The rule most workshops miss
Under the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 a pressure system must not be operated unless a Written Scheme of Examination is in place and the system has been examined in accordance with it. The receiver in the corner of the workshop that has run quietly for fifteen years is exactly the item this is aimed at.
A stored-energy failure is not a maintenance issue, it is an event — which is why the regulations put the emphasis on a scheme, drawn up by a competent person, rather than a fixed annual date. We examine the system, and where you have no scheme or an inherited one nobody has read, we draw it up or review it.
Systems we examine
Air receivers
Vertical & horizontal
Reciprocating compressors
Workshop & garage
Screw compressors
Industrial
Pressure vessels
Process & storage
Associated pipework
Within the system
Safety valves
Set pressure & function
Pressure gauges
Condition & range
Drain & isolation valves
Operation
What gets examined
- 01External condition of the shell and ends — corrosion, pitting, denting, distortion and coating failure.
- 02Internal examination where the scheme requires it, including corrosion at the water line and drain.
- 03Welds, seams and nozzle attachments for cracking, undercut and mechanical damage.
- 04Safety valve identification, set pressure and evidence of function or recent overhaul.
- 05Gauges, switches and protective devices for correct range, condition and operation.
- 06Supports, mountings and foundations for security, corrosion and adequate drainage.
- 07Nameplate data, previous reports and the currency of the Written Scheme itself.
Is your system in scope?
| System | Position |
|---|---|
| Compressor with receiver over 250 bar litres | Written scheme required |
| Stored energy under 250 bar litres | Outside PSSR; PUWER still applies |
| Second-hand or relocated vessel | Examine before use |
Bar litres = gauge pressure in bar × volume in litres. If you are not sure, send a photo of the vessel plate and we will tell you where you stand.
What you receive
Report of examination
The statutory report under PSSR, recording condition, any repair or modification needed, and the date of the next examination.
Written Scheme of Examination
Drawn up for a new system, or reviewed and re-issued where yours is inherited, undated or missing.
Defect and repair schedule
Where a defect is found, what has to be done before the system may be operated again, in plain terms.
Renewal reminders
A due-date schedule so a 26-month interval does not quietly become a 40-month one.
Pressure system questions
Do air receivers need inspecting by law?
Yes. Under PSSR 2000 a pressure system must have a Written Scheme of Examination and must have been examined in accordance with it before it is operated. There is no exemption for age, size of business or how quietly it has run so far.
How often is an air receiver inspected?
The Written Scheme sets the interval. For a typical workshop receiver in sound condition it commonly falls between 24 and 26 months; a system in poor condition, a harsh environment or a critical duty will be examined more often.
What is a Written Scheme of Examination?
A document drawn up or certified by a competent person setting out which parts of the system are examined, the nature of each examination, the intervals between them, and what has to be done to prepare the system for safe examination.
Does a small compressor need a Written Scheme?
If the stored energy exceeds 250 bar litres and the system holds relevant fluid above 0.5 bar gauge, yes. Most workshop compressors with a receiver of any real size are inside scope — and if yours is not, PUWER still applies to it.
Where we work
Air receiver inspections across Nottingham and the East Midlands — Derby, Leicester, Mansfield, Lincoln, Chesterfield, Loughborough, Newark and Worksop. See all areas covered.