Expert inspection and technical examination of hazardous devices

Mandatory expert inspection and technical examination of hazardous technical devices is governed by the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan «On Civil Protection» No. 188-V dated 11 April 2014 and covers industrial safety in the operation of the following equipment: lifting mechanisms of all types (cranes, loader cranes, excavator cranes, lifting mechanisms of every kind, electric trolleys and hoists, winches for lifting loads and/or people, electric and hydraulic lifts with a lifting capacity of 40 kilograms or more, interchangeable and removable load-handling devices (hooks, grabs, lifting electromagnets, slings, grippers, spreader beams), ropeways, fire escapes, funiculars and others; as well as pressure vessels, steam and hot-water boilers, pipelines (trunk lines, gas pipelines, steam and hot-water lines), tanks, metal structures of mechanisms, pumping units and their devices, drilling rigs and much more.

Technical diagnostics is the analysis of, and conclusion on, the technical condition of devices. The process establishes how serviceable the equipment is. Comparing the data obtained with the parameters set out in the technical documents yields accurate results.

Technical examination is a set of administrative and technical measures aimed at establishing the actual condition of equipment. It is carried out to confirm that the equipment is operable and meets industrial safety requirements while in service.

Industrial safety expert examination is carried out for the following purposes:

1. To monitor the technical condition of the devices.
2. To locate a defect or failure and determine the cause of the malfunction.
3. To forecast the technical condition of the devices in future operation.

Diagnostics and the preparation of documents for further operation are carried out for equipment of various types, in particular:

• cranes, lifts and other lifting structures;
• boiler supervision facilities;
• gas equipment;
• equipment of chemically hazardous and explosion-hazardous facilities;
• equipment of metallurgical enterprises;
• other hazardous production facilities.

Types and features of technical diagnostics

Diagnostics is carried out:

• periodically, within the service life of the equipment while it is in operation, in the cases set out in the technical manual;
• to clarify the size, nature and cause of the defects found;
• after the service life set by the manufacturer for pressure equipment, lifting structures and other equipment has expired, in order to determine the remaining service life and the conditions and parameters of further safe operation.

Expert inspection and technical examination include a wide range of activities, among them:

1. Measurement and visual measurement inspection.

2. Operational diagnostics to obtain data on the actual operating parameters, loads and condition of the devices under real service conditions.

3. Identification of the damaging factors and mechanisms at work, and determination of how susceptible the equipment materials are to them.

4. Assessment of the reliability of the joints of parts and assemblies of the equipment.

5. Selection of inspection methods that will reveal the defects caused by the damaging mechanisms.

6. Inspection of welded joints and of the metal of the devices.

7. Evaluation of the defects found, based on the results of measurement, visual, destructive or non-destructive testing.

8. Analysis of the equipment materials.

9. Analysis and forecast of the technical condition of the equipment, in particular analysis of the operating modes and of the stress-strain state.

10. Determination of the remaining service life.

The industrial safety of a company depends directly on how well the expert inspection has been carried out. A technical report is drawn up on the results of the inspection, with non-destructive testing records attached. The results, the maximum permitted operating parameters and the date of the next examination are entered in the device data sheet by the persons who carried out the inspection.

If defects are found, their nature and size are established. The management of the enterprise may decide to operate the equipment at reduced technical parameters set after the diagnostics. These parameters are entered in the data sheet by the persons who carried out the examination and apply until the defects are eliminated. Safe operation at reduced parameters must not interfere with the processes in which the equipment is used.

Industrial safety services should be provided by specialised organisations. Turn to the professionals at KazExpertProm LLP, who will carry out the expert inspection thoroughly, accurately and in line with every requirement.