Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 

What is PSSR? 

These Regulations often abbreviated to (PSSR) place duties on persons and companies who own, operate or have control over  items of plant or equipment which form a pressure system, operate under pressure and contain a ‘relevant fluid’. This includes all businesses and organisation's whose employees use pressure equipment, whether owned by them or not. 

What is a Written Scheme of Examination? 

This is a systematic and detailed written scheme of examination at least every 12 Months of pressure equipment and safety-critical parts, and the plant or equipment which form a pressure system, operate under pressure and contain a ‘relevant fluid’. The term relevant fluid is defined in the Regulations and covers compressed or liquefied gas, including air, at a pressure greater than 0.5 bar (approximately 7 psi) above atmospheric pressure; pressurised hot water above 110 °C; and steam at any pressure. 

Where serious defects are identified, the competent person carrying out the examination must immediately report this verbally to the duty holder. This should then be followed by the written report, a copy of which must also be sent to the relevant enforcing authority. 

The following Pressurised Systems Require a Written Scheme of Examination

• Compressed air receiver and the associated pipework, where the product of the pressure in bars multiplied by the internal capacity in litres of the receiver is equal to or greater than 250 bar litres; 

• Steam sterilising autoclave and associated pipework and protective devices; 

• Steam boiler 

• Traction engines 

• Autoclaves 

• Bulk powder tankers