Frequently Asked Questions of Boiler Act, Section-2

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Important Definitions (Section 2 of the Act) ?

There are certain definitions in the Section 2 of the Act. Most important of these definitions are -

Boiler

Means any closed vessel exceeding 22. 75 liters in capacity which is used expressly for generating steam under pressure and includes any mounting or other fitting attached to such vessel which is wholly or partly under pressure when stem is shut off.

Economiser

Means any part of the feed pipe which is wholly or partially exposed to the action of flue gases for the purpose of recovery of waste heat.

Feed Pipe

Means any pipe or connected fitting wholly or partly under pressure through which feed water passes directly to a Boiler and which does not form an integral part thereof.

Steam Pipe

Means any pipe through which steam passes from a Boiler to a prime mover or other user or both, if -

1. The pressure at which steam passes through such pipe exceeds 3. 5 Kilograms per square centimetre above atmospheric pressure or
2. Such pipe exceeds 254 millimetres in internal diametre.

It is necessary that purchaser of a Boiler shall ensure that the Boiler is manufactured and certified under Indian Boiler Regulations, 1950. The certifications shall include originals of Form-II of Indian Boiler Regulations alongwith annexed Form-III. And Form-IV, and approved drawings. It is also necessary that original certificates for all mounting and fittings shall also be supplied by the Boiler manufacturer. Sometimes, some manufacturers try to mislead Boiler purchases stating that the Boiler does not fall under the purview of Indian Boiler Act and name it as Non-IBR Boiler, Generally, almost all Boilers intended for industrial used do fall in the preview of the Indian Boilers Act and Indiana Boil Regulations. The only probable exception is a very small coil type Boiler without Economiser. However, it is in the interest of the Boiler purchaser to consult the Boilers Department to verify the Non-IBR claim of a Boiler manufacturer.

What are the Rules made Under the Act (section 29) ?

Section 29 of the Act empowers State Government to make rules consistent with the Act and the Regulations made thereunder for certain purposes specified in the Act. Under the provisions of this section, the Andhra Pradesh Government made. A. P. Boiler Rules, 1967, A. P. Boiler Attendant Rules, 1956, A. P. Economiser Rules, 1959 and A. P. Boiler operation Engineer Rules, 1959.

The A. P. Boiler Rules, 1967 and A. P. Economiser Rules 1959

The Andhra Pradesh Boiler Rules and the Andhra Pradesh Economiser Rules contains scales of fee payable for different purposes, duties of Chief Inspector, Deputy Chief Inspector and Inspector’s procedure for Registration and transfer of Boilers, procedure for reporting accidents and investigations to be conducted regarding accidents.

The A. P. Boiler Attendant Rules, 1956

The Andhra Pradesh Boiler Attendant Rules stipulate that the owner of a Boiler shall not use the Boiler or permit it to be used unless it is under the direct and immediate charge of a person holding a Boiler Attendants certificate. These rules also stipulate constitution of Board of Examiners and their functions, required qualifications of the candidates, mode of Conducting examinations and issue of certificate. Two grades of certificates are issued under these rules. A second class Boiler Attendant Certificate qualifies the holder thereof to be in charge of a single Boiler of any kind the heating surface of which does not exceeds 1500 square feet. A second class Boiler Attendant may, however, attend to Battery of Boilers (not consisting of more than three connected Boilers and not exceeding 1500 square feet in aggregate of total heating surface). Provided he is assisted by the number of firemen considered necessary by the Chief Inspector of Boilers. A first class Boiler Attendant Certificate qualifies the holder thereof to be in charge of a single Boiler of any type or capacity or two or more Boilers in a Battery of so many individual Boilers, the total heating surface of which does not exceeds 7500 square feet provided that in case of two or more Boilers such Boilers shall be situated within a radius of 75 feet, in the same premises and belonging to one owner, and in such case he shall be assisted by a second class Boiler Attendant or the number of firemen considered necessary by the Chief Inspector of Boilers.

The A. P. Boiler Operation Engineer Rules, 1959

The Andhra Pradesh Boiler Operation Engineer Rules stipulate that the owner of a single Boiler or two or more Boilers connected in a Battery of so many separate individual Boilers situated within a radius of 75 feet, having a total heating surface exceeding 7500 square feet in any of the cases, shall not use the same or permit the same to be used unless the Boiler or Boilers are placed in direct charge of a person holding a Boiler operation Engineer’s Certificate. The owner of a Boiler who works or permits or causes the Boilers to be worked at any time in contravention of the above rules shall be punishable with penalties stipulated in these rules. The objective of these rules is the safe and efficient working of Boilers. Form of application for Examination for certificate of proficiency as Boiler Operation Engineer is in annexure - VI

What are the Welders Tests?

Welders Tests are carried out by the Boilers Department to certify the Welders for working on pressure parts under Indian Boiler Regulations. The form of application for this purpose is given in Annexure - VII

What is the Central Boilers Board?

A Board called Central Boilers Board was constituted under the provisions of Section 27A of the Act. Section 28 of the Act conferred powers to the Board, so constituted, to make Regulations consistent with the Act for all or any of the following purposes, namely:

1. for laying down standard conditions in respect of material, design and construction which shall be required for the purpose of enabling the registration and certification of a Boiler under this Act
2. for prescribing the circumstances in which, the extent to which and conditions subject to which, variation from the standard conditions laid down under clause (a) may be permitted
3. for prescribing the method of determining maximum pressure at which a Boiler may be used
4. For regulating the registration of Boilers, prescribing fee payable therefor and for inspection and examination of Boiler or parts thereof, the drawings, specifications, certificates and particulars to be produced by the owner, the method of preparing a Boiler for examination, the form of Inspector report thereon, the method of marking the register number, and the period within which such number is to be marked on the Boiler.
5. For regulating the inspection and examination of Boilers and steam pipes, and prescribing forms of certificates therefore
6. For ensuring the safety of persons working inside a Boiler
7. For providing for any other matter which is not, in the opinion of the Board, a matter of merely local of state importance

Indian Boiler Regulations

The Central Boilers Board made comprehensive regulations covering all aspects stated above and the so made The Indian Boiler Regulations, 1950 came into force from 19^th September. 1950. There have been many amendments to these regulations thereafter in order to update these regulations for keeping pace with the other International codes like BS, ASME, ISO etc.

Penalties

Penalties are imposed for violation of the provisions of the Act. Different penalties for various offenses were stipulated in section 23, 24 and 25 of the Act.

What are the other Responsibilities of the Boiler Owner?

While following the statutory requirements meant primarily for safety, the Management should not forget about the other important aspects like plant efficiency and energy conservation though they are not statutory. It is estimated that energy consumed in Boilers constitute a giant share of 70% of total energy consumed in our Nation. Therefore, the concept of energy conservation practiced in Boilers goes a long way in conserving the precious energy resources of our Nation. In this respect, the role of a Management starts with the selection of a Boiler itself. The Boiler of required rating shall be selected which gives maximum efficiency in operation. Further, the right type of Boiler shall be selected depending upon the operating conditions. Also, the aspects of maintainability and energy conservation shall be given due importance at the stage of selection of Boiler itself. It is of utmost importance that the Boiler design efficiency can be achieved only if a suitable Boiler feed water Treatment system is installed and operated effectively. Further, wherever it is feasible co-generation plants shall be installed for maximum utilisation of energy. It is desirable to clean the Boiler thoroughly in between statutory inspections to avoid accumulation of scales in order to achieve the designed efficiency of a Boiler.

Explain the explosive property of water?

The explosive property of water in a Boiler can be explained by way of an example. A domestic pressure cooker contains only a couple of litres of water that too at low pressure but also atmospheric pressure. If the lid of a pressure cooker is opened without releasing the pressure, thereby suddenly exposing the water under pressure to atmospheric pressure, the water explodes and results into a fatal accident. When a fatal accident is the result of a couple of litres of explosive water, the danger involved in Boilers containing hundreds/thousands of litres of explosive water can be easily imagined.

Which Heads of Accounts are to be used for payments?

All Challans for payment of fees to Boilers Department shall be taken on the following Head of Account: Major Head : 0230 - Labour and Employment Minor Head : 103 - Fees for Inspection of Steam Boilers Sub Head : 01 - Fees for Inspection of Steam Boilers