The Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) is a product directive, whose intention is to impose the same regulations for pressure equipment across all member states of EEA, thereby bringing down any barriers to trade.

PED has a series of requirements that manufacturers of pressure equipment must meet when they design and manufacture such equipment before it can be legally placed on the market or put into service

•  There is a form of risk assessment of the equipment, based upon:
•  The pressure
•  The volume (vessels) or diameter (piping and valves)
•  The type and state of the contained fluid
•  The type of equipment (vessel, steam generator, piping, safety accessory, pressure accessory)

Application of Pressure Equipment Directive

PED applies to all equipment that has been designed to contain a fluid at a pressure in excess of 0.5 bar above atmospheric. The state of the fluid is immaterial.

Categories of Pressure Equipment

From this risk assessment, pressure equipment is categorised. There are 5 categories:

Sound engineering practice (SEP)

•  Category I
•  Category II
•  Category III
•  Category IV

With the risk and therefore methods of conformity assessment increasing as the risk increases.

For all equipment in Category II and above, the services of a Notified Body are required.

Notified Bodies for PED

Notified Bodies are organisations appointed by member states to undertake specified functions in relation to specific directives.

All manufacturers of pressure equipment therefore require the services of a Notified Body.

What Equipment is Covered by PED

The scope of the PED is extremely wide, covering all equipment that is designed to contain pressure.

It is not restricted to vessels, piping and valves are also covered.

Some examples of the types of equipment that fall within the scope of PED:

•  Boilers
•  Pressure vessels
•  Piping systems
•  Pumping and filtration systems
•  Process plant and equipment

Why HPi Verification?

•  HPi Verification are totally independent of all other functions, including insurance and maintenance.
•  HPi are small enough to care, but big enough to provide the service. The service provided can be personalised to suit the requirements of the client (within the framework of the Regulations)
•  HPi Verification have experienced staff in the design and manufacture of all types of pressure equipment.

A dedicated senior member of staff will be appointed as ‘project manager’ who will be the focal point between HPi Verification and the customer, thus giving the ‘personal touch’ to the customer. He will have first hand knowledge of the type of plant and equipment built by the manufacturer.