Pressure Vessel Data Books 3

[posture]

Hi

How long are you required need to keep pressure vessel data books?

Does it matter if you are the designers and not the manufacturers?

Is there a difference in the lenght between PED and ASME vessels?

Are scanned copies acceptable? Or do you need the originals?

Can any direct me to where I might find this out?

thanks

Posture

 

[racookpe1978]

"Books" .. Are referring to the drawings and spec's?

The test documents of the initial hydrostatic tests, the material cert's (from the builder) and the welder certs?

Day-to-day operating records? Repairs, replacement parts and after-repair hydro's?

 

[europipe]

Are you serious??

 

[posture]

Hi

Thanks for the reply. Let me clarify:

when we get a vessel from a fabricator, they give us a book of test reports, calcs, copies of UA1 forms where applicable etc, declarations of conformity for PED vessels , hydrotest records, nameplate scrubbings, material certs, weld maps etc etc etc. documents related to the construction and design of the vessel/

we then pass the vessel on to our client who does not always request the documents be sent to them. In some cases we design the vessel , in others the fabricator based on our design conditions.

I am wondering do we need to keep the hard copy sent to us by the fabricator or is it allowed to scan them and store electonically?

If someone can direct me to where this is information might be , I'll willing investigate myself but I can seem to find anything.

thanks

Posture

 

[racookpe1978]

Confirm with your insurance agency.

My recommendation, given today's environment - and today's government changes about most everything - is to pass along ALL of the hardcopy data with the PV as a deliverable. Get a signature, or include a statement to that effect with your "boilerplate" documentation with the final payment/initial contract.

That way, the client has the doc's, knows he has the doc's, and has acknowledged he has the doc's. If the client, in years down the line, sells or repairs the PV, the document package is in place to go to the next person - and YOU cannot be held liable for keeping long-out-of-date documentation that you don't control any longer.

Obviously, if you have - as a matter of standard business practice IAW ISO 9000, etc. etc. - issue hard copy documentation with the PV on delivery, then you can't keep hard copy.

But then you keep digital copies of the cert's to protect yourself. At least digital copies are small and easy to store on CD's. (Until CD's go out of date - like tape files, 3 inch floppies, 24 inch dia hard disks, 5 inch floppies, .... 286 computer hard drives, ) If anybody other than a past client wants to see the digital records in future years, charge them if you need to.

 

[europipe]

And look at ISO9001 for retention and storage of files

 

[posture]

Thanks for the help all. You have cleared up a few things for me!

Mike

 

[qcrobert]

I send original Manufacturer's Data Report to NBIC for registration, then send copy of MDR with pressure vessel to Client at installation site, and retain the Traveler (weld maps, MTRs, drawings, calculations, WPSs/PQRs/WPQs, NCRs, copy of MDR and facilime of data plate) for 3 years and an electronic copy forever.

At any time you may contact NBIC for MDR.

 

[posture]

Thanks for the reply. Can I ask why three years? Is this the warranty period?

Posture

 

[bcguy]

If I may

The 3 years records retention by the ASME Certificate Holder (manufacturer of the pressure vessel), is a Code requirement.
ASME Section VIII Div. 1, Appendix 10-13 Records Retention.

 

[chicopee]

If it were up to me, indefinitely as you have no idea as to what may happen to these vessels. They may get resold as second hand equipment, modified or repaired. Ultimately, someone will get back to you for data.

 

[weldtek]

Keep in mind that Code requirements are 'minimum'. Other than radiographs, we keep data indefinitely, meaning it's never discarded. Film is kept for five years.

 

[andyecho]

I work for PED certified vessel manufacturer in UK and our notified body says that all PED relevent documentation is to be kept for 10 years - material certs, NDT reports & personnel records, test reports, welding records, PED declarations of conformity & other info required by Annex D.
Not sure about scanned records but as we send much of this info to the notified body electronically I see no reason why it could not be stored tat way.
Hope this helps

 

[posture]

Thanks for the info all. The issue I need to confirm now is if electronic storage is sufficent. That will require a bit more digging. Thanks.

Posture