Understanding CSA Standards, Certification

OBJECTIVE 6 Describe the scope and general content of the CSA-B51 Boiler, Pressure Vessel, and Piping Code for the construction and inspection of boilers and pressure vessels. WHAT IS CSA? The CSA Groups forerunner, the Canadian Engineering Standards Association (founded in 1919), became the Canadian Standards Association in 1944, and then the CSA Group in 2012. The CSA Group is a nationally and internationally accredited organization that develops standards to enhance public safety and health (through the CSA Group standards development). It is also a testing organization that determines whether products comply with applicable safety, environmental, and operational performance standards (through the CSA Group testing, inspection, and certification). The CSA Group is an Accredited Certification Organization by the Safety Standards Council of Canada and is a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory in the U.S The CSA Group standards are produced by committees of volunteers representing different interest groups that will be impacted by the standards. These standards help ensure that products and services meet minimum requirements of safety and quality. The B51 Technical Committee includes the chief inspectors from all Canadian jurisdictions, representatives from boiler and pressure vessel manufacturers, the insurance industry, and other interested parties. The CSA Group standards are not legal documents unless they have been adopted and declared in force by the various jurisdictions. The standards do have requirements that must be met (indicated using the word shall) but this is only if the standard is adopted. Clause 1.5 of Part 1 goes into the use and meaning of the words shall, should, may, and can. Figure 1 shows an excerpt from Alberta's Pressure Equipment Safety Regulation. Other jurisdictions have similar statements in their pertinent regulations. Figure 1 - Codes and Standards in Force Codes and standards 6 The following codes, standards and bodies of rules are declared in force as amended or replaced from time to time as they relate to pressure equipment: (a) the following provisions of the CSA Standard B51 - 14, Boiler, pressure vessel and pressure piping code, published by the CSA Group: (i) Part 1, General requirements for boilers, pressure vessels, and pressure piping, including informative Annex E Inspection of welds in pressure coils exposed to direct radiant heat; (ii) Part 2, High-pressure cylinders for the on-board storage of natureal gas and hydrogen as fuels for automotive vehicles; (iii) Part 3, Compressed natural gas and hydrogen refuelling station pressure piping systems and ground storage vessels; (b) CSA Standard B52 - 13, Mechanical refrigeration code, published by the CSA Group; Referring to the Standard JVtaking a proper reference to CSA-B51, or any code or standard, is important if someone is to make any sense of it. The reference needs to be very specific. The reference document, the part, the clause, and any sub or sub-sub clauses, all need to be identified. Refer to Figure 2 below. Figure 2 - Parts of a CSA-B51 Reference CSAB51 -07, Part 1, Clause 4 .2.1 Reference document Year Part Clause Sub-clause Sub-sub-clause As an example, definitions are found in Clause 3 of Part 1 of the standard. Suppose you find the following definition of an act in that section: Act— the Acts, regulations, or ordinances governing the design, fabrication, installation, repair, and alteration of boilers, pressure vessels, fittings, and piping. The reference for this definition would be CSA-B51-09, Part 1, Clause 3. Here is a clause from CSA-B51 that explains what needs to be done if a registered design is found to be defective: 4.1.3 If a registered design is subsequently found to be defective in any detail, it shall be revised. The complete reference for this sub-sub clause is CSA-B51-09, Part 1, Clause 4.1.3. Tables can be referenced by adding the table number after the part: CSA B51-09, Part 1, Table 1. Similarly, figure numbers appear as CSA-B51-09, Part 1, Figure 1. The next section of this text refers to several clauses in CSA-B51. Based on the information given, look up the specific reference for each clause and write down the reference in the correct format. CSA-B51 General Requirements This objective will look only at Part 1: General Requirements for Boilers, Pressure Vessels, and Pressure Piping. There are far too many requirements in CSA-B51 to list here, so only some of the highlights will be mentioned. Learners are encouraged to read the entire standard to get a firm grasp of the requirements ofCSA-BSl. Preface The preface gives a breakdown of the three main parts of the standard and lists some of the more notable changes to the previous edition of the standard. 1.Scope The Scope of CSA-B51 applies to all boilers, pressure vessels, pressure piping, and fittings as provided for by the Act. Reference: As provided for by the Act" leads back to the act that made the standard legal. The scope also sets out what is covered by the standard, what is not covered, and the hierarchy of the standard and codes, stating that if there is a variance between a code or standard that is referenced in CSA-B51, the requirements ofCSA-BSl, Part 1 take precedence. Reference: