EU requirements: Directive 2014/68/EU (the “PED”) sets out requirements relating to pressure equipment, in order to provide for a high level of protection of health and safety of persons, domestic animals, and property. The requirements include safety objectives for the design and manufacture of pressure equipment, labelling requirements, and the applicable conformity assessment procedures. The PED also sets out obligations of manufacturers, importers, and distributors.
If you manufacture, import or distribute pressure equipment, you must comply with the requirements of the PED. You must also comply with national laws and regulations in Member States, which implement the PED.
Please see below for further information about EU requirements.
UK requirements: The UK’s Pressure Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016/1105 (the “PER”) sets out requirements relating to pressure equipment, in order to provide for a high level of protection of health and safety of persons, domestic animals, and property. The requirements include safety objectives for the design and manufacture of pressure equipment, labelling requirements, and the applicable conformity assessment procedures. The PER also sets out obligations of manufacturers, importers, and distributors.
Different rules apply to goods you sell in: (1) Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales); and (2) Northern Ireland.
If you manufacture, import or distribute pressure equipment that is sold in the UK, you must comply with the requirements of the PER. If you also sell these products on Amazon EU websites, you must also comply with national laws and regulations in EU Member States, which implement the PED.
Please see below for further information about UK requirements.
This material is for informational purposes and you should not take it as a substitute for legal advice. We encourage you to consult your legal counsel for any concerns about the laws and regulations related to your product. This material only reflects the position at the date of writing and requirements in the EU and the UK may change – particularly in light of the developing position with Brexit. You should refer to current UK Brexit guidance about your products (see below) to learn more about changes that may affect you following the end of the transition period.
The PED applies to pressure equipment and assemblies with a maximum allowable pressure PS greater than 0.5 bar.
This includes vessels, piping, safety accessories and pressure accessories, including, wherever applicable, elements attached to pressurized parts, such as flanges, nozzles, couplings, supports, and lifting lugs. It also applies to assemblies, i.e. several pieces of pressure equipment assembled by a manufacturer to constitute an integrated and functional whole.
Examples of products that are covered by the PED: shell and water tube boilers, heat exchangers, plant vessels, industrial pipework, safety valves, and buckling rods.
There are a number of exemptions to the scope of the PED. Examples include: aerosol dispensers, items specifically designed for nuclear use, bottles or cans for carbonated drinks for final consumption, radiators and pipes in warm water heating systems, and vessels designed to contain liquids with a gas pressure above the liquid of not more than 0.5 bar.
The PED sets out obligations for manufacturers, authorized representatives, importers and distributors of pressure equipment.
Declaration of Conformity and CE marking
Manufacturer responsibilities include:
Importer responsibilities include:
Distributor responsibilities include:
Manufacturers and importers must keep a copy of the technical documentation and declaration of conformity for 10 years after the pressure equipment has been offered for sale or supply in the EU.
Labelling and information
Manufacturers and importers must ensure that the pressure equipment bears:
Distributors must:
Where it is not possible for this information to be on the pressure equipment itself, the above information should be on its packaging or a document accompanying the pressure equipment.
In addition, the pressure equipment must be accompanied by instructions and safety information (containing information required by the Annex of the PED). The above information should be in a language that can be easily understood by consumers, other users, and the relevant authorities.
Distributors should not make pressure equipment or assemblies available for sale if they find non-conformance with the essential safety requirements set out in Annex I of the PED. If the pressure equipment or assembly presents a risk, distributors must inform the manufacturer or the importer to that effect as well as the relevant authorities.
Manufacturers, importers, and distributors should immediately take the corrective measures necessary to bring pressure equipment into conformity, to withdraw or to recall it, as appropriate.
When the pressure equipment presents a risk, manufacturers, importers, and distributors should immediately inform the competent national authorities of the Member States where it was sold, along with details of the non-conformity and of any corrective measures taken.
Manufacturers, importers, and distributors should provide a competent national authority with all the information and documentation, in paper or electronic form, necessary to demonstrate the conformity of the pressure equipment with the PED, following a reasoned request. They must also cooperate with competent authorities at their request on action taken to eliminate risks relating to those products.
We strongly encourage you to visit the European Commission’s website for more information on the Pressure Equipment Directive:
https://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/pressure-gas/pressure-equipment/directive_de
http://ec.europa.eu/DocsRoom/documents/33402?locale=de
The PER applies to all products sold in the UK, but the provisions apply differently to Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales, “GB”) and Northern Ireland. You can read more about the position in Northern Ireland (“NI”) below.
The PER applies to pressure equipment and assemblies with a maximum allowable pressure PS greater than 0.5 bar.
This includes vessels, piping, safety accessories and pressure accessories, including, wherever applicable, elements attached to pressurized parts, such as flanges, nozzles, couplings, supports, and lifting lugs. It also applies to assemblies, i.e. several pieces of pressure equipment assembled by a manufacturer to constitute an integrated and functional whole.
Examples of products that are covered by the PER: shell and water tube boilers, heat exchangers, plant vessels, industrial pipework, safety valves, and buckling rods.
There are a number of exemptions to the scope of the PER. Examples include: aerosol dispensers, items specifically designed for nuclear use, bottles or cans for carbonated drinks for final consumption, radiators and pipes in warm water heating systems, and vessels designed to contain liquids with a gas pressure above the liquid of not more than 0.5 bar.
The PER sets out obligations for manufacturers, authorized representatives, importers and distributors of pressure equipment.
Declaration of Conformity and conformity marking
Manufacturer responsibilities include:
Importer responsibilities include:
Distributor responsibilities include:
Manufacturers and importers must keep a copy of the technical documentation and declaration of conformity for 10 years after the pressure equipment has been offered for sale or supply.
Labelling and information
Manufacturers and importers must ensure that the pressure equipment bears:
Distributors must:
Where it is not possible for this information to be on the pressure equipment itself, the above information should be on its packaging or a document accompanying the pressure equipment. The UK Government has released guidance on alternative means of providing GB importer traceability information until December 31, 2022. See the "Brexit: UK Government guidance" section below for links to this guidance.
In addition, the pressure equipment must be accompanied by instructions and safety information (containing information required by the Annex of the PER). The above information should be in English. A specific Declaration of Conformity that refers to UK legislation and standards will be required for products sold in GB with the UKCA mark from January 1, 2021. See the "Brexit: UK Government guidance" section below for links to the UK Government guidance on this.
Distributors should not make pressure equipment or assemblies available for sale if they find non-conformance with the essential safety requirements set out in Schedule 2 of the PER. If the pressure equipment or assembly presents a risk, distributors must inform the manufacturer or the importer to that effect as well as the relevant authorities.
Manufacturers, importers, and distributors should immediately take the corrective measures necessary to bring pressure equipment into conformity, to withdraw or to recall it, as appropriate.
When the pressure equipment presents a risk, manufacturers, importers, and distributors should immediately inform Trading Standards (or HSE where the equipment is for use at work), along with details of the non-conformity and of any corrective measures taken.
Manufacturers, importers, and distributors should provide the competent national authority with all the information and documentation, in paper or electronic form, necessary to demonstrate the conformity of the pressure equipment with the PER, following a reasoned request. They must also cooperate with competent authorities at their request on action taken to eliminate risks relating to those products.
Please note that different rules will apply in NI from January 1, 2021, as a result of the Northern Ireland Protocol. In particular:
The UK Government has released guidance on selling products in GB and NI after Brexit. This guidance provides information for manufacturers, importers and distributors regarding compliance requirements from January 1, 2021, including on:
We encourage you to review this guidance, alongside any other specific UK Government guidance that applies to your product. You should consult your legal counsel if you have questions about how the laws and regulations apply to your products from January 1, 2021.
The Brexit guidance can be found here:
We strongly encourage you to review guidance produced by the Office for Product Safety and Standards:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pressure-equipment-safety-regulations-2016
We also encourage you to visit the UK’s Business Companion website, which contains guidance on UK product compliance rules: