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Pressure
Equipment Directive (PED)
What?
Why? When? How?
Help?
What
is it?
The
Pressure Equipment Directive is an EU New & Global Approach Product
Directive.
The PED lays down requirements for the design and manufacture of pressure
equipment and assemblies with a maximum allowable pressure greater than
0.5 bar gauge (1.5 bar absolute).
Vessels, piping, safety accessories and pressure accessories are included
in the scope of the Directive but there are also many excluded products.
Products within the scope of the Directive must comply at the first "putting
on the market" or "putting into service" in EEA.
Thereafter the Directives carry no bearing on the product's operation
and maintenance. (Individual national regulations apply for the
operation and maintenance phases).
Why do we need it?
Prior
to the PED each EU member state had its own regime for regulating pressure
equipment. Each was based upon a national perception of safety hazards.
The PED creates a single legal structure within which pressure equipment
can be sold on the entire EU market without having to submit to a multitude
of national approval regimes.
A product that complies with the PED in one EU member state must be accepted
in all member states.
When does the PED come into force?
The Directive
has been mandatory since 30 May 2002.
How
to comply with the PED?
Firstly
the Directive assigns "risk" categories to products (lowest
is category I, highest is category IV). Risk is measured in terms of the
amount of stored energy and the hazard presented by the contained fluid:
large volume/pressure = high risk category.
For each risk category the PED defines a choice of conformity assessment
route maps, called Modules. The 14 modules range from self-certification
(module A) to full quality assurance (module H), inspection or surveillance
by a third party (called a Notified Body). Quality assurance is
always an option but never mandatory.
The detailed technical characteristics of the design,
materials, production and testing are not laid down in the Directive but
in standards. Standards have been especially written to put flesh on the
Directive's bones. These standards, which must be adopted by all member
states, are known as harmonised standards.
Conformity with harmonised standards "guarantees" conformity
with the Directive. Their application, however, is not mandatory. If harmonised
standards are not suited to a specific product, any alternative standard
or solution may be applied if it can be shown to carry equivalent
safety. It is, however, difficult to demonstrate equivalent safety.
One solution to this problem is CEproof’s HAZproofTM service.
Think
your product(s) must comply?
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