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FEATURE MACHINE BUILDING, FRAMEWORKS & SAFETY


Under pressUre to meet regUlations


A


lthough the purpose of the PER is to protect machinery end-users from unsafe products, it provides many options and


routes to conformity. Not only can this prove to be time consuming for those not fully familiar with this process, but an inappropriate choice of the route to compliance could potentially lead to significant third-party inspection costs. A useful reference is the guidance document for pressure systems from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).


reqUirements


The PER is mandatory for equipment operating at a pressure greater than 0.5 bar, and is wide ranging as it impacts upon design, production, final inspection/test, marking/labelling, and


and manufactured in accordance with the essential safety requirements (ESR), which are detailed in Schedule 2 of the PER. Alternatively, for equipment falling within Regulation 8 (sound engineering practice) it must meet the requirements of that regulation. The machine builder is therefore


responsible for classifying the equipment or assembly into the appropriate category, determining the conformity procedure that applies, carrying out the relevant conformity assessment procedure, and drawing up the relevant technical documentation.


taking the right steps


Decide whether the equipment really does fall within the scope of the PER as there are several


“The PER is not a process that machine builders can afford to get wrong”


instructions for use/maintenance. The regulations do not apply to: • Excluded pressure equipment and assemblies (specified in the Schedule 1 of the PER)


• Pressure equipment and assemblies placed on the market before 8 December 2016


• Pressure equipment or assemblies placed on the market on or before 29 May 2002 if they comply with the safety provisions in force in the UK on 29 November 1999


• The assembly of pressure equipment on the site of, and under the responsibility of, a user who is not the manufacturer. The regulations define a manufacturer


as a person with legal authority to design, manufacture, package and label pressure equipment before it is placed on the market, regardless of whether these operations are carried out by them, or on their behalf by another person. They are required to ensure that pressure equipment or assemblies have been designed


1 DESIGN SOLUTIONS APRIL 2022 4


exclusions, which are set out in Schedule 1 of the Regulations. Paragraph ‘f’ of Schedule 1 also includes a specific exclusion for equipment that is classified as ‘no higher than category 1’. However, the only way to decide if this is appropriate is to undertake the following steps. The first stage is to decide whether the


equipment should be categorised as a vessel, which is defined as ‘a housing designed and built to contain fluids under pressure’; piping, which covers components intended for the transport of fluids when connected for integration into a pressure system; or a steam generator, such as a boiler. Except in the case of a steam generator, it


is also necessary to decide whether the fluid contained in the equipment is a gas or a liquid, and whether the fluid must be treated as a Group 1 or Group 2 fluid. The decision about whether the fluid is a gas or a liquid is usually straightforward as the


Machine builders often find that part of the equipment they are designing falls within the scope of the UK’s Pressure Equipment Regulations 2016 (PER) or European Union’s Pressure Equipment Directive. But what is the PER and what are machine builders responsible for? Paul Taylor, business development director for Industrial Services at TÜV SÜD, explains


regulations require the fluid to be treated as a gas if it has vapour pressure greater than 0.5 bar at the maximum allowable temperature for the equipment. Information about vapour pressure at various temperatures should be readily available from the fluid supplier. Deciding between Group 1 and Group 2 fluids is equally easy, as Group 1 covers fluids that are explosive, flammable, toxic or oxidising, with all other fluids falling into Group 2. The next step is to identify the relevant


conformity assessment table in Schedule 1B of the regulations, and the classification table guides the machine builder to the relevant chart for their product. Determining the correct classification of the equipment is done by plotting the maximum allowable pressure and, in the case of vessels, the volume in litres or, for piping, the nominal size. The equipment will fall into one of five categories: SEP, I, II, III and IV. Each category has its own route to compliance and for categories II, III and IV, the machine builder can choose their preferred route, working in conjunction with a notified body. However, Conformity assessment must be carried out by Conformity Assessment Bodies, also known as Approved Bodies.


achieving compliance


The PER is not a process that machine builders can afford to get wrong. Although initially it may appear challenging, by adopting a step-by-step approach, achieving compliance within the PER can be a relatively straightforward and inexpensive process.


TÜV SÜD www.tuvsud.com/uk


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