Equipment subject to technical inspection
A pressure vessel should be reported to a UDT Department or Branch in order to obtain an operating permit
if V x P > 300 bar x dm3
where:
V – volume in dm3 (litres)
P – overpressure in bars – overpressure specified by the manufacturer of the vessel or setting overpressure of the safety valve
and overpressure > 0.5 bar
Intended purpose of pressure vessels: storage of liquids of gases, or technological processes
PLEASE NOTE! The following equipment is not subject to technical inspection:
radiators and air heaters
vessels in refrigerating systems with the product of overpressure and volume ≤ 300 bar x dm3
vessels in cooling systems from pipes with a diameter DN≤ 25 with collectors and distributors with a volume ≤ 100 dm3 each and a cross-section ≤ 2 dm3
vessels forming the casing of electrical equipment, and power and telecommunications cables
Forms of inspection and deadlines for tests
| Equipment | Form of inspection | Deadlines for external inspection | Deadlines for internal inspection | Deadlines for leak tests |
| Fixed vessels, including heat exchangers, for which PD x V ≤ 300 bar x litre or PD ≤ 0.7 bar | simplified | - | - | - |
| Fixed vessels, including heat exchangers with PD x V > 300 bar x litre and PD > 0.7 bar Fixed vessels used in power units | full | 1 year | 4 years | 8 years |
| Fixed vessels, including heat exchangers with PD x V > 300 bar x litre and PD > 0.7 bar Vessels fully filled with water +100 °C < TD ≤ +100 °C | limited | 2 years | - | - |
| Fixed vessels, including heat exchangers with PD x V > 300 bar x litre and PD > 0.7 bar Vessels fully filled with water TD ≤ +100 °C and volume ≤ 500 litres | simplified | - | - | - |
| Fixed vessels, including heat exchangers with PD x V > 300 bar x litre and PD > 0.7 bar Vessels fully filled with water TD ≤ +100 °C and volume > 500 litres | limited | 3 years | - | - |
| Fixed vessels, including heat exchangers with PD x V > 300 bar x litre and PD > 0.7 bar Plate heat exchangers with heat carrier temperature TD ≤ +100 °C | simplified | - | - | - |
| Fixed vessels, including heat exchangers with PD x V > 300 bar x litre and PD > 0.7 bar Plate heat exchangers with heat carrier temperature TD > +100 °C | limited | 3 years | - | - |
| Fixed vessels, including heat exchangers with PD x V > 300 bar x litre and PD > 0.7 bar Vessels in refrigerating systems | limited | 4 years | - | - |
| Fixed vessels, including heat exchangers with PD x V > 300 bar x litre and PD > 0.7 bar Vessels in refrigerating systems Hydrophore vessels with a volume V ≤ 500 l | simplified | - | - | - |
| Fixed vessels, including heat exchangers with PD x V > 300 bar x litre and PD > 0.7 bar Vessels in refrigerating systems Hydrophore vessels with a volume V > 500 l | full | 2 years | - | -- |
| Fixed vessels, including heat exchangers with PD x V > 300 bar x litre and PD > 0.7 bar Free-standing compressed air vessels PD x V ≤ 3 000 bar x litre | limited | 4 years | - | - |
| Fixed vessels, including heat exchangers with PD x V > 300 bar x litre and PD > 0.7 bar Free-standing compressed air vessels 3 000 < PD x V ≤ 10 000 bar x litre | limited | 2 years | - | - |
| Fixed vessels, including heat exchangers with PD x V > 300 bar x litre and PD > 0.7 bar Free-standing compressed air vessels PD x V > 10 000 bar x litre | full | 2 years | - | - |
| Fixed vessels, including heat exchangers with PD x V > 300 bar x litre and PD > 0.7 bar Compressed air vessels used in systems of high-voltage circuit breakers PD x V ≤ 10 000 bar x litre | limited | 2 years | - | - |
| Fixed vessels, including heat exchangers with PD x V > 300 bar x litre and PD > 0.7 bar Compressed air vessels used in systems of high-voltage circuit breakers PD x V > 10 000 bar x litre | full | 2 years | 10 years | - |
| Fixed vessels, including heat exchangers with PD x V > 300 bar x litre and PD > 0.7 bar Vessels in compressor units PD x V ≤ 3 000 bar x litre | limited | 3 years | - | - |
| Fixed vessels, including heat exchangers with PD x V > 300 bar x litre and PD > 0.7 bar Vessels in compressor units PD x V > 3 000 bar x litre | full | 3 years | 9 years | - |
Required technical documentation
A technical description for every item of pressure equipment reported
A form for single-space pressure vessels
A form for multi-space pressure vessels
The content of the technical description should be consistent with Section 4(3)(1) of the Regulation of the Minister for the Economy, Labour and Social Policy of 9 July 2003.
Documents specified in provisions on CE marking provided by the manufacturer of every reported item of equipment or of the assembly comprising the equipment, if a final conformity assessment is conducted upon installation. For equipment manufactured before 1 May 2004, documents indicated in technical specifications agreed with the competent technical inspection authority. The documents should contain elements relevant for assessing the initial safety level of the equipment. Declarations of conformity for individual system components are helpful here. If an assembly is subject to conformity assessment, a declaration is necessary to identify its limits.
A design drawing for every item of pressure equipment reported, specifying the nominal and minimum wall thickness of the main components, especially the shell and bottoms, and listing the materials used to make this item of equipment, or another document containing this information, as agreed with the UDT.
An installation diagram, indicating the location of every item of pressure equipment reported, safety accessories, pressure accessories and power sources.
A location plan for every item of pressure equipment reported, taking into account the location of nearby equipment or buildings.
PLEASE NOTE: The installation diagram and the location plan may be submitted in duplicate for the entire installation.
A description of the selection of safety accessoriestogether with documentation, taking into account power source (selection is not required for equipment subject to a final conformity assessment as an assembly).
An operating manual for every item of pressure equipment reported.
The content of the operating manual should be consistent with Section 5 of the Regulation of the Minister for the Economy, Labour and Social Policy of 9 July 2003.
* PLEASE NOTE: Depending on the design of pressure equipment and its operating conditions, the content of the operating manual may be limited, with the consent of the competent technical inspection authority, to the necessary minimum or included in the operating manual for the unit, machine, pressure equipment assembly or technological system where the pressure equipment is installed.
The above documentation concerns also equipment put into operation once again, in which case it may be modified on the basis of qualification tests carried out for such equipment.
