Expert examination of industrial safety of technical devices

Technical device is a type of equipment used on the hazardous production facilities. By Federal Law No. 116-FZ of 21.07.1997 the legislator classifies apparatus, machinery, aggregates, machinery, production lines and devices, gas and gas-using equipment (gas-pressure regulatory stations and units) as this category.

Commissioning and operation of the equipment is allowed after obtaining permission from the Rostechnadzor authorities, based on the positive results of the industrial safety expert examination of technical devices.

During the supervision of industrial safety, specially authorized experts check the compliance of the object with the legal requirements imposed on it (rules, conditions, prohibitions, restrictions).

WHY IS AN EXPERT EXAMINATION NECESSARY?

Industrial safety expert examination of equipment is developed to achieve important goals such as:

Independent objective and complete assessment of equipment compliance with the requirements of the governing regulatory documents
Monitoring of the equipment’s technical condition as a whole, determination of the probability occurrence of dangerous emergencies
Ensuring industrial safety i.e. the protection of people against accidents and their consequences

WHEN IS AN INDUSTRUAL SAFETY EXPERT EXAMINATION OF TECHNICAL DEVICES NECESSARY?

Expert assessment of industrial safety is carried out in cases specified by law.

The technical regulation prescribes checking the devices in the following situations:

Before commissioning the devices at a hazardous production facility. The examination is carried out if the equipment is not included in the list of machines that fall under certification or declaration.
When the technical device operation period indicated by the manufacturer in the accompanying documentation (passport or project documents) has ended. Professional supervision of industrial safety avoids the risk of failure after the extension of the residual life of the equipment.
If there is no information regarding the service life of the technical device in the equipment’s technical documentation, the actual period of use of the aggregate should be more than 20 years.
After the completion of the activities related to the transformation of the structure, welding works, replacement of the bearing elements material used in the conditions of the hazardous production facility of the technical device.
When emergencies or other undesirable incidents occur at a hazardous production facility after the repair of damaged devices, an independent examination of industrial safety is required.
If company’s ownership changes.
After the conversion or complete replacement of the operating technology of the device. A safety expert examination is necessary when using the units in a different temperature, medium, and pressure environment. Equipment’s technical condition assessment is necessary after increased external power loads and violation of the operating regulated by the manufacturer.
Following the deconstruction of aggregates and mechanisms.
If technical devices show visible defects likely to cause accidents at a hazardous production facility.
Based on the received order from the Rostekhnadzor authorities, following the inspection results of the supervisory State structures.

PROCESS AND CONCLUSION OF EXPERTISE

The procedure for the examination of technical devices involves the following stages:

Preparation for the industrial safety assessment of the equipment
The customer enters into a contract with the expert centre. Responsible specialists meet before starting work and approve a program for industrial safety expert examination.
The head of the audited organization gives full access to the studied technical devices and provides experts with necessary information.
Analysis of documents
The head of the customer company sends experts the necessary set of documents containing detailed information about the object of research. Authorized specialists can request information on previously conducted examinations, technical, operational and design documents.For the objective evaluation of aggregates, passports for technical devices, a registration certificate and a registration card of the hazardous production facility are required. Experts review shift logs, personnel certification protocols, regulations and operating instructions.They also analyse accidents and incidents that have previously occurred at a hazardous production facility (HPF). Conservation, liquidation and technical re-equipment of hazardous production facility is examined.
Technical diagnosis of the object
Specialists examine actual condition of the mechanisms and apply destructive and non-destructive testing techniques to determine the presence of defects and malfunctions. After the technical diagnosis a report of performed works, which is attached to the conclusion of the industrial safety expert expertise, is issued.During the examination, experts can perform: visual inspection, measurements, functional research in real operating conditions, assessment of the quality of joints, supervision of materials, metal and welding, calculation and analytical procedures, forecasting of the technical condition and residual life. All described activities are recorded in the technical report.
Conclusion of expertise
After a complete and comprehensive analysis of the mechanisms and aggregates, the expert forms a final opinion on the industrial safety of the object. The document contains the conclusions of the equipment’s compliance with the safety standards, terms and conditions for further safe operation.In expertise conclusion necessary changes to the documentation about the object of research are indicated and the identified shortcomings are eliminated.
Entering the conclusion in the register
The conclusion signed and sealed by the expert centre is a subject to mandatory state registration by Rostechnadzor.

LIST OF DEVICES TO BE EXAMINED

Devices that are a subject to industrial safety expert examination are:

used at hazardous production facility and contain danger signs according to the current law
do not have an established form of safety and technical condition assessment
put into operation until 2014, if they are not a subject to technical regulations