What is a Pressure Equipment?
A steam generator is considered pressure equipment. The Pressure Equipment Regulation and its complementary technical instructions, approved by the Real Decreto (RD) 2060/2008 of December 12th by the Spanish Law, clearly establish, among other provisions, the obligations that apply to owners of installations and pressure equipment. The aforementioned Regulation outlines requirements for the installation, commissioning, periodic inspections, repairs, and modifications of equipment with a maximum allowable pressure above 0.5 bars. This includes apparatus, pressure equipment, piping assemblies, and simple or transportable pressure vessels.
User Obligations
A USER is defined as any individual or legal entity that uses pressure equipment or installations under their responsibility.
User obligations are regulated in Article 9 of CHAPTER IV of RD 2060/2008. The following are the main obligations:
- Familiarize themselves with and adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions regarding usage, safety measures, and maintenance.
- Refrain from putting the installation into service or allowing the operation of pressure equipment if the Regulation’s requirements are not met.
- Operate the pressure equipment within the manufacturer’s designated operating limits and remove them from service if they no longer meet the necessary safety requirements.
- Conduct maintenance on installations, pressure equipment, safety accessories,
and control devices as per the manufacturer’s instructions, with an annual examination at least once a year.
- Arrange for the required periodic inspections.
- Maintain an up-to-date register of pressure equipment falling under categories I to IV, as per RD 769/1999 of May 7th.
- Arrange for necessary repairs.
- Report any accidents that occur as per Article 14 of the Regulation.
Documentation Required by Users for Steam Equipment or Installations
- Manufacturer’s instructions – issued by the manufacturer.
- Declaration of conformity – issued by the manufacturer.
- Installation certificate issued by the installer if different from the manufacturer.
- Installation project – required when the product of the maximum working pressure (Pm) measured in bar and the volume (V) measured in liters of all the connected permanent equipment in the installation, excluding pipes, exceeds 25,000. The project must be prepared by an authorized installation company, such as GICONMES IBERICA, S.L.
- Report of the last periodic inspection – issued by the inspector
- Certifications of repairs or modifications – issued by the party performing the work.
- Any other documentation required by the Technical Complementary Instruction (ITC) of the mentioned Regulation.
Classification of Equipment in an Installation According to the Pressure Equipment Regulation (REP)
The essential safety requirements for the marketing of Pressure Equipment are established by RD 709/2015 of July 24th, as framed in Article 4, point 1.2, and represented in Table 5 of Annex II. The classification is based on the categories indicated in Article 9 of RD 769/1999 (BOE 31/05/1999), which transposed Directive 97/23/EC, and was repealed as of July 19, 2016, by Article 50 of Directive 2014/68/EU of the European Parliament and the Council, dated May 15, 2014, on the harmonization of member states’ laws regarding the marketing of pressure equipment.
Steam generators manufactured by GICONMES IBERICA, S.L. fall under Group 2, with the contained fluids classified as non-hazardous (non-flammable, non-toxic, non-explosive, non-oxidizing) based on their hazard characteristics, as per the mentioned Directive 2014/68/EU and Article 4 of Annex II.
The classification of steam-generating pressure equipment according to Table 5 of Annex II of RD 709/2015 is as follows:
- Category I: Equipment with PxV < 50.
- Category II: Equipment with PxV between 50 and 199.
- Category III: Equipment with PxV between 200 and 2,999.
- Category IV: Equipment with PxV ≥ 3,000.
Periodic Inspections for Pressure Equipment and Their Conductors
For all equipment, regardless of category, periodic tests and inspections of their technical features and safety conditions must be conducted to ensure their proper functioning. These inspections can be performed by:
- Manufacturer, installer, or maintainer authorized with Category EIP-2. Authorization of GICONMES IBERICA. S.L. – File Number R002ZA20/61246.
- Authorized Inspection Bodies (OCA).
Types of inspections and their frequencies:
There are three MANDATORY inspection levels to be performed for categories I – II – III, and IV, according to the elapsed time since the equipment was put in service.
Level A: The inspection can be performed with the equipment in service and should be carried out annually by the manufacturer, installer, or maintainer with Category EIP-2, it involves checking:
- Documentation.
- Visually inspecting pressure-exposed parts,
- and verifying safety accessories.
Level B: The inspection must be performed with the equipment out of service and should be conducted by an Authorized Inspection Body (OCA) every three (3) years. It includes checking
- the Level A inspections,
- measuring vessel pressure,
- examining safety elements,
- and any additional inspections as deemed necessary by the OCA’s technical criteria.
Level C: The inspection must be carried out with the equipment out of service and should be performed by an Authorized Inspection Body (OCA) every six (6) years.
- It involves checking the Level B inspections,
- and conducting a hydrostatic test,
What to Do If Your Equipment’s Legalization or Revisions Do Not Comply with Regulatory Requirements?
Contact GICONMES IBERICA, S.L. as soon as possible.
Phone: +34 976 500 108