Appendix B
FACILITY PRESSURE SYSTEMS

The following information applies to utility systems and other facility pressure vessels and systems.

1. General

The safety requirements for Plant-Facility utility unfired or fired pressure vessels and boilers have been defined earlier in this chapter and by the State of California Administrative Codes, as described below.

2. Unfired Pressure Vessels

Requirements for unfired pressure vessels are contained in:

State of California Administrative Code; Title 8: Department of Industrial Relations; Part 1: Department of Industrial Regulations; Chapter 4: Division of Industrial Safety; Subchapter 1: Unfired Pressure Vessel Safety Orders

The Safety Orders of this subchapter of Title 8 establish minimum standards for the following:

  • The design and construction of all unfired pressure vessels for plant-facility pressure systems.
  • The installation, operation (including issuance of permits), inspection, and repair of air-pressure tanks and liquified-petroleum-gas (LPG) tanks.
  • The design, construction, repair, or alteration of storage tanks for liquified natural gas (LNG) at 1/10 MPa (15 psig) or less.
  • The installation, use, and repair of anhydrous-ammonia tanks.
  • The design and construction of pressure vessels for storing and dispensing natural gas for motor fuel and of motor-fuel tanks installed on vehicles not licensed to travel on highways.
  • The installation, use, and repair of natural-gas vessels and systems that are not a part of hazardous research equipment.
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    The Safety Orders of subchapter 1 of Title 8 are not applicable to the following:

  • Pressure vessels that are under the jurisdiction and inspection of the United States Government that are specifically exempted by the Labor Code.
  • Pressure vessels, except for LNG tanks, that are subject to an internal or external pressure of not more than 1/10 MPa (15 psig) with no limitation on size, and vessels having an inside diameter less than 6 in, with no limitation on pressure. (However, such vessels must be designed and constructed in accordance with recognized standards, when applicable, or in accordance with good engineering practices concerning pressure-vessel design, with a safety factor of at least 4, and must be fitted with controls and safety devices necessary for safe operation.)
  • Natural-gas vessels and installations subject to the jurisdiction and inspection of the California State Public Utilities Commission, Department of Transportation, or Highway Patrol; air-brake tanks installed on vehicles, including trucks, buses, trains, and streetcars, that are operated by any person, firm, or corporation subject to the jurisdiction and inspection of the Public Utilities Commission, the Department of Transportation, or the Highway Patrol.
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    The following vessels must be constructed, inspected, and stamped in accordance with the appropriate American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code section.

  • Air-pressure tanks
  • LPG tanks
  • Anhydrous-ammonia tanks
  • All Plant-Facility pressure vessels
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    LNG tanks for low-temperature storage at 1/10 MPa (15 psig) or less must be designed, constructed, inspected, and certified in accordance with American Petroleum Institute (API) Standard 620.

    LPG vaporizers having a volume greater than one U.S. gallon must be constructed in accordance with the State of California Boiler and Fired Pressure Vessel Safety Orders, Title 8, Subchapter 2.

    State of California Permits to Operate are required for LPG tanks and for air tanks larger than 0.04 m3 (1.5 ft3) within relief valves set to open above 1 MPa (150 psig).

    3. Boilers and Fired Pressure Vessels

    Requirements for boilers and fired pressure vessels are contained in:

    State of California Administrative Code; Title 8. Industrial Relations;Part 1. Department of Industrial Relations; Chapter 4. Division of Industrial Safety; Subchapter 2. Boiler and Fired PressureVessel Safety Orders

    The Safety Orders of this subchapter of Title 8 establish minimum standards for the design, construction, installation, inspection, operation, and repair of (1) all power boilers, including nuclear power boilers, (2) all low-pressure boilers and high-temperature-water boilers, and (3) any other fired pressure vessels in California not specifically exempted from these Orders.

    These Safety Orders are not applicable to (1) boilers and fired pressure vessels under the jurisdiction of and inspected by the United States Government, (2) boilers and fired-pressure vessels used in household service, and (3) boilers used exclusively to operate highway vehicles, including automobiles.

    4. Design and Construction

    All new power boilers, high-temperature water boilers, and low-pressure boilers must be constructed, inspected, and stamped in full compliance with the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code.

    Pressure vessels not included in the scope of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code must be designed and constructed in accordance with good engineering practice , with a safety factor of at least 4, so that they can accommodate the pressures and temperatures required of them. “Good engineering practices” as defined in this chapter encompass details of design and construction that are at least as safe as those required by the rules in the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, including those rules covering shop inspection.

    State of California Permits to Operate are required on all boilers and fired-pressure vessels except for

  • Low-pressure boilers.
  • Miniature boilers.
  • High-temperature water boilers.
  • Boilers, including forced-circulation boilers, in which none of the following is exceeded: 9.29 m2 (100 ft2 of heating surface, 0.41 m (16 in.) steam-drum inside diameter, 2/3 MPa (100-psig), MAWP, 35-gal normal water capacity, and 400,000-Btu/hr burner power input.
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