According to the HSE Code of Practice and Guidance covering the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations, users and suppliers are required to provide documentation for the safe operation and maintenance. If a hydraulic accumulator is fitted and the system has a pressure x volume of greater than 250 Bar Litres then further documentation, such as a Written Scheme of Examination is needed.
For systems without accumulators the documentation required is:
- An understanding of the safe operating limits and methods/devices to ensure the limits are not exceeded.
- Safe operation of the system.
- Maintenance to ensure system safety, including records.
- Precautions to prevent parts of the system being pressurised.
Items 1 to 3 above tend to be the most relevant for installed systems. If you don’t have an up to date hydraulic schematic, bills of materials and an Operation and Maintenance manual, then you cannot achieve 1 to 3. Actions such as checking the setting of relief valves will need to be recorded. Most users of systems do not check relief valve pressures, and this is a safety risk.
MGR Fluid Engineering can help with surveys, drawings and documentation to improve the compliance with safety requirements on existing hydraulic systems.
