Pressure Equipment Inspector
Pre-commissioning and recurring inspections of pressure equipment, scope and intervals from the risk assessment, internal and strength testing, inspection records. Carried out per BetrSichV § 15/16 and TRBS 1201, equipment conforming to DGRL 2014/68/EU.
BetrSichV § 15/16 · TRBS 1201 · DGRL 2014/68/EU
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What is a Pressure Equipment Inspector?
A Pressure Equipment Inspector is a befähigte Person (qualified person) who carries out the legally required inspections of pressure equipment in operation under the German Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health (BetrSichV), in particular Sections 15 and 16, applying the technical rules of TRBS 1201. The equipment itself is placed on the market in conformity with the Pressure Equipment Directive DGRL 2014/68/EU, but operational inspection is a separate, ongoing duty of the operator.
The inspector confirms that pressure equipment is safe to commission and remains safe in use. The scope and intervals of inspection are not fixed by a single table; they are derived from the operator's risk assessment (Gefährdungsbeurteilung) and the categorisation of the equipment, with TRBS 1201 providing the methodology. Depending on the equipment this includes external inspection, internal inspection and a strength test (typically a pressure test).
The role is deliberately distinct from product conformity. DGRL 2014/68/EU and its national transposition govern design, manufacture and CE marking; BetrSichV governs the equipment once it is installed and operated. The Pressure Equipment Inspector lives in the second world: ensuring that a vessel, boiler, piping system or other pressure equipment is inspected before first use and at recurring intervals, and that each inspection produces a record stating what was examined, the result and the next due date.
For higher-risk equipment, certain inspections are reserved for an approved inspection body (zugelassene Überwachungsstelle, ZÜS) rather than an in-house befähigte Person. Determining which inspections may be done internally and which require a ZÜS is itself part of getting the inspection regime right, and it follows from the equipment's classification and the risk assessment.
Duties of the Pressure Equipment Inspector
- Carry out pre-commissioning inspection of pressure equipment before first use under BetrSichV Section 15.
- Perform recurring inspections at the intervals derived from the risk assessment and TRBS 1201.
- Conduct external, internal and strength (pressure) tests appropriate to the equipment and its category.
- Determine, from the equipment classification, which inspections require an approved body (ZÜS) and which the befähigte Person may perform.
- Document each inspection: scope, method, findings, result and the next due date.
- Assess defects found and advise on whether continued operation is permissible.
- Verify that the inspection intervals in the risk assessment remain appropriate to actual operating conditions.
- Maintain the inspection history so the equipment's compliance status is always demonstrable.
- Flag equipment that is overdue or has failed inspection and ensure it is taken out of service where required.
Appointment and qualification
The operator (employer) is responsible for ensuring that pressure equipment is inspected and that a suitably qualified befähigte Person carries out those inspections that may be done internally. There is no single appointment date; the duty attaches to the equipment from before its first commissioning and continues for as long as it is operated.
The qualification of a befähigte Person for pressure equipment is defined functionally rather than by a single certificate: TRBS 1203 sets out the requirements, which combine relevant vocational or engineering training, sufficient recent practical experience with the type of equipment, and up-to-date knowledge of the applicable rules. The person must be independent enough in their inspection judgement that instructions do not compromise the result.
The operator first determines, through the risk assessment, the type and frequency of inspections and which of them are reserved for an approved inspection body (ZÜS). The befähigte Person then performs the inspections within their remit. Each inspection is recorded, and the records, together with the risk assessment, form the evidence that the equipment has been kept under the required surveillance. Where the person leaves or the equipment changes, the operator reviews coverage to ensure inspections remain assured.
- Before first commissioning of new pressure equipment.
- At recurring inspection intervals set by the risk assessment and TRBS 1201.
- After modification, repair or relocation affecting the pressure system.
- Change in operating conditions that may affect inspection intervals.
- Reclassification of equipment that alters whether a ZÜS is required.
Where the role is needed
- Chemical and petrochemical plants with pressure vessels and reactors
- Food and beverage production using steam boilers and pressurised systems
- Pharmaceutical manufacturing with autoclaves and sterilisers
- Energy and district heating with boilers and pressure piping
- Metal processing and foundries with compressed air and gas systems
- Breweries and dairies operating pressurised tanks
- Building services with large heating and pressure installations
- Industrial gas storage and filling operations
How CIVAC supports the Pressure Equipment Inspector role
CIVAC turns the inspection regime into a living register rather than a stack of certificates. Each item of pressure equipment can carry its category, the inspection types derived from the risk assessment, the responsible befähigte Person or required ZÜS, and the next due date, with reminders before an interval lapses so nothing falls overdue unnoticed. The documentation pillar stores each inspection record with scope, result and findings, keeping the full history retrievable for an authority or insurer. Tasks route recurring and post-modification inspections to the right person and track completion, and CIVAC makes overdue or failed items visible so the operator can act before equipment must be taken out of service. The qualification of each befähigte Person is held alongside, so coverage is always demonstrable.
Frequently asked questions
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