Boilers and Pressure Vessels Regulations
[1 March 1963]
(Format changes—E.R. 7 of 2020)
These regulations may be cited as the Boilers and Pressure Vessels Regulations.
Without prejudice to any other provisions of these regulations, every boiler and pressure vessel, every part of a boiler or pressure vessel and every part of the auxiliary equipment connected with a boiler or pressure vessel shall be of good construction, sound material, adequate strength and free from any patent defect.
Every boiler, whether separate or one of a range—
shall have attached to it—
a suitable spring-loaded safety valve, separate from any stop-valve and capable of being sealed, which shall be fixed directly to the boiler and so adjusted as to prevent the boiler being operated at a pressure greater than its maximum permissible working pressure;
a suitable stop-valve connecting the boiler to the system; (87 of 1988 s. 43)
a correct pressure gauge, connected to the boiler and easily visible by the boiler attendant, which shall have marked upon it by a red line the maximum permissible working pressure of the boiler and which shall indicate the pressure in the boiler in pascals or multiples of pascals; (87 of 1988 s. 43)
at least one water gauge of transparent material, or of such other type as the Authority may approve, to show the water level in the boiler, which shall, if it is of the glass tubular type, be provided with an efficient guard that does not obstruct the reading of the gauge; and (87 of 1988 s. 51)
where it is one of 2 or more boilers, a plate bearing a distinguishing number, which shall be easily visible;
shall be provided with means for attaching a test pressure gauge; and
unless it is externally fired, shall be provided with a suitable fusible plug or an efficient low-water alarm device.
Subregulation (1)(a)(ii) shall not apply with respect to economizers.
Subregulation (1)(a)(iii), (iv) and (v), (b) and (c) shall not apply with respect to economizers or superheaters.
Subregulation (1)(a)(iv) and (c) shall not apply to vessels in which oil is heated at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure. (87 of 1988 s. 43)
Every steam receiver that is not so constructed and maintained as to withstand with safety the maximum permissible working pressure of the boiler to which it is connected or the maximum pressure that can be obtained in the pipe connecting the steam receiver with any other source of supply of steam shall be fitted with—
a suitable reducing valve or other suitable automatic appliance to prevent the maximum permissible working pressure of the steam receiver being exceeded;
a suitable spring-loaded safety valve that is capable of being sealed and is so adjusted as to permit the steam to escape as soon as the maximum permissible working pressure of the steam receiver is exceeded or a suitable appliance for cutting off automatically the supply of steam as soon as that pressure is exceeded;
a correct steam pressure gauge, which shall have marked on it by a red line the maximum permissible working pressure of the steam receiver and which shall indicate the pressure of steam in the steam receiver in pascals or multiples of pascals; (87 of 1988 s. 44)
a suitable stop-valve; and
where it is one of 2 or more steam receivers, a plate bearing a distinguishing number, which shall be easily visible.
The safety valve and the steam pressure gauge of every steam receiver shall be fitted on the steam receiver or on the supply pipe between the steam receiver and the reducing valve or other appliance provided to prevent the maximum permissible working pressure of the steam receiver being exceeded.
Every steam receiver shall be provided with means for attaching a test pressure gauge.
For the purposes of subregulation (1), other than the provisions of paragraph (e) thereof, any set of steam receivers supplied with steam through a single pipe and forming part of a single machine may be treated as one steam receiver, and, for the purposes of the said subregulation (1), other than the provisions of paragraphs (d) and (e) thereof, any other set of steam receivers supplied with steam through a single pipe may be treated as one steam receiver:Provided that this subregulation shall not apply to any such set of steam receivers unless the reducing valve or other appliance provided to prevent the maximum permissible working pressure of the steam receiver being exceeded is fitted on the said single pipe.
Every air receiver shall—
where the air receiver is connected with a compressor, be so constructed as to withstand with safety the maximum pressure that can be obtained in the compressor or be fitted with a suitable reducing valve or other suitable appliance to prevent the maximum permissible working pressure of the air receiver being exceeded;
be fitted with a suitable spring-loaded safety valve that is so adjusted as to permit the air to escape as soon as the maximum permissible working pressure of the air receiver is exceeded;
be fitted with a correct pressure gauge, which shall indicate the pressure of air in the air receiver in pascals or multiples of pascals; (87 of 1988 s. 45)
be fitted with a suitable appliance for draining the air receiver;
be provided with a suitable manhole, handhole or other means that will allow the interior thereof to be thoroughly cleaned; and
where more than one air receiver is being used by the same person in any industrial undertaking, bear a distinguishing mark, which shall be easily visible.
Every air receiver, other than a pressurized fuel container, shall have marked upon it so as to be plainly visible the maximum permissible working pressure of the air receiver and the date on which it was last examined by an appointed examiner. (87 of 1988 s. 45)
Where the safety valve fitted on an air receiver in accordance with subregulation (1)(b) is not fitted directly to the air receiver, a suitable fusible plug shall also be fitted to the air receiver.
For the purposes of those provisions of subregulations (1) and (3) that relate to safety valves and pressure gauges, any set of air receivers supplied with air through a single pipe may be treated as one air receiver:Provided that, where, by virtue of the said subregulation (1), the air receiver is required to be fitted with a reducing valve or other appliance to prevent the maximum permissible working pressure of the air receiver being exceeded, this subregulation shall not apply unless such valve or other appliance is fitted on the said single pipe.
Every pressurized fuel container shall—
be fitted with a pressure release valve;
be placed in a metal tray or housed in a suitable structure so that all valves and safety devices are readily accessible;
where it has a maximum permissible working pressure of not more than 500 kilopascals, be fitted with piping properly secured along its whole length, save that for a length of 600 millimetres immediately preceding the burner the piping shall be in the form of a loose coil so as to facilitate easy manipulation; and (L.N. 107 of 1979)
be fitted with a remote control valve situated in a position as near to the burner as is possible consistently with its safe operation.
The provisions of subregulation (1) shall apply to pressurized fuel containers in addition to any of the provisions of regulation 5 that apply to such containers.
Every pump used in connection with the fuel burning system in a fuel burning installation, whether the pump is used for the purpose of supplying the burners or of transferring fuel, shall be separated from any pump used for any other purpose and shall be provided with—
an efficient escape valve, which shall discharge into the suction side of the pump; and
means for stopping the pump, which shall be situated outside the boiler house in a readily access position.
No means, other than steam or such other means as may be approved by the Authority, shall be used for heating fuel in a fuel burning installation. (87 of 1988 s. 51)
Every heater fitted in a fuel burning installation shall be of good design and adequate strength.
Where, in any such heater, steam is used to heat the fuel and the condensate is returned to the boiler in connection with which the heater is provided, the heater shall be provided with an observation tank by means of which it can be readily ascertained whether or not the condensate is free from oil.
Every pump, heater, strainer and furnace mouth in a fuel burning installation shall be fitted with save-alls or gutters for the purpose of catching any fuel that may leak therefrom or that may spill when any cover or door is open or of intercepting any fuel that may escape from the burners, as the case may be.
Where there is more than one burner in a fuel burning installation, a master valve shall be provided for the purpose of enabling the supply of fuel to every burner to be shut off in the event of an emergency.
Every such master valve shall—
be situated outside the boiler house in a readily accessible position; and
be of the quick-closing type.
The shut-off valves on the furnace front that control the supply of fuel to such burners shall be provided with safety catches so as to prevent any such burner from being removed until the supply of fuel is shut off.
Every flue damper fitted in a fuel burning installation shall be so constructed that it can be fixed securely in an open position.
Save as provided in subregulation (3), the area of any such flue damper shall be such that it does not obstruct more than 90% of the free space of the flue.
Where any such flue damper does not comply with subregulation (2), the flue damper shall be interlocked with the fuel supply or otherwise so arranged that the fuel burning installation cannot be started up or operated when the flue is closed.
Every pipe that conveys oil, steam or water under pressure to or from a boiler, steam receiver or steam container shall be protected to the satisfaction of the Authority against the effect of weather and damp and against external damage.
(87 of 1988 ss. 47 & 51)
Every pipe that conveys oil or steam under pressure shall be lagged to the satisfaction of the Authority with fire-proof material.
(87 of 1988 ss. 48 & 51)
Every pipe used for the purpose of conveying fuel from a pump or gravity tank to the burners in a fuel burning installation shall be constructed of suitable seamless material or, if it is of welded construction, shall be welded in accordance with a recognized engineering standard or code. (87 of 1988 s. 49)
No connection between any such pipe and any other fitting shall be made by means of soft solder.
The flanges of any such pipe that conveys liquid fuel under pressure shall be machined so as, as far as practicable, to be metal to metal, and any jointing shall be of the thinnest material practicable and impervious to oil heated to a temperature of 120o Celsius. (L.N. 107 of 1979; 87 of 1988 s. 49)
Save for the purpose of ignition, no oil or liquid or gaseous fuel that has a flash point of less than 65o Celsius (close test) as determined by a standard type of flash point apparatus shall be used in any installation connected to a boiler.
Without prejudice to any of the provisions of these regulations, where, having regard to the situation of a fuel burning installation or, where the same is situated in an industrial undertaking, to the nature of the business carried on in the industrial undertaking, the Authority considers it necessary, he may require the owner of the fuel burning installation to take such safety precautions as he specifies.
In the event of a contravention of any of the provisions of regulations 2 to 15, both inclusive, the owner of the boiler, steam receiver, air receiver or fuel burning installation, as the case may be, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine at level 3.
Any person who fails to comply with a requirement of the Authority made under regulation 16 shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine at level 4. (87 of 1988 s. 51)
A person who applies to be issued with a new certificate of competency or applies to have an existing certificate of competency endorsed by the Authority under section 6(1)(a) or (3A)(a) of the Ordinance, as the case may be, shall pay an application fee of $330.
A person who applies to be issued with a new certificate of competency or applies to have an existing certificate of competency endorsed by the Authority under section 6(1)(b) or (3A)(b) of the Ordinance, as the case may be, shall pay an application fee of $610.
Subject to subregulation (4), application fees paid under this regulation may not be refunded by the Authority.
A person who fails to attend an examination conducted under section 6(6) of the Ordinance shall, at his request, have his application fee refunded by the Authority if he has given not less than 2 days’ advance notice in writing to the Authority of his inability to attend the examination.