Pressure systems inspection is the periodic thorough examination of equipment containing stored pressure — air receivers, steam boilers, heat exchangers, process vessels and refrigeration plant — required by law across Ireland and the UK. In Great Britain and Northern Ireland this duty falls under the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations (PSSR); in Ireland under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations. Metlab, with the WH Scott Group’s inspection engineers, delivers these statutory examinations through experienced, independent competent persons.
Statutory examination records for pressure equipment
Overview
Almost every industrial facility runs pressure equipment, and stored energy makes it unforgiving: pressure system failures have caused fatal accidents. The law therefore requires periodic examination by a competent person against a written scheme of examination — a legal duty on the owner or user in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain alike.
We carry out a high volume of pressure systems examinations across the UK — Northern Ireland especially — as well as Ireland, preparing written schemes and reports and combining statutory inspection with the NDT, corrosion mapping and materials expertise to assess what an examination finds. When a vessel shows wall loss or cracking, the same organisation quantifies it and supports the repair.
Statutory examination
Written schemes of examination
Drawn up and certified under PSSR before a system operates
Air receivers & compressed air systems
Periodic thorough examination
Steam boilers & fired vessels
Statutory and SAFed inspection regimes
Unfired pressure vessels
Process vessels, heat exchangers and storage
Refrigeration systems
Statutory examination of refrigeration plant
Integrity support
UT thickness surveys & corrosion mapping
Quantifying wall loss found at examination
Weld repair oversight
RTPO-approved procedures and welder certification for pressure repairs
PED conformity support
Approval of permanent joining under 2014/68/EU as a Recognised Third-Party Organisation
Fitness-for-service input
Materials and metallurgy expertise informing run/repair/replace decisions
Standards & schemes
Work is examined against the designations your specification cites.
| Standard | What it covers |
|---|---|
| PSSR 2000 (Great Britain) | Pressure Systems Safety Regulations — written scheme of examination and examination by a competent person |
| PSSR (Northern Ireland) 2004 | The Northern Ireland pressure systems duty — equivalent to PSSR 2000 |
| General Application Regulations — Pressure Systems (Ireland) | Statutory duty to have pressure systems periodically examined by a competent person in Ireland |
| PED 2014/68/EU | Conformity of pressure equipment placed on the market; RTPO approval of permanent joining |
| SAFed guidelines | Examination practice for boilers and pressure plant |
Why it matters
01
It is a legal requirement
In most cases, periodic examination of pressure systems is a statutory obligation on the user or owner. Missing intervals exposes the business to enforcement as well as risk.
02
Fired plant needs shorter intervals
Fired and self-generating vessels are conventionally examined more frequently than unfired plant — Metlab schedules and tracks intervals so equipment never drifts out of date.
03
Examination plus diagnosis
An inspection company without NDT depth can only tell you something looks wrong. Metlab measures it, sizes it and supports the repair decision — one accountable provider.
Common questions
Asked before every engagement.
Something more specific? A specialist will answer it directly.
Ask usHow often must pressure systems be inspected?
Intervals are set by the written scheme of examination for the system, based on its class and duty. As a rule of thumb, fired or self-generating vessels such as steam boilers are examined more frequently (conventionally around every 14 months) than unfired vessels such as air receivers (conventionally around every 26 months). Under PSSR in Great Britain and Northern Ireland a written scheme must be in place before the system operates; new installations and vessels returning from repair also require examination before service.
Do you carry out PSSR inspections in Northern Ireland and Great Britain?
Yes — pressure systems examination across the UK is core to what we do, with a high volume of work in Northern Ireland. In Great Britain the duty sits under the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 (PSSR) and in Northern Ireland under the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004; both require a written scheme of examination and examination by a competent person. Our engineer surveyors prepare the written schemes and carry out the examinations, backed by the group’s NDT and materials capability.
Who can carry out a statutory pressure vessel examination?
A competent person — in practice an experienced, independent inspection organisation. Metlab performs these examinations nationwide with experienced, independent engineer surveyors, giving owners defensible evidence of compliance.
What types of vessels do you examine?
Storage vessels for gases and liquids under pressure, heat exchangers, process vessels, air receivers, steam boilers and refrigeration systems — on customer sites nationwide.
What happens if an examination finds a defect?
We quantify it — thickness surveys, crack sizing, corrosion mapping — and advise on repair. Where welded repair is needed on pressure equipment, our RTPO status covers approval of the joining procedures and personnel, keeping the repair compliant.
Testing · Inspection · Certification
Need pressure vessel inspection?
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