| ABSTRACT: | APPROVAL OF NDT PERSONNEL UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF
THE EUROPEAN PRESSURE EQUIPMENT DIRECTIVE
J R Thompson, Divisional Manager, B Inst NDT Certification Services.
ABSTRACT
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 recognized 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.
PED RTPO Abstract.doc 1 09 January 2004
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