58. [ (1) Definition] [Substituted by No. 1 dated 24.3.1979.]. - In this rule:
(a)"Design pressure" means the maximum pressure that a pressure vessel or plaint is designed to withstand safely when operating normally:(b)"Maximum permissible working pressure" is the maximum pressure at which a pressure vessel or plant is permitted to be operated or used under this rule and is determined by the technical requirement of the process:(c)"Plant" means a system of piping that is connected to a pressure vessel and is used to contain a gas, vapour or liquid under pressure greater than the atmospheric pressure, and includes the pressure vessel:(d)"Pressure Vessel" means [fired and] [Inserted by No.3, dated 27.7..1987.] an unfired vessel that may be used for containing, storing, distributing, transferring, distilling, processing or otherwise handling any gas, vapour or liquid under pressure greater than the atmospheric pressure and includes any pipeline fitting or other equipment attached thereto or used in connection therewith: and(e)"Competent person" means a person who is, in the opinion of the Chief Inspector, capable by virtue of his qualifications, training and experience, of conducting a thorough examination and pressure tests, as required, on a pressure vessel or plant, and of making a full report on its condition.(2)Exceptions. Nothing in this rule shall apply to:(a)[x x x] [Omitted by No. 3, dated 27.7.1987.](b)Vessels made of ferrous materials having an internal operating pressure not exceeding 1 kg/cm:(c)Steam boilers, steam and feed pipes and their fittings coming under the purview of Indian Boilers Act, 1923 (V of 1923):(d)[x x x] [Omitted by No. 3, dated 27.7.1987.](e)Vessels in which internal pressure is due solely to the static head of liquid;(f)Vessels with a nominal water capacity not exceeding 500 litres connected in a water pumping system containing air that is compressed to serve as a custion;(g)Vessels for nuclear energy application; and(h)[x x x] [Omitted by No. 3, dated 27.7.1987.](i)Working cylinders of steam engines or prime movers, feed pumps and steam traps: turbine casings; compressor cylinders; steam separators or dryers; steam strainers; steam de-super heaters: oil separators; air receivers for fire sprinkler installations: air receivers of monotype machine provided the maximum working pressure of the air receiver does not exceed 1.33 kg. /cm2 and the capacity 85 liters; air receivers of electrical circuit breakers: air receivers of electrical relays, air vessels on pumps, pipe coils accessories of instruments and appliances, such as cylinders and piston assemblies used for operating relays and interlocking type of guards; vessels with liquids subjected to static head only; and hydraulically operating cylinders other than any cylinder communicating with an air loaded accumulator.(3)Design and construction. Every pressure vessel or plant used in a factory(a)shall be properly designed on sound engineering practice;(b)shall be of good construction, sound material, adequate strength and free from any patent defects: and(c)shall be properly maintained in a safe condition provided that the pressure vessel or plant in respect of the design and construction of which there is an Indian standard or a standard of the country of manufacture or any other law or regulation in force, shall be designed and constructed in accordance with said standard, law or regulation, as the case may be, and a certificate thereof shall be obtained from the manufacturer or from the competent person which shall be kept and produced on demand by an Inspector.(4)Safety devices. Every pressure vessel shall be fitted with(a)a suitable safety valve or other effective pressure relieving device of adequate capacity to ensure that the maximum permissible working pressure of the pressure vessel shall not be exceeded. It shall be set to operate at pressure not exceeding the maximum permissible working pressure and when more than one protective device is provided, only one of the devices need be set to operate at the maximum permissible working pressure and the additional device shall be set to discharge at a pressure not more than 5 per cent in excess of the maximum permissible working pressure;(b)a suitable pressure guage with a dial range not less than 1.5 times the maximum permissible working pressure, easily visible and designed to show at all times the correct internal pressure and marked with a prominent red mark at the maximum permissible working pressure of the pressure vessel;(c)a suitable nipple and globe valve connected for the exclusive purpose of attaching a test pressure guage for checking the accuracy of the pressure guage referred to in clause (b) of this sub-rule;(d)a suitable stop valve or valves by which the pressure vessel may be isolated from other pressure vessels or plant or source of supply of pressure. Such a stop valve or valves shall be located as close to the pressure vessel as possible and shall be easily accessible; and(e)a suitable drain cock or valve at the lowest part of the pressure vessel for the discharge of the liquid or other substances, that may collect in the pressure vessel:Provided that it shall be sufficient for the purpose of this sub-rule if the safety valve or pressure releasing device: the pressure guage and the stop valve are mounted on a pipe line immediately adjacent to the pressure vessel and where there is a range of two or more similar pressure vessels served by the same pressure lead, only one set of such mounting need be fitted on the pressure lead immediately adjacent to the range of pressure vessels, provided they cannot be isolated.(5)Pressure reducing devices:(a)every pressure vessel which is designed for a working pressure less than the pressure at the source of supply, or less than the pressure which can be obtained in the pipe connecting the pressure vessel with any other source of supply, shall be fitting with a suitable pressure reducing valve or other suitable automatic device to prevent the maximum permissible working pressure of the pressure vessel being exceeded;(b)To further protect the pressure vessel in the event of failure of the reducing valve or device, at least one safety valve having a capacity sufficient to release all the steam, vapour or gas without undue pressure rise as determined by the pressure at the source of supply and the size of the pipe connecting the source of supply shall be fitted on the low pressure side of the reducing valve.(6)Pressure Vessel or plant being taken into use:(a)No new pressure vessel or plant shall be taken into use in a factory after coming into force of this rule unless it has been hydrostatically tested by a competent person at a pressure at least 1.3 time the design pressure, and no pressure vessel or plant which has been previously used or has remained isolated or idle for a period exceeding 2 months or which has undergone alterations or repairs shall be taken into use in a factory unless it has been thoroughly examined by a competent person externally and internally, if practicable and has been hydrostatically tested by the competent person at a pressure which shall be 1.5 times the maximum permissible working pressure, provided, however, that the pressure vessel or plant which is so designed and constructed that it cannot be safely filled with water or liquid or is used in service even some traces of water cannot be tolerated, shall be pneumatically tested at a pressure not less than the design pressure or the maximum permissible working pressure as the case may be:Provided further that the pressure vessel or plant which is linked with glass shall be tested hydrostatically or pneumatically as required at a pressure not less than the design pressure or maximum permissible working pressure as the case may be. Design pressure shall be not less than the maximum permissible working pressure and shall be taken into account the possible fluctuations of pressure during actual operation.(b)No pressure vessel or plant shall be used in a factory unless there has been obtained from the maker of the pressure vessel or plant or from the competent person a certificate specifying the design pressure or maximum permissible working pressure thereof, and stating the nature of tests to which the pressure vessel or plant and its fittings (if any) have been subjected, and every pressure vessel or plant so used in a factory shall be marked so as to enable it to be identified as to be the pressure vessel or plant to which the certificate relates and the certificate shall be kept available for perusal by the Inspector.(c)No pressure vessel or plant shall be permitted to be operated or used at a pressure higher than its design pressure or maximum permissible working pressure as shown in the certificate.(7)In service test and examinations. Every pressure vessel or plant in service shall be thoroughly examined by a competent person(a)externally, once in every period of six months;(b)internally, once in every period of twelve months;If by reason of the construction of a pressure vessel or plant, a thorough internal examination is not possible this examination may be replaced by a hydrostatic test which shall be carried out once in every period of two years:Provided that for a pressure vessel or plant in continuous process which cannot be frequently opened, the period of internal examination may be extended to four years;(c)hydrostatically tested once in every period of four years: and(d)The hydrostatic pressure to be carried out for the purpose of this rule shall be 1.25 times the design pressure or 1.5 times the maximum permissible working pressure whichever is less:Provided that in respect of a pressure vessel or plant with thin walls, such as ceasing cylinder made of copper or any other nonferrous metal, periodic hydrostatic test may be dispensed with subject to the condition that the requirements laid down in sub- rule (8) are fulfilled:Provided further that when it is impracticable to carry out thorough external examination of any pressure vessel or plant every six months as required in clause (a) of this sub-rule, or if owing to its construction and use a pressure vessel or plant cannot be hydrostatically tested as required in clauses (b) and (c) of this sub-rule, a thorough external examination of the pressure vessel or plant shall be carried out at least once in every period of two years, and at least once in every period of four years a thorough systematic non-destructive test like ultrasonic test for metal thickness or other defects of all parts, the failure of which might lead to eventual rupture of the pressure vessel or plant shall be carried out.(8)Thin walled pressure vessel or plant:(a)(i)As far as possible, in respect of every sizing cylinder of which shall be made of copper sheet or any other non-ferrous material, the Manager shall make available to the Inspector and the competent person examining such cylinders, information to show the date on which such cylinder was taken into use for the first time with full particulars as to the thickness of the shell when so taken into use in the factory. Information shall also be made available as to the safe working pressure, recommended by the manufacturers when such cylinder is taken into use for the first time in the factory.(ii)If no information as aforesaid in the foregoing sub-rule is available, any other evidence relevant to show the age of the cylinder shall be submitted by the Manager. The Chief Inspector shall determine the age of the cylinder on such documentary evidence or other oral evidence that may be presented to him by Manager or any other evidence that may be produced by an Inspector, and the age so determined shall be considered as the age of the cylinder for the purposes of this rule.(b)(i)The minimum thickness of the shell of a sizing cylinder shall be actually measured as and when possible.(ii)If during its working life the shell of a sizing cylinder is at any time punctured requiring repairs to the cylinder to close the punctured portion, the thickness of the sheet of the shell near such puncture of opening shall be measured by a competent person and the record maintained in Form 9.(c)(i)No sizing cylinder shall be subjected to a working pressure greater than the safe working pressure recommended by the manufacturers of such cylinder at the time when such cylinder was first taken into use 11;1 a factory.(ii)The safe working pressure of a sizing cylinder which has been in use for more than five years shall be calculated in accordance with the following three methods and the lowest figure obtained by any of the three methods shall be considered as safe working pressure of a sizing cylinder:(1)The safe working pressure of the sizing cylinder shall be the same proportion to the original safe working pressure when first taken into use as the minimum thickness of the shell material as actually measured at any time bears to the original thickness of the shell material when first taken into use; or(2)The safe working pressure of a sizing cylinder shall be calculated on the basis of the minimum thickness actually measured so that the tensile stress in the shell shall not exceed safe working stress for the material of the shell. If shell is made of copper, safe working tensile stress shall be taken to be not more than 350 kgms. per square/cm: or(3)The same working pressure of a sizing cylinder shall be reduced at the rate of 5 per cent of the original working pressure for every year of its use after the first five years.(d)No sizing cylinder shall be continued to be used for more than 20 years after it was first taken into use: provided further that the Chief Inspector of Factories may authorise the use of sizing cylinders after a period of twenty years up to a further period of not more than five years if tests are carried out and further details are made available to his satisfaction to indicate that the cylinder can be used with safety.(e)An Inspector may by an order in writing direct the Manager to produce within time specified in such an order a report of examination of a sizing cylinder in Form 9 by a competent person.(9)Report by competent person:(a)If during any examination any doubt arises as to the ability of the pressure vessel or plant to work safely until the next prescribed examination, the competent person shall enter in the prescribed register his observations, findings and conclusions with other relevant remarks with reasons and may authorise the pressure vessel or plant to be used and kept in operation subject to a lowering of maximum permissible working pressure or to more frequent or special examination or tests, or subject to both of these conditions.(b)A report of the result of every examination or test carried out shall be completed in the prescribed Form No.9 and shall be signed by the person making the examination or test, and shall be kept available for perusal by the Inspector at all hours when the factory or any part thereof is working.(c)Where the report of any examination under this rule specified any condition for securing the safe working of any pressure vessel or plant, the pressure vessel or plant shall not be used unless the specified conditions are fulfilled.(d)The competent person making report of any examination under this rule, shall within seven days of the completion of the examination, send to the Inspector a copy of the report in every case where the maximum permissible working pressure is reduced or the examination shows that the pressure vessel or plant or any part thereof, cannot continue to be used with safety unless certain repairs are carried out or unless any other safety measure is taken.(10)Application of other law:(a)The requirements of this rule shall be in addition to and without any prejudice to and not in derogation of the requirement of any other law in force.(b)Certificates or reports of any examination or test of any pressure vessel or plant to which sub-rule (7) to (9) do not apply conducted or required to be conduced under any other law in force and other relevant record relating to such pressure vessel or plant, shall be properly maintained as required under the said law and shall be produced on demand by the Inspector.
