1. INTERFACES BETWEEN NATIONAL LEGISLATION AND DIRECTIVE 97/23/EC
SYSTEM OF ENSURING
SAFE OPERATION
OF PRESSURE EQUIPMENT

2. TECHNICAL SAFETY
The safety and protection of health of citizens, domestic animals and property is one of the most important tasks of each Member State.
Systems of assurance of safe operation of pressure equipment form a very important part of national technical safety systems in Member States.
Special attention is focused on pressure equipment and installations which are working equipment used by workers.

3. SAFE OPERATION OF PRESSURE EQUIPMENT
In each Member State there are regulations and admini-strative provisions in force aimed at assurance of safe operation of pressure equipment, which require:
that pressure equipment is properly designed, manufactured, checked and if applicable equipped and installed before it is put into service.
additionally, that wide range of pressure equipment shall be properly maintained and subject to regular in-service inspections. That concerns in particular the apparatus and assemblies which are working equipment.

4. REMOVAL OF TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE FOR PE
Differences in the content and scope of the laws in force in Member States regarding design, manufacturing and required tests constituted barriers to free movement of PE within the Community.
Such barriers for PE were removed by harmonisation of national legislation, mainly through adoption of New Approach Directives: 87/404/EEC and 97/23/EC.
Main purpose of adoption of technical harmonisation directives was the improvement of competitiveness of European pressure sector by ensuring free movement of PE and assemblies.

5. MAIN PROVISIONS INCLUDED IN PED
Technical requirements, formulated generally as the Essential Safety Requirements (ESR), concerning design, manufacturing, marking, materials and operating instructions
Conformity assessment procedures
CE marking
Presumption of conformity:
for PE bearing CE marking and covered by an EC declaration of conformity as conforming to all provisions of NAD
for PE in compliance with harmonised standards as conforming to the essential requirements

6. COMPARISON OF THE SYSTEMS OF SAFETY ASSURANCE FOR PE PLACED ON THE MARKET IN POLAND BEFORE 1ST MAY AND AFTER THAT DATE
MAIN DIFFERENCES

7. PRESSURE EQUIPMENT SUBJECT TO THE PED
PED applies to PE which is intended to be placed on the Community market (or put into service) for the first time:
to new PE manufactured in the Member States
to new, as well as used and second-hand PE imported from third countries
to PE subject to important changes and thus having to comply with applicable directives

8. EXCLUSIONS OF PE FROM PED - REASONS
21 kinds of PE are excluded from PED because:
they are already harmonised by other directives
hazards connected with PE are very specific and should be eliminated (reduced) together by separate directive
pressure is not a significant design factor
according to the generally accepted practice this kind of PE was treated in a separate way
Assembly of pressure equipment on site and under responsibility of the user

9. DEFINITION OF “PRESSURE EQUIPMENT” FOR THE PURPOSE OF PED
Definition of “pressure equipment” used for the purpose of PED covers:
Pressure vessels
Piping
Pressure accessories
Safety accessories
and in many cases differs from traditional definitions used in Member States, which correspond rather with the PED definition of “assemblies”, such as: boilers, heat exchangers, steam generators, refrigeration systems, autoclaves.

10. ASSEMBLIES (1/2)
For the purpose of PED “assembly” means several assembled pieces of pressure equipment, provided:
they constitute an integrated whole
they constitute a functional whole
they are assembled by one manufacturer

11. ASSEMBLIES (2/2)
PED assembly definition applies also to PE assembled on site
PE assembled by the user will not be considered as a PED assembly when responsibility has been shifted from the manufacturer to the user
Assembly aspects should be taken into account according to national regulations

12. MEMBER STATES OBLIGATIONS CONCERNING IMPLEMENTATION OF PED PROVISIONS INTO A NATIONAL LEGAL SYSTEM
Implementation of requirements of PED into a national legal system, removal of contradictory national provisions
Setting up of a system for appointment and surveillance of conformity assessment bodies
Setting up of a market surveillance system
Safeguard actions
Penalties

13. RESPONSIBILITIES OF MSt
RESPONSIBILITIES OF MSt. AUTHORITIES CONCERNING PE WITHIN THE SCOPE OF PED
To ensure the free movement of PE on the territory of MS
To notify and be responsible for the competence of conformity assessment bodies being under its jurisdiction
To operate market surveillance for PE being placed on the market (or put into service) on its territory
To establish (maintain) legal system to ensure safe installation and operation of PE

14. LAW CONCERNING IN-SERVICE INSPECTIONS
In-service inspections are not covered by the provisions of PED
For a great part of the PE (being work equipment) there are provisions for carrying out in-service inspections as included in Directive 89/655/EEC (amended by 95/63/EC) concerning the minimum safety and health requirements for the use of work equipment by workers at work

15. INTERVENTION OF MSt. AUTHORITY BEFORE PE IS ALLOWED TO BE PUT INTO SERVICE
PED doesn't release MS from the duty to lay down requirements which they deem necessary to protect persons during use of PE (Art. 2.2)
Requirements for modifications of PE or assemblies laid down in national regulations are not permissible
Inspections under national legislation can include (Guideline 9/23):
verifications whether the pressure equipment or assemblies have suffered from transport damage,
inspections whether integration of PE in the surrounding environment and/or their joining to the rest of the installation has been performed correctly according to national legislation
checking whether the operators have sufficient expertise.
control of labelling and documentation

16. INFORMATION WHICH ARE NOT REQUIRED BY THE PED BUT MAY BE INCLUDED BY CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT(GUIDELINE 8/3)
hazard analysis,
material test certificates,
detailed design calculations,
“as built” drawings,
heat treatment records,
welding records,
NDT results,
results of dimensional check,
full records of proof test,
details and results of special checks,
details of any corrective repair or modifications,
full documentation of any concessions made.

17. internal/external corrosion fatigue, cyclic loadings
EXAMPLES OF ASPECTS BEING TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION DURING IN-SERVICE INSPECTIONS
internal/external corrosion
fatigue, cyclic loadings
temperature influence, creep, brittleness
material behaviour