Boilers and Pressure Vessels: ANSI Seeks Comments on Proposal for Reactivation of Technical Committee

Submit Feedback by September 22

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the U.S. member body to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), encourages relevant stakeholders to submit feedback by September 22 on a proposal to reactivate the ISO Technical Committee 11, Boilers and pressure vessels.

SAC, the ISO member from China, submitted a proposal to ISO to reactivate the TC with the following scope statement:

“Standardization of construction of boilers and pressure vessels.”

The proposal notes that construction is an all-inclusive term that includes design, materials, fabrication, examination, inspection, testing, and conformity assessment. Excluded are:

• railway and marine boilers covered by ISO/TC 8, Ships and marine technology;
• gas cylinders covered by ISO/TC 58, Gas cylinders;
• aircraft and vehicle components covered by ISO/TC 20, Aircraft and space vehicles;
• equipment used for fire-fighting covered by ISO/TC 21, Equipment for fire protection and fire fighting;
• personal safety equipment covered by ISO/TC 94, Personal safety – Personal protective equipment;
• components of rotating or reciprocating devices;
• ·nuclear pressure equipment covered by ISO/TC 85, Nuclear energy, nuclear technologies, and radiological protection; and
• piping systems.

Boilers and pressure vessels covered by ISO/TC 11 are utilized as basic equipment across various industries, including electric power, petrochemical and light industries, food processing, and metallurgy, among others, according to the proposal. These tools serve as basic equipment in heating and cooling systems for homes, offices, hospitals, schools, or factories.

“The global trading volume of boilers and pressure vessels are huge every year. And the need of setting global standards to regulate and facilitate free trade is urgent, which can improve the safety level of boilers and pressure vessels and promoting the development of the global economy,” the proposal states. The proposal also explains that goals related to digital, sustainability, etc. as outlined in the ISO 2030 Strategy have put forward new requirements for ISO/TC 11.

Due to the TC’s current standby status and considering current issues of global concern, the proposal notes that ISO/TC 11 could focus on standardization in three directions in the future:

1) Fundamental standards with the basic requirements related to the quality and safety of boilers and pressure vessels

2) Deliverables related to addressing climate change

3) Deliverables related to new types of boilers and pressure vessels, especially those used in clean energy industry, including new International Standards, Technical Specifications, Technical Reports, Publicly Available Specifications, and International Workshop Agreements of construction methods, materials, and products

Review the proposal for additional information and submit comments to Steven Cornish, ANSI senior director of international policy and strategy, [email protected], by close of business on Friday, September 22, 2023. Following the deadline, ANSI staff will develop a recommended ANSI position and any comments for approval by the AIC before ISO’s voting deadline of October 26, 2023.