Module G (EC unit verification)
1. This module describes the procedure whereby the
manufacturer ensures and declares that pressure equipment which has been issued with the
certificate referred to in section 4.1 satisfies the requirements of the Directive which
apply to it. The manufacturer must affix the CE marking to the pressure equipment and draw
up a declaration of conformity.
2. The manufacturer must apply to a notified body of his
choice for unit verification.
The application must contain:
- the name and address of the manufacturer and the location of the pressure
equipment,
- a written declaration to the effect that a similar application has not been
lodged with another notified body,
- technical documentation.
3. The technical documentation must enable the
conformity of the pressure equipment with the requirements of the Directive which apply to
it to be assessed and the design, manufacture and operation of the pressure equipment to
be understood.
The technical documentation must contain:
- a general description of the pressure equipment,
- conceptual design and manufacturing drawings and diagrams of components,
sub-assem blies, circuits, etc.,
- descriptions and explanations necessary for an understanding of the said
drawings and diagrams and the operation of the pressure equipment,
- a list of the standards referred to in Article 5, applied in full or in
part, and descriptions of the solutions adopted to meet the essential requirements of the
Directive where the standards referred to in Article 5 have not been
applied,
- results of design calculations made, examinations carried out,
etc.,
- test reports,
- appropriate details relating to the approval of the manufacturing and test
procedures and of the qualifications or approvals of the personnel concerned in accordance
with sections 3.1.2 and 3.1.3 of Annex I.
4. The notified body must examine the design and
construction of each item of pressure equipment and during manufacture perform appropriate
tests as set out in the relevant standard(s) referred to in Article 5 of the Directive, or
equivalent examinations and tests, to ensure its conformity with the requirements of the
Directive which apply to it.
In particular the notified body must:
- examine the technical documentation with respect to the design and the
manufacturing procedures,
- assess the materials used where these are not in conformity with the
relevant harmonised standards or with a European approval for pressure equipment
materials, and check the certificate issued by the material manufacturer in accordance
with section 4.3 of Annex I,
- approve the procedures for the permanent joining of parts or check that they
have been previously approved in accordance with section 3.1.2 of Annex
I,
- verify the qualifications or approvals required under sections 3.1.2 and
3.1.3 of Annex I,
- carry out the final inspection referred to in section 3.2.1 of Annex I,
perform or have performed the proof test referred to in section 3.2.2 of Annex I, and
examine the safety devices, if applicable.
4.1. The notified body must affix its identification number or
have it affixed to the pressure equipment and draw up a certificate of conformity for the
tests carried out. This certificate must be kept for a period of ten years.
4.2. The manufacturer, or his authorised representative
established within the Community, must ensure that the declaration of conformity and
certificate of conformity issued by the notified body can be made available on request.
Module H (full quality assurance)
1. This module describes the procedure whereby the
manufacturer who satisfies the obligations of section 2 ensures and declares that the
pressure equipment in question satisfies the requirements of the Directive which apply to
it. The manufacturer, or his authorised representative established within the Community,
must affix the CE marking to each item of pressure equipment and draw up a written
declaration of conformity. The CE marking must be accompanied by the identification number
of the notified body responsible for surveillance as specified in section 4.
2. The manufacturer must implement an approved quality
system for design, manufacture, final inspection and testing as specified in section 3 and
be subject to surveillance as specified in section 4.
3. Quality system
3.1. The manufacturer must lodge an application for assessment of
his quality system with a notified body of his choice.
The application must include:
- all relevant information concerning the pressure equipment in
question,
- the documentation concerning the quality system.
3.2. The quality system must ensure compliance of the pressure
equipment with the requirements of the Directive which apply to it.
All the elements, requirements and provisions adopted by the manufacturer must be
documented in a systematic and orderly manner in the form of written policies, procedures
and instructions. This quality system documentation must permit a consistent
interpretation of the procedural and quality measures such as programmes, plans, manuals
and records.
It must contain in particular an adequate description of:
- the quality objectives and the organisational structure, responsibilities
and powers of the management with regard to the quality of the design and to product
quality,
- the technical design specifications, including standards that will be
applied and, where the standards referred to in Article 5 are not applied in full, the
means that will be used to ensure that the essential requirements of the Directive which
apply to the pressure equipment will be met,
- the design control and design verification techniques, processes and
systematic measures that will be used when designing the pressure equipment, particularly
with regard to materials in accordance with section 4 of Annex I,
- the corresponding manufacturing, quality control and quality assurance
techniques, processes and systematic measures that will be used, particularly the
procedures for the permanent joining of parts as approved in accordance with section 3.1.2
of Annex I,
- the examinations and tests to be carried out before, during, and after
manufacture, and the frequency with which they will be carried
out,
- the quality records, such as inspection reports and test data, calibration
data, reports concerning the qualifications or approvals of the personnel concerned,
particularly those of the personnel undertaking the permanent joining of parts and the
non-destructive tests in accordance with sections 3.1.2 and 3.1.3 of Annex
I,
- the means of monitoring the achievement of the required pressure equipment
design and quality and the effective operation of the quality system.
3.3. The notified body must assess the quality system to
determine whether it satisfies the requirements referred to in 3.2. The elements of the
quality system which conform to the relevant harmonised standard are presumed to comply
with the corresponding requirements referred to in 3.2.
The auditing team must have at least one member with experience of assessing the
pressure equipment technology concerned. The assessment procedure must include an
inspection visit to the manufacturer's premises.
The decision must be notified to the manufacturer. The notification must contain the
conclusions of the examination and the reasoned assessment decision. Provision must be
made for an appeals procedure.
3.4. The manufacturer must undertake to fulfil the obligations
arising out of the quality system as approved and to ensure that it remains satisfactory
and efficient.
The manufacturer, or his authorised representative established within the Community,
must inform the notified body that has approved the quality system of any intended
adjustment to the quality system.
The notified body must assess the proposed changes and decide whether the modified
quality system will still satisfy the requirements referred to in 3.2 or whether a
reassessment is required.
It must notify its decision to the manufacturer. The notification must contain the
conclusions of the examination and the reasoned assessment decision.
4. Surveillance under the responsibility of the
notified body
4.1. The purpose of this surveillance is to make sure that the
manufacturer duly fulfils the obligations arising out of the approved quality system.
4.2. The manufacturer must allow the notified body access for
inspection purposes to the locations of design, manufacture, inspection, testing and
storage and provide it with all necessary information, in particular:
- the quality system documentation,
- the quality records provided for in the design part of the quality system,
such as results of analyses, calculations, tests, etc.,
- the quality records provided for in the manufacturing part of the quality
system, such as inspection reports and test data, calibration data, report concerning the
qualifications of the personnel concerned, etc.
4.3. The notified body must carry out periodic audits to make
sure that the manufacturer maintains and applies the quality system and provide the
manufacturer with an audit report. The frequency of periodic audits must be such that a
full reassessment is carried out every three years.
4.4. In addition the notified body may pay unexpected visits to
the manufacturer. The need for such additional visits, and the frequency thereof, will be
determined on the basis of a visit control system operated by the notified body. In
particular, the following factors must be considered in the visit control system:
- the category of the equipment,
- the results of previous surveillance visits,
- the need to follow up corrective action,
- special conditions linked to the approval of the system, where
applicable,
- significant changes in manufacturing organisation, policy or techniques.
During such visits the notified body may, if necessary, carry out or have carried out
tests to veriy that the quality system is functioning correctly. The notified body must
provide the manufacturer with a visit report and, if a test has taken place, with a test
report.
5. The manufacturer must, for a period of ten years
after the last of the pressure equipment has been manufactured, keep at the disposal of
the national authorities:
- the documentation referred to in the second indent of the second
subparagraph of 3.1;
- the adjustments referred to in the second subparagraph of
3.4;
- the decisions and reports from the notified body which are referred to in
the last subparagraph of 3.3, the last subparagraph of 3.4, and in 4.3 and 4.4.
6. Each notified body must communicate to the Member
States the relevant information concerning the quality system approvals which it has
withdrawn, and, on request, those it has issued.
Each notified body must also communicate to the other notified bodies the relevant
information concerning the quality system approvals it has withdrawn or refused.
Module H1 (full quality assurance with design examination and special surveillance
of the final assessment)
1. In addition to the requirements of module H, the
following apply:
(a) the manufacturer must lodge an application for examination of the design with the
notified body;
(b) the application must enable the design, manufacture and operation of the pressure
equipment to be understood, and enable conformity with the relevant requirements of the
Directive to be assessed.
It must include:
- the technical design specifications, including standards, which have been
applied,
- the necessary supporting evidence for their adequacy, in particular where
the standards referred to in Article 5 have not been applied in full. This supporting
evidence must include the results of tests carried out by the appropriate laboratory of
the manufacturer or on his behalf;
(c) the notified body must examine the application and where the design meets the
provisions of the Directive which apply to it issue an EC design-examination certificate
to the applicant. The certificate must contain the conclusions of the examination, the
conditions for its validity, the necessary data for identification of the approved design
and, if relevant, a description of the functioning of the pressure equipment or
accessories;
(d) the applicant must inform the notified body that has issued the EC design-examination
certificate of all modifications to the approved design. Modifications to the approved
design must receive additional approval from the notified body that issued the EC
design-examination certificate where they may affect conformity with the essential
requirements of the Directive or the prescribed conditions for use of the pressure
equipment. This additional approval must be given in the form of an addition to the
original EC design-examination certificate;
(e) each notified body must also communicate to the other notified bodies the relevant
information concerning the EC design-examination certificates it has withdrawn or refused.
2. Final assessment as referred to in
section 3.2 of Annex I is subject to increased surveillance in the form of unexpected
visits by the notified body. In the course of such visits, the notified body must conduct
examinations on the pressure equipment.
SCHEDULE 5 Regulations 2(2), 7(3)(c), 8(3)(a)(iii)
(Annex VI to the Pressure Equipment Directive)
CE MARKING
1. The CE marking shall consist of the initials
"CE" taking the following form:

2. If the CE marking is reduced or
enlarged the proportions given in the above graduated drawing must be respected.
3. The various components of the CE marking must have
substantially the same vertical dimension, which may not be less than five millimetres.
SCHEDULE 6 Regulations 7(3)(d), 8(3)(a)(iv)
(Annex VII to the Pressure Equipment Directive)
EC DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
The EC declaration of conformity must contain the following particulars:
- name and address of the manufacturer or of his authorised representative
established within the Community,
- description of the pressure equipment or assembly,
- conformity assessment procedure followed,
- in the case of assemblies, description of the pressure equipment
constituting the assembly, and the conformity assessment procedures
followed,
- where appropriate, name and address of the notified body which carried out
the inspection,
- where appropriate, a reference to the EC type-examination certificate, EC
design-exam ination certificate or EC certificate of conformity,
- where appropriate, name and address of the notified body monitoring the
manufacturer's quality assurance system,
- where appropriate, the references of the harmonised standards
applied,
- where appropriate, other technical standards and specifications
used,
- where appropriate, the references of the other Community Directives
applied,
- particulars of the signatory authorised to sign the legally binding
declaration for the manufacturer or his authorised representative established within the
Community.
SCHEDULE 7 Regulation 17
EUROPEAN APPROVAL FOR MATERIALS
1. The notified body shall determine and perform, or
arrange for the performance of, the appropriate inspections and tests to certify the
conformity of the types of material with the corresponding requirements of these
Regulations, and in the case of materials recognised as being safe to use before 29th
November 1999, the notified body shall take account of the existing data when certifying
such conformity.
2. The notified body shall not issue a European approval
for materials until it has:
(a) informed the Member States and the Commission by sending them the appropriate
information;
(b) allowed a period of three months to elapse in order that a member State or the
Commission may refer the matter to the Standing Committee set up by Article 5 of Directive
98/34/EC;
(c) taken into account, where appropriate, the opinion of the Committee and the comments
submitted.
3. A copy of the European approval for pressure
equipment materials shall be sent to the member States, the notified bodies and the
Commission.
4. The materials used for the manufacture of pressure
equipment conforming with European approvals for materials, the references of which have
been published in the Official Journal of the European Communities, shall be presumed to
conform to the applicable essential requirements of Schedule 2.
5. The notified body which issued the European approval
for pressure equipment materials shall withdraw that approval if it finds that it should
not have been issued if the type of materials is covered by a harmonised standard and
shall immediately inform the other member States, the notified bodies and the Commission
of any withdrawal of an approval.
|