Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Table of Contents
1.
Relevant Legislation............................................................................................................................... 2
2.
3.
Definitions.............................................................................................................................................. 2
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
Record keeping...................................................................................................................................... 3
20.
Appendices............................................................................................................................................ 3
Page 1 of 13
1. Relevant Legislation
a) The Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 requires employers to provide and maintain plant
and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health.
b) The Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 (PSSR)1 aims to prevent serious injury from the
hazard of stored energy as a result of the failures of a pressure system or one of its component
parts. The contents are not considered in the same way as COSHH except where there is a risk of
scalding or where the contents may speed up corrosion or degeneration of the vessel and its
components.
c) The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 aims to ensure that work equipment
should not result in health and safety risks, regardless of its age, condition or origin.
3. Definitions
Laboratory areas -
for the purposes of this document, laboratory areas include: research and
diagnostic laboratories, laboratory equipment rooms, cold rooms, media
preparation rooms, wash-up rooms, post-mortem rooms and
greenhouses. It does not include other potentially hazardous areas that
are under Estates control.
User -
the College employee who: decides when installed plant will be turned on
or off; who decides who has access to the plant; who is responsible for the
controls of the plant; and who maintains and runs the plant on a day to
day basis
Owner -
the person who owns mobile or rented equipment which may be used by
other persons such as College employees or College students
Competent person -
Written scheme of examination a WSE is drawn up by a College Insurance Inspector (unless this is
already supplied from the installer/commissioner of the system) and lists
the parts of a piece of equipment or plant (eg safety valves), and the
frequency and thoroughness of inspection required for each part.
Relevant fluid -
includes steam at any pressure or gas or fluids (or some mixture of them)
at 0.5 bar above atmospheric pressure.
Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 Approved Code of Practice, HSE Books, ISBN 0-7176-1767-X
Page 2 of 13
ii)
Pipe work with protective devices, eg safety valve and/or gas regulator, to which a transportable
pressure receptacle may be connected
iii)
There are three categories of Pressure System in the laboratory environment, most will fall into the minor
or intermediate systems. Examples may be found in Appendix 1 Examples of pressure equipment.
Minor systems
Intermediate systems
Major systems
Page 3 of 13
If environmental conditions are extreme, if corrosive chemicals such as acids or salts are used within
the vessel or are present in the external atmosphere, then physical degradation of the equipment
components is expected and the service frequency may need to be increased. Similar consideration
must be given to extremes of temperature, moisture, dust, etc.
ii)
If domestic-type equipment is being used for research purposes (as this would not be considered to
be normal use by the manufacturer or supplier). Note that domestic pressure cookers must not be
used for laboratory-type work within the College.
The User should note under such circumstances, maintenance and servicing periods may need to be more
frequent then those specified by the manufacturer. See 5. Maintenance and use in accordance with
manufacturers instructions
Your vessel(s) will need to be registered with the Estates Help Desk and the Dept/Divisional
Safety Officer.
ii)
Your maintenance contractors details will need to be registered with the local Estates Contact
who will try to co-ordinate the visit of the Inspector with that of the service engineer.
Page 4 of 13
If the Insurance Inspector identifies a safety problem he will inform the user and the local Estates
representative, who will be required to isolate and remove from service the piece of equipment pending its
repair by the department. See 15. Failing an inspection - actions to be taken
10.
You must register existing, newly purchased and second-hand equipment by email to
estates_help@imperial.ac.uk. You will need to provide all the information required on the Estates form. See
Appendices Pressure Vessel Registration Form.
In addition, the supplier will provide commissioning and testing data. Pressure vessels may continue to be
used in departments for many years, and may even be moved between buildings, campuses etc. It is
important that original commissioning and testing data is not lost, so Users should send a copy of the
commissioning and testing data to the local estates contact, and give the original to the Department Safety
Co-ordinator.
On receipt of the completed form, the Estates Helpdesk will arrange for the Insurance Inspector to visit the
Department to make a WSE and inform the local Estates contact, maintenance provider, User, Department
Safety Co-ordinator and Divisional Safety Advisor that the Insurance Inspector has been notified. Estates
will add the item(s) to the College Register for subsequent annual inspections.
Newly purchased equipment must be registered in the same way, but the insurance inspection will only be
necessary 12 months after installation.
If registering newly installed second-hand pressure systems, unless the supplier has provided
commissioning and testing data, you will also need to ask the Helpdesk whether or not a WSE needs to be
drawn up before first use. Estates will contact the College Insurance Inspector to determine if this is
necessary and to arrange a visit.
The maintenance and inspection of fixed installations (those that form part of the building pressure system) is
organised by the Local Estates contact on some campuses. It remains the responsibility of the department to
check that maintenance and inspection is being done.
If vessels are already registered, they may have been marked with a unique identifier such as a
consecutive number and a Building/campus code. The unique identifier will identify the equipment regardless
of where it is located within the College. The unique identifier will appear on the Inspectors report, and on
the College and Divisional database of pressure vessels. The serial number will act as the unique identifier
where this is not in evidence.
11.
Insurance Inspectors, service engineers, Estates personnel etc may not enter biological Containment
Laboratories, plant rooms or other high-risk workplaces unless permit-to-work or equipment decontamination
procedures are followed accordingly (see College Guidance Note).
12.
Mobile vessels are often on long-term hire. The owner of any pressure vessel is required to have it
maintained and tested (and examined where relevant). This applies to nitrogen pressure vessels owned by
nitrogen supply companies such as BOC. BOC are responsible for carrying out the annual maintenance and
testing on all of their vessels and would normally fix a label to the equipment showing when this was next
due. They usually provide a copy of the test certificate to the hirer (on Hammersmith Campus these are kept
by Stores), or a copy may be obtained directly from the BOC. The hirer is responsible for checking that tests
have been carried out, and for ensuring that vessels failing the test are removed from service and either
repaired or replaced by the supply company.
The purchase of second-hand pressure systems should be avoided to minimise risks. They may be in poor
condition and the maintenance history may be unknown. Before use of such equipment it is essential that a
full service visit (combined with an Insurance Inspection if over 250 bar litre) is arranged. See 10.
Procedures for registration with Estates
13.
Some equipment is linked to a building steam generating plant, for example non-self generating autoclaves.
This type of machine will be examined in accordance with a WSE, as it forms part of a larger, unseen steam
system. Estates will arrange for the maintenance and testing of plant supplying the service to the autoclave.
However departments are responsible for ensuring that maintenance and examinations of any attached
Page 5 of 13
autoclaves are carried out (as in 6-10). Other items such as gas generators and some compressed gas
supply lines may also be part of building-wide pressure system. The Estates Department currently recharges
user departments for the cost of maintaining this type of system. Pressure vessels operating via a standard
13 Amp plug are unlikely to fall into this category. If you are uncertain, contact the Estates Helpdesk for
advice.
14.
On occasion, equipment will need to be repaired or modified. The Estates Helpdesk and the local Estates
contact must be informed immediately of any planned repairs or modifications so that these may be notified
to the Inspector, who may need to make an extra inspection, perhaps whilst the machine is still stripped
down by the service engineer.
Self-modifications made for example, as part of an experimental procedure must be subject to a full risk
assessment.
15.
The Insurance Inspector will take the following actions if he considers there to be imminent danger from a
pressure vessel:
Inform local laboratory staff, and advise that the machine is removed from use immediately.
Issue a Site Defect Notice to the User or other responsible person (who must sign it), stating what
requirements are needed to make the machine safe (either repair or scrapping), and a time scale in
which to do it.
Telephone the Estates Helpdesk and the local Estates Contact, who will complete a Dangerous
Occurrence Form.
Inform the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
The local Estates contact, once informed by the Insurance Inspector, will email the User, copying the
Department Safety Co-ordinator, their named deputy, the Head of Section/Department and the Divisional
Safety Advisor, advising that action is required.
Users are responsible for carrying out required actions (repair or disposal), but must not return a repaired
item to service until authorised to do so by Estates.
The DSC or deputy should check that the required action has been carried out, and send written confirmation
of this to the local Estates contact, to the Estates Helpdesk (who will inform the Inspector), the Divisional
Safety Advisor and the Head of Section/Department.
HSE may write or check personally whether the appropriate action has been taken; if action is not taken by
the specified deadline, HSE may serve an Improvement Notice or a Prohibition Notice depending on the
danger involved.
16.
Vessels for disposal must be decontaminated in accordance with College procedures. Pressure vessels
tend to be heavy and cumbersome, and specialist disposal advice may be necessary. This should be sought
in the first instance from the manufacturer or supplier and also from the Estates Helpdesk. A risk
assessment must be carried out consideration must be given to disconnection of services, safe removal,
neutralisation or containment of contents of vessel if those are likely to be toxic, weight, size, route from the
building, accessibility of lifts, provision of labour and of appropriate lifting devices. A manual handling risk
assessment must be carried out and only persons trained in safe lifting allowed to handle the vessel.
You must notify a disposal and subsequent de-registering using the Estates Vessel Registration form, to the
Estates Helpdesk, local Estates contact and Department Safety Co-ordinator, who will inform the Divisional
Safety Advisor in January when the register is being updated. See Appendix Pressure Vessel Registration
Form.
17. Testing autoclaves in accordance with specific regulations (GM, COSHH etc)
Autoclaves used for inactivation of certain types of biological waste must meet specific operating standards.
Departments involved in work of this type must ensure that a competent engineer carries out a twelve-point
thermocouple test. This test should be carried out on an annual basis as a minimum requirement.
Permit-to work or equipment decontamination procedures must be followed accordingly (see College
Guidance Note).
Page 6 of 13
Ideally testing should be arranged to coincide with a service. If the machine is serviced via Estates, then
Estates must be informed of these additional testing requirements, so that if possible, they can make
arrangements for testing to be carried out by the service provider.
The cost of this test is met (shared) by the department(s) involved or by the Principle Investigators
responsible for the work. The Principle Investigator(s) is responsible for ensuring that testing is carried out.
If a different employer owns the autoclave, PIs must ascertain from them that this test has been carried out.
Page 7 of 13
20
Appendices
Examples of pressure
equipment
Decision tree
Absorber vessel
Accumulator, Hydraulic
Accumulator, hydraulic, nitrogen pressure
vessel
Air receiver in association with some
autoclaves, mass spectrometers, EM
units
Air / water expansion vessel
Argon liquid, pressure vessel
Autoclave electric, non self-generating
(eg part of building steam system or
attached to associated boiler)
Autoclave electric, self-generating
Autoclave gas fired (domestic-type)
Autoclave portable (bench top steriliser)
Autoclave steam jacketed
Blow down vessel
Calorifier, heated
Boiler canteen type, electric urn
Condenser pressure vessel
Cooling water expansion pressure vessel
Critical point dryer pressure vessel
Desiccant air dryer
Heat exchanger
Helium hydraulic shock chamber tube gun
Hot water urn
Hypersonic gun
Nitrogen pressure gun
Nitrogen pressure vessel
Pressure parts of packaged refrigeration
system
Pressurisation unit softened water
booster
Receiver, Air vertical/horizontal/portable
Receiver, Air and water
Receiver, Air/oil
Receiver, Carbon dioxide solid drawn
Receiver, Coal gas
Receiver, Experimental test rig, air
Receiver, natural gas
Receiver, Nitrogen
Receiver, Sewage ejector/air
Receiver, Teaching air
Sand/Water pressure vessel
Steam boiler (electric or gas heated)
Steam jacketed kettle
Steam jacketed pan
Steam oven
Page 8 of 13
Name
Position
Building Manager
Assistant Building Manager
48940
07734 879274
Building Manager
Assistant Building Manager
49639
07739 934396
Electrical Engineering, Skempton, Sherfield, Library, Faculty Buildings and Boiler House
John Grover
Richard Pasola
Building Manager
Assistant Building Manager
46161
49770
07753 739769
07872850114
Building Manager
Assistant Building Manager
49009
49770
07734 078132
07872 850114
Building Manager
Assistant Building Manager
48931
49500
07709 461099
07753 739768
(1412) 32244
(1412) 32244
07720 412219
Building Manager
Assistant Building Manager
Building Manager
(1402) 8375
40729
43651
07734 078934
07734 078934
07734 078934
John Barnes
(Brompton)
(Charing Cross)
(St.Marys)
Assistant Building Manager
(Brompton)
(Charing Cross)
(St.Marys)
(1402) 8375
40729
49479
07793 655218
07793 655218
07793 655218
Building Manager
Assistant Building Manager
42340
42340
07710 378453
07753 739768
Building Manager
Assistant Building Manager
42747
42747
07973 874067
07753 739768
Page 9 of 13
Appendix 3 Relationships
INSURANCE INSPECTOR
HELPDESK
USER
SAFETY CO-ORDINATOR
Informs Estates Helpdesk of changes to
equipment status, personnel changes (
annually)
Ensures that User meets regulations
Advises department on safety related
issues
Ensures that Head of Section is aware o
f any Fails due to imminent danger and
action required
.
Keeps appropriate records
Page 10 of 13
Page 11 of 13
Yes
No
Yes
No
Name
Extension number
Email address
Name
Extension number
Email address
Name
Extension number
Email address
Name
Extension number
Email address
See College Guidance note on Spectrum: Maintenance, inspection and testing of pressure vessels in research laboratories
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