About the Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) 2014/68/EU

What is the Pressure Equipment Directive about?

The Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) applies to the design, manufacture and conformity assessment of pressure equipment and assemblies with a maximum allowable pressure greater than 0.5 bar gauge including vessels, piping, safety accessories and pressure accessories.

The PED provides a legal structure whereby pressure equipment can be manufactured and sold throughout the European Union without having to go through a local approval regime in every member state. The means by which this is achieved is to ensure common standards of safety in all pressure equipment sold within the European Economic Area. Manufacturers are therefore able to meet the requirements for approval in any member state of the EU, and do not have to repeat the process when selling goods in any other state.

Work with BSI as your market access partner of choice to understand the regulations, testing and CE marking for the PED.

Who is the Pressure Equipment Directive for?

This Directive is relevant to manufacturers (and may include importers, suppliers or authorised representatives) of pressure equipment selling into most European countries.

The definition of pressure equipment includes vessels, piping, safety accessories or pressure accessories.

Once you meet the requirements of the Directive you will be able to apply the CE marking to the products.

What does the Pressure Equipment Directive cover?

Typical examples of pressure equipment covered in the Directive include:

  • shell and water tube boilers
  • heat exchangers
  • pressure vessels
  • process pipework
  • electric heaters
  • isolation valves
  • control valves
  • meters
  • relief valves
  • safety valves
  • bursting discs
  • buckling rods
  • controlled safety pressure relief systems
  • pressure switches
  • temperature switches
  • fluid level switches

Not all pressure equipment is covered by this Directive as The Transportable Pressure Equipment Directive (TPED) and the Simple Pressure Vessels Directive both cover certain equipment and products which present a relatively low hazard from pressurization. These may be covered by other directives, e.g. the Machinery Equipment Directive, the ATEX Directive, the Low Voltage Directive or the Electro Magnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive.

Are you ready for UKCA marking for pressure equipment?

UKCA marking is effective in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) from 1 January 2021, so if you place pressure equipment or associated products on the market in Great Britain you will need to affix the UKCA marking (although CE marking will also be recognized for most products until the end of 2021).

BSI is an approved body (0086) to support UKCA marking services for pressure equipment and can work with you to navigate this new regulatory landscape.

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Why choose BSI to meet the Pressure Equipment Directive requirements?

BSI is a Notified Body for the Pressure Equipment Directive and a leading provider of testing and certification solutions.

We offer a complete compliance service on products including design appraisal, from fire extinguishers to major industrial installations. Our expert and dedicated PED team support customers through every step of the certification process.

Our experience enables clients to achieve PED compliance with minimal or no interruption to production, inspections/audits and consideration to keeping your costs down.