with the PE(S)R but can be either UKCA or CE marked and therefore be assessed by an Approved Body or a
A summary of the compliance procedure is as follows: 20 August 2025 •
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