Driving an effective pressure equipment management system

A MANAGEMENT SYSTEM is a broad term and can mean many things. It could be confused with a manual or a set of procedures that to some people may look like an imposed system by management, which lacks practical application by users (owners, engineers, and inspectors). To others, a management system is a set of processes, work flows, and interactions that define how the users manage plant integrity through all stages of its lifecycle. For pressure equipment, the management system is a key requirement of the AS/NZS 3788 (Standards Australia 2006). An effective management system is workable at all user levels, including but not limited to; manufacture, registration, design, installation, operation, repair and maintenance, inspection, preservation and retirement. The standard, and also the code of practice for managing the risks of plant in the workplace, offers us the requirements and guidance for exactly this purpose.