Pressure vessel inspections are no joke, especially if you’re in the business of transporting or storing anything under pressure. If you fail to regularly inspect your pressure vessels, your business risks having a faulty product suddenly explode which can cause severe injuries or even fatalities.  Pressure vessel inspections are an essential part of the industry and help keep businesses like yours safe. Here’s why.

Truck explodes

This trailer mounted pressure vessel exploded killing 2 men

Why do pressure vessels need to be inspected?

Pressure vessels operate under mechanical stress, and so even if constructed to meet the required standards, they do deteriorate and/or corrode over time. Depending on their application compromised pressure vessels can be potentially dangerous, even life-threatening, should they fail.

History provides numerous accounts of people being injured or even killed when a pressure vessel fails.

Consequently, businesses operating pressure vessels need to protect their staff, as well as being legally obliged to register and then facilitate regular inspections of any pressure vessels used in their facilities.

As further motivation, businesses including participating individuals are liable for substantial fines, and in some cases imprisonment if they fail to comply with the WorkSafe SA requirements.

Pressure Inspection Failures 

Fatal Tanker Explosion

Two oilfield services companies operating in Broome were fined a combined $140,000 over the deaths of two workers in 2008.  Both businesses were charged with failing to provide and maintain a safe work environment that allegedly caused the deaths of two workers.  Sadly, the two staff were killed when the tanker they were standing next to ruptured and exploded during attempts to unload barite powder from a compromised pressure vessel on the vehicle they were working next to.

Who inspects pressure vessels?

Australian Welding Solutions provides pressure vessel inspections in its in-service inspections services. AWS provides a complete range of statutory audits, commissioning and in-service inspection of your pressure equipment. Some of the plant items we can audit and inspect include:

  • Boilers
  • Steam Pressure vessels
  • Autoclaves
  • Sterilisers
  • Refrigeration vessels
  • Compressed air containing vessels
  • Road tank vehicles
  • Water heaters
  • Storage tanks
  • Pressure piping
  • Pressure relief devices
  • Fired heaters or convection banks
  • Water-side assets such as Wharves, Jetties, Foot Bridges and Road Bridges