Pressure equipment operating during the COVID-19 crisis may or may not have statutory inspections deferred by Government authorities.
AS/NZS 3788 provides for extension of inspection intervals if justified and supported by a risk assessment against criteria provided by the standard. In Australia and New Zealand, Bureau Veritas can assist with a code compliant risk assessment. In New Zealand, Bureau Veritas, as the inspection body, may decide whether there will be any extension of inspection interval.
An alternative to the statutory inspection intervals in AS/NZS 3788, is the use of Risk Based Inspection (RBI) methodology. RBI may be used subject to a range of considerations including an understanding of the risks associated with the service conditions. Bureau Veritas can assist with RBI via a desktop service from our multidisciplinary team working in collaboration with the owner’s Operations representative.
In some instances non-intrusive inspections (NII) may be used for in-service inspections or to minimise out-of-service time for internal inspections which cannot be deferred. NII equipment can be shipped to BV-AIRS NDT teams in each mainland state in Australia and New Zealand. Furthermore, inspection by Bureau Veritas experts may be conducted remotely offsite, across state borders, by use of digital inspection aids.
Contact us today to find out more on how we can assist with alternative solutions to inspection of your pressure equipment.