Pressure Equipment
Regulations - the introduction
of a new category of AIA and
the impact on SAQCC
Certified Competent Persons
AIA Meeting November 2010
Changes in responsibilities
for periodic inspection from
VUP to PER
VUP Responsibility for periodic inspections
Responsibility squarely on the shoulders of the User.
Constraints applying to User were:
 Had to use an SAQCC CP certified inspector
 Obligated to ensure inspector had appropriate
knowledge and experience for the specific job of
inspection
PER Responsibility for periodic inspections
Regulation 11:
 User may inspect Category 1 Equipment (SANS
347 categorisation)
 Higher categories must be inspected by an AIA InService (AIA-IS) – From April 2011
 Inspection task has to be performed by an
authorised person
AIA-IS has to ensure the authorised person:
 Is certified by SAQCC CP
 Has appropriate experience and knowledge for the
specific task
PER Responsibility for periodic inspections
Notes of caution:
 There is a shift of responsibility (and accountability)
to the AIA-IS as a body specialising in periodic
inspections
 Not permissible for an AIA-IS to use a ‘non-certified’
inspector to perform work which is ‘signed-off’ by a
certified CP
Requirements for approval
as an AIA-IS
Requirements for AIA-IS approval?
Requirements for appointment as an AIA-IS by Dept. of
Labour not yet clarified but it is likely that:
 SANAS accreditation will be required prior to DoL
approval
 SANAS will use SANS 10227 as the standard for
AIA-IS assessments
Requirements for AIA-IS approval?
SANS 10227 is appropriate to an AIA-IS because:
 An AIA-IS deals with complex in-service issues
including down rating of equipment
 AIA-IS will need to have most of the competencies
associated with ‘traditional AIAs’ including a design
evaluation capability
Can an individual CP become an AIA-IS?
 Likely requirements for accreditation as an AIA-IS
are beyond the capabilities of virtually all individual
CPs
 Reality is vast majority of CPs will need to find
employment with an AIA-IS from April next year
What changes to the
SAQCC CP system have the
PER prompted?
Will there be any changes to the SAQCC CP Certification
scheme?
Certification criteria remain the same:
 Physical capability
 Successful completion of approved training course
 Supervised practical training
Will there be any changes to the SAQCC CP Certification
scheme?
Certification categories remain the same:
Pressure vessels:
 Unlimited scope
 Limited scope – air receivers with and without
physical access, accumulators, medical or other
small autoclaves
Boilers (renamed Steam Generators):
 Unlimited scope
Will there be any changes to the SAQCC CP Certification
scheme?
Training course requirements are being changed
significantly to address:
 longstanding concerns about the inadequacy of the
scope and depth of training
 the clear allocation of responsibilities of the AIA-IS
and the CP in job of work
Will there be any changes to the SAQCC CP Certification
scheme?
There is one change to supervised practical training
requirement:
 When a certification candidate is already certified in one of
the unlimited categories of equipment the duration of
supervised experience required for certification in the other
unlimited category is reduced to 1 year irrespective of the
educational qualification level
What are the new SAQCC
CP training requirements?
New SAQCC CP PV and SG training requirements
CP PV
CP PV
Existing Syllabus
New Syllabus
Process Plant
4 Weeks
1 Week
for limited
PV certification
Plus
for unlimited PV
Certification
Foundation Course
Welding and NDT
New Syllabus
1 Week
CP Steam Generator
Existing Syllabus
1 Week
Mandatory
additional
CP Steam Generator
New Syllabus
Additional Theory
1 Week
Current training requirements for SAQCC CP PV and SG
 Each is a four day course examined by a two hour
theory examination (Closed Book)
New scheme requirements
 Persons intending to apply for limited PV
certification will need to attend only weeks 1 and
2 of the PV stream. Those intending to apply for
Unlimited will need to attend all 6 weeks
 Persons intending to apply for Steam Generator
certification will need to attend all three weeks of
the Steam Generator stream
Content of foundation week
Common to both the PV and SG streams:
 Welding processes – characteristics and applications
of SMAW, GTAW, GMAW, FCAW, SAW
 Types of defects – associated with processes
 Visual inspection – aids and tools
 Introduction to NDT
 Welding procedures and welder qualifications –
purpose
 Introduction to materials technology – properties and
treatment
Exemptions from Foundation Week
 SAIW Level 1 welding inspector or similar (IWP/IWS
etc)
 SAIW Engineers Appreciation course – direct access
to exam
Content of CP PV core week
Regulations and codes:
 Competent person responsibilities
 Pre-inspection
 Safety and entry procedures
 External inspection
 Internal inspection
 Appurtenances
 NDT
 Toxic substances and medium specific failures e.g
ammonia
 Pressure testing
 Repairs
Content of week 1 Process plant for CP PV
 Pressure vessel inspection (API 510 to be used
as basis)
 Drawing and design
 ASME IX
 ISO/EN Welding procedures and welders
Content of week 2 CP PV – Process plant content
 Plant equipment knowledge
 Risk based inspection
 Failure mechanisms
 Repair welding
Content of week 3 CP PV – Process plant content
 Fitness for service
 Advanced NDT
 Tank inspection
 Report writing
Content of week 4 CP PV – Process plant content
 Inspection practices for piping
 Inspection of pressure relief devices
 Inspection, repair, alteration, re-rating of in-service
piping systems
 Pipe flanges and flanged fittings
Examination requirements for new schemes
For both the PV and SG streams:
 The part of an examination addressing general
technical knowledge will be closed book
 The part of an examination addressing codes,
standards or regulations will be open book
Examination requirements for new schemes
Pressure Vessel Courses
Limited Certification
 A two hour examination (1 hour multiple choice theory
and 1 hour practical) at the end of the Foundation
week
 A two hour examination at the end of week 2 (1 hour
multiple choice general knowledge closed book and 1
hour regulations and codes open book)
Unlimited Certification
 As for Limited Certification
 A one hour general knowledge closed book exam and
a two hour open book exam at the end of each of the
four additional weeks (closed and open book)
Revised Content of CP SG (core week 1)
 Regulations, codes and standards – including
competent person responsibilities
 Types of generators
 Components, furnaces, superheaters, reheaters,
economisers, attemperators, air heaters,
sootblowers
 Ancillary equipment, fans, stokers, pulverisers
 Fabrication methods
 Refractories, lagging and cladding
 Knowledge of operation, heat transfer, steam and
water quality, maintenance
 Boiler metallurgy
 Corrosion and erosion
Revised Content of CP SG (core week 2)
 Pre-inspection
 Safety and entry procedures
 Inspections, external inspection, internal inspection,
fireside inspection, waterside inspection
 Appurtenances, valves and fittings
 NDT
 Pressure testing
 Repairs
 Records
Examination requirements for new schemes
Steam Generator Courses
 A two hour examination (1 hour multiple choice theory
and 1 hour practical) at the end of the Foundation week
 A four hour examination at the end of week 3 (two
hours multiple choice general knowledge, two hours
regulations and codes open book)
When will the new courses be introduced?
New course requirements come into effect from January
2011
 Industry experts have worked with SAIW to develop
new course material
 SAIW lecturers are being trained by industry experts
Will the changes impact on
existing certified persons?
What will happen to existing certified persons?
 All existing certifications will be retained
 Renewals will be treated as they are currently
SUMMARY
 Many AIAs have included in-service inspection in their
scope of activities informally in the past. Now they are
required to demonstrate their capabilities for these
activities by assessment.
 PER enhances the status of AIAs significantly and there is
an expectation of professionalism by the regulatory
authorities.
 The changes made by SAQCC CP are intended to
improve the professionalism of inspectors involved in
periodic inspections, enhance their standing and support
AIA-IS companies in meeting their responsibilities