Requirements for pressure equipment

Pressure equipment is used in industrial applications, workplaces and households. Examples of pressure equipment include pressure tanks, steam and hot-water boilers and piping.

The use of pressure equipment involves significant risks of personal injury or environmental or property damage. In Finland, the provisions regarding the design, manufacture and use of pressure equipment are laid down in the Pressure Equipment Act. The purpose of the act is to ensure that pressure equipment is safe to use throughout the life cycle.

In the EU, the uniform design and manufacture as well as free movement of pressure equipment are ensured with different directives: the Pressure Equipment Directive, Simple Pressure Vessels Directive and Aerosol Dispensers Directive. The use of pressure equipment is regulated at the national level. The inspection requirements given in the statutes on use apply to the pressure equipment that can pose a significant hazard due to the working values or location.

Inspection bodies play an important role in ensuring the safety of pressure equipment. An inspection body can be involved in the conformity assessments of pressure equipment, and inspection bodies carry out periodic inspections related to the use of pressure equipment.

Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes) is the surveillance authority of the pressure equipment regulations. Tukes supervises the safety of pressure equipment with the help of market surveillance and pressure equipment register.

Pressure equipment life cycle

Regulations and standards
Take account of the statutory requirements and use harmonised standards.

Design
Remember to assess the risks and eliminate hazards already at the design stage!

Manufacturing
Follow the relevant requirements and affix the CE marking to the pressure equipment if required. In the course of the manufacturing stage, you may also need expert advice of a notified body on conformity assessment.

Use
If the working values of your pressure equipment exceeds certain limits, you must register the equipment into the Tukes pressure equipment register and appoint a competent operation supervisor.

Maintenance and servicing
Follow the manufacturer's instructions and ensure that all periodic inspections of the registered pressure equipment are carried out.

Decommissioning
Render the pressure equipment inoperable and dispose it in accordance with the relevant recycling instructions. If the pressure equipment was registered, notify Tukes of the decommissioning!