Legal requirements impose on owners and users of pressure systems such as compressor reservoirs, steam systems, gas bottles, twin-cylinder oxy-acetylene sets, and autoclaves that they require a written scheme of examination for safe operation.
Pressure Systems Safety Regulations (PSSR) stipulate that this requirement be fulfilled to ensure your equipment remains safe.
What is a WSOE (WSE)?
A WSOE (written scheme of examination) is required by statutory regulations (PSSR 2000) as a written scheme of examination document that details those parts of a system that need to be examined, how the inspection will take place, including any non-destructive testing (NDT) required, as well as when NDT will take place.
According to PSSR, WSOEs must be created or reviewed by a competent person. According to ACOP L122 of PSSR, an appropriate competent person possesses technical expertise and experience, as well as knowledge of relevant codes, standards, legislation, and examination processes, plus the capability of performing examinations.
Retention or referral rates: PEOs must pay special attention when increasing their WSOE-to-internal employee ratio. Stretching too thin could result in poor customer experiences or decreased profits for their organisation, as well as ensuring consistency across branches.
As an example, a workforce success engine should align with the company’s vision and mission, along with corporate culture and values, in order to form a more cohesive and effective team. Furthermore, WSOEs should ensure all employees have access to the training resources they require in order to excel. This will increase confidence and motivation, leading to increases in productivity and morale for employees as a result. Lastly, collaborations with other departments or agencies are encouraged in order to meet business goals more quickly while keeping customer promises.
What is included in a WSOE?
A WSOE (Warranty Statement and Evaluation) is a legally mandated document that details all examinable components of your compressed air system, from safety devices and pressure vessels through inspection periods and sometimes including schematic diagrams of its air network. Users and owners (for installed systems) are responsible for defining its scope; advice may be sought from independent consultants and/or qualified experts as needed.
WSOEs must be created by a competent person—someone with the attributes and abilities specified by Approved Code of Practice L122 available from the Health & Safety Executive. Typically, these abilities include:
As part of creating a WSOE, it is necessary to determine whether your compressed air system falls into either category: installed or mobile systems. A mobile system would include skid-mounted boilers for hire and locomotives that move from site to site, while stationary installations such as an industrial compressor with associated piping are considered installed systems.
Your installation must comply with PSSR 2000 in terms of the aspects and media it contains, such as compressed or liquefied gas at pressures above atmospheric, pressurised hot water above 110 °C, or steam at any pressure.
Once you have identified the type of system and which components require examination and selected an examination frequency and method, As a guideline, this flow chart illustrates how to set minimum examination intervals depending on system type and complexity as well as relevant fluid properties.
What is the role of the competent person?
A competent person is defined as anyone capable of recognising existing and predictable hazards in their workplace and taking prompt corrective actions to eliminate them. They should have extensive experience performing specific job site work while possessing knowledge of relevant safety protocols. Furthermore, competent persons must possess training that allows them to fulfil their responsibilities according to OSHA standard regulations.
The competency of those responsible for running jobsite activities is an essential element when reviewing written schemes of examination. While employers may assume that sending an employee to a class automatically deems them competent, this may not always be true; any courses attended must cover work specifically related to that jobsite rather than general industry safety practices and be applicable directly towards his or her role at that jobsite.
When creating a WSOE, a competent person must ascertain which pieces of equipment and machinery fall within it, including pressure vessels, protective devices, and pipework. Furthermore, this person will determine how frequently these items should be inspected based on their nature, use, and any wear and tear that might occur over time.
Competent persons on the construction jobsite must understand all aspects of the work being performed on it; this includes scaffold erection, excavation activities, silica sand confined space work and any other task that might pose safety concerns.
What is the responsibility of the competent person?
Competent people are essential to any work environment’s safety protocols. Although no formal training or certifications are needed to play this role, these individuals must recognise potential hazards in the workplace and take appropriate actions to protect themselves and those working around them.
Competent personnel should conduct daily site inspections to check on protective equipment, excavations, signs of potential safety failure and other potentially risky environments or conditions. Furthermore, they should also assess any changes to safety guidelines or designated zones that might impact them.
Pressure systems must be examined according to a written examination scheme, identifying all relevant vessels or systems, their parts, any special measures needed for preparation for examination and the frequency of examinations; in the case of fire-heated systems, this includes a cold examination after being stripped down.
If a competent person discovers any component of a pressure system is no longer safe to use, they must report this in writing immediately. They may advise its removal from service altogether or just state that further examinations may be necessary.
Competent people ought to be free of financial influence and impartial toward pressure system owners or users. Ideally, they would possess extensive experience in their field as well as be charismatic leaders capable of motivating others. Furthermore, it is crucial that they can accurately assess risk while thinking creatively when finding solutions for safety issues.
