The Pressure Equipment Directive - 97/23/EC - was formally adopted by the European Parliament and Council on 29th May 1997, and was published in the Official journal of the European Communities No. L181 of 9th July (ISBN 011 916 0927). It entered into force on 29th November 1999 but compliance with its requirements will be optional until 29th May 2002. The purpose of the directive is to harmonise European national laws regarding design, manufacture and conformity assessment of pressure equipment and assemblies (vessels, storage containers, heat exchangers, shell and water tube boilers, industrial pipework, safety devices and pressure accessories) subject to an internal pressure greater than 0.5 bar. Equipment is categorised within four levels (I to VI) according to degree of hazard: category III and IV equipment will require conformity assessment by 'notified bodies' and 'recognised third party organisations' (NDT personnel must be approved by a third party organisation recognised by a member state pursuant to Article 13). Equipment manufactured to harmonised ENs (e.g., prEN13445: Unfired pressure vessels; prEN 13480: Metallic industrial piping) developed in support of the directive will be presumed to comply with the essential safety requirements. PrEN 13480 part 5 - Inspection and testing - requires at clause 8.4.3 that personnel performing tests shall be qualified and certified in accordance with EN 473 for the appropriate testing method (this requirement is repeated in clauses 8.5 to 8.9 which covers NDT methods VT, MT, PT, RT and UT). PrEN13445 part 5 - Inspection and testing - requires at clause 6.1.3.5.7 (Qualification of NDT personnel) that NDT personnel shall be qualified and certified in accordance with EN 473 except for visual examination and leak testing (for which personnel shall be qualified but not certified). The Qualification and Certification requirements for NDT personnel as specified in the harmonised standards are clear, but what are the requirements for NDT personnel when a harmonised standard is not invoked? This paper will discuss the requirements of the Directive in terms of approval of NDT personnel, and explain what those bodies notified as 'Recognised Third Party Organisations' will require in order to award 'Approvals' to personnel.
Publication Source: 3nd International Conference on NDE in Relation to Structural Integrity for Nuclear and Pressurized Components, November 14-16, 2001, Seville Spain. Publisher: Tecnatom s.a. - [Homepage]
