Indian Boilers Act with allied Regulations

INDIAN BOILERS ACT, 1923 (AMENDED 2007)

INTRODUCTION

The Indian Boilers Act 1923 was enacted with the objective to provide mainly for the safety of life and Property of persons from the danger of explosions of steam boilers and for achieving uniformity in registration and inspection during operation and maintenance of boilers in India. The Act has 41 Sections. 

DEFINITIONS

SECTION 2 (a) “accident” means an explosion of boiler, or boiler component, which is calculated to weaken the strength or an uncontrolled release of water or steam therefrom, liable to cause death or injury to any person or damage to any property.

SECTION 2(b) “boiler” means a pressure vessel in which steam is generated for use external to itself by application of heat which is wholly or partly under pressure when steam is shut off. But does not include a pressure vessel -

(i) with capacity less than 25 litres (such capacity being measured from the feed check valve to the main steam stop valve);

(ii) with less than one kilogram per centimetre square design gauge pressure and working gauge pressure; or

(iii) in which water is heated below one hundred degrees centigrade; 

SECTION 2 (c) “Chief Inspector”, “Deputy Chief Inspector”, and “Inspector” mean, respectively, a person appointed to be a Chief Inspector, a Deputy Chief Inspector and an Inspector under this Act.

SECTION 2[(cc) “Economiser” means any part of a feed-pipe that is wholly or partially exposed to the action of flue gases for the purpose of recovery of waste heat;

SECTION 2(ccc) “Feed-pipe” means any pipe or connected fitting wholly or partly under pressure through which feed water

SECTION 2(f) “Steam-pipe” means any pipe through which steam passes if 

(i) the pressure at which steam passes through such pipe exceeds 3.5 kilogram per square centimetres above atmospheric pressure; or

(ii) such pipe exceeds 254 millimetres in internal diameter and the pressure of steam exceeds kilogram per square centimetres above the atmospheric pressure,

IMPORTANT PROVISIONS

SECTION 3. LIMITATION OF APPLICATION:

Nothing in this Act shall apply to

(a) locomotive boilers belonging to or under the control of the railways;

(b) any boiler or boiler component,

(i) in any vessel propelled wholly or in part by the agency of steam;

(ii) belonging to, or under the control of, the Army, Navy or Air Force; or

(iii) appertaining to a sterilizer disinfector used in hospitals or nursing homes, if the boiler does not exceed one hundred litres in capacity.

SECTION 4 POWER TO LIMIT EXTENT

4B. WELDERS CERTIFICATE

Any person who proposes to undertake any welding work connected with or related to a boiler, or a boiler component or both shall apply to a Competent Authority for issue of a Welders certificate.

4D. INSPECTION DURING MANUFACTURE

Every manufacturer, before commencing manufacture of a boiler or boiler component, shall engage an Inspecting Authority for carrying out inspection at such stages of manufacture as may be prescribed by regulations.

SECTION 7 REGISTRATION OF BOILERS

Owner of any boiler may apply with prescribed fee to the Inspector of Boilers to have this boiler registered.

SECTION 8 RENEWAL OF CERTIFICATE

A certificate authorizing use of boiler shall cease to be in force on expiry of validity period or when any accident occurs in boiler, whether the boiler is moved or when a Structural alteration, addition or renewal is made in or to the boiler, or when the Chief Inspector of Boilers prohibits to use due to condition being dangerous.

When certificate is ceased to be in force, owner of the boiler may apply with prescribed fee to the inspector for its renewal for a period not exceeding 12 months.

Date of examination of the boiler for its renewal shall be fixed within 60 days of receipt of application for its renewal and owner shall be given a notice of such examination 30 days in advance.

SECTION 11 REVOCATION OF CERTIFICATE OR PROVISIONAL ORDER

The Chief Inspector may at any time withdraw or revoke any certificate or provisional order on the report of an Inspector or otherwise —

(a) if there is reason to believe that the certificate or provisional order has been fraudulently obtained or has been granted mistakenly or without sufficient examination; or

(b) if the boiler in respect of which it has been granted has sustained injury or has ceased to be in good condition; or

(c) Government passes orders that boilers shall be in charge of persons holding certificates of competency, if the boiler is in charge of a person not holding the certificate required by such rules;  

SECTION 18 REPORT OF ACCIDENT

When an accident occurs to boiler or steam pipes, owner or incharge of the boiler shall report the accident in writing within 24 hours to the inspector with true description of nature of the accident and of injury if any.

SECTION 23. PENALTIES FOR ILLEGAL USE OF BOILER

Any owner of a boiler who, in any case in which a certificate or provisional order is required for the use of the boiler under this Act, uses the boiler either without any such certificate or order being in force or at a higher pressure than that allowed thereby, shall be punishable with fine which may extend to one lakh rupees (previously 500 INR), and, in the case of a continuing offence, with an additional fine which may extend to one thousand rupees (previously 100 INR) for each day after the first day in regard to which he is convicted of having persisted in the offence.

SECTION 27A. CENTRAL BOILERS BOARD

(1) A Board to be called the Central Boilers Board shall be constituted to exercise the powers conferred by section 28.

(2) The Board shall consist of the following members, namely:

(a) Secretary to the Government of India incharge of the Department

(b) Senior technical officer conversant with the inspection and examination of boilers nominated by the Government of each State 

(c) equal number of other persons as in sub-section

(i) Central Government,

(ii) the Bureau of Indian Standards,

(iii) boiler and boiler component manufactures,

(iv) National laboratories,

(v) engineering consultancy agencies,

(vi) users of boilers

SECTION 28 POWERS TO MAKE REGULATIONS

The Central Boilers Board may make regulations consistent with this Act for all of any one of the following purposes

Laying down standards on material design and construction

Prescribing the method of determining maximum pressure for use.

Regulating the registration of boilers, prescribing fees payable, inspection and examination of the boilers, or drawings, specifications, certificates and particulars to be produced by the owner, method of preparing the boiler for examination and for marking the register number with period

Ensuring safety of persons working inside the boiler

29. POWER TO MAKE RULES

The State Government may make rules consistent with this Act and the regulations made thereunder for all or any of the following purposes, namely:

(a) the powers and duties of the Chief Inspector, Deputy Chief Inspectors and Inspectors;

(b) for regulating the transfer of boilers;

(c) for providing for the registration and certification of boilers in accordance with the regulations made under this Act;

(e) for prescribing the times within which Inspectors shall be required to examine boiler

(f) fee payable for registration of boilers;

(g) for regulating inquiries into accidents;

(h) Appeals hearing procedure by the Chief Inspector

Every rule made by the State Government under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before the State Legislature.

30. PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULES

Any regulation or rule made under section 28 (Power to make regulations) or section 29 (Power to make rules) may direct that a person disobeying such regulation or rule shall be punishable, in the case of a first offence, with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees and in the case of any subsequent offence, with fine which may extend to one lakh rupees.

SECTION 31A. POWER OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT TO GIVE DIRECTIONS

The Central Government may give such directions as it may deem necessary to a State Government regarding the carrying into execution of the provisions to this Act, and the State Government shall comply with such directions.

 

THE BOILERS REGULATIONS 1950 (AMENDED 2010)

Under Indian Boilers Act 1923, Indian Boilers Regulation 1950 (IBR 1950) has been framed and apply to 

(i) all boilers including those working on the principles of natural circulation, forced circulation and forced flow with no fixed steam water line.

(ii) Steam pipes.

The Regulations has got 712 regulations (presently 626) covered under 15 chapters.

This Regulation deals with the

1. General and Standard requirement of boiler
2. Material for construction of boiler
3. Construction and workmanship of boiler
4. Working pressure to be allowed for various pressure parts of boiler
5. Steam pipe and fittings
6. Registration / Erection and inspection of boiler & Pipe line
7. Safety of person inside the boiler
8. Economizer, feed pipes, Feed heaters
9. Qualification test for welders

CHAPTERS:

Chapter-I : On material of construction of steel plates, rivets, section and bars

Chapter-II : Deals with construction and workmanship.

Chapter-III: Regulations for determining the working pressure to be allowed on various parts of boiler.

Chapter-IV: Fusion welded and seam less forged drums for water tube boilers and super heaters.

Chapter-V : Specification of valves, gauges and auxiliaries.

Chapter-VI: Deals with steam pipes and fittings

Chapter-VII: Regulations for registration and inspection of boilers.

Chapter-VIII: Instructions regarding safety of pressure working inside of boiler.

Chapter-IX: Instructions for electrode boiler.

Chapter-X: Standard conditions for the design and construction of economizer, feed pipes, feed heater and other similar vessels.

Chapter-XI : Shell type boiler of welded constructions.

Chapter-XII: Qualification tests for welders engaged in welding of boilers and steam pipe under constructions.

Chapter-XIII:  Regulations prescribed for miniature boiler.

Chapter-XIV :  For Heat Exchanger, converters, evaporators & similar vessels.

CHAPTER XV: Feed Water for Boiler

REGULATION RELATED TO SHE

REGULATIONS 376 –PREPARATION FOR INSPECTION

a) At every examination of boiler or the grant of renewal of a certificate, the boiler shall be empty and thoroughly clean in all its parts. Except all doors of manholes, handholes and sight holes and cleaning plugs and all caps in the leaders and mud drums of water tube boilers, all firebards, bearers, front plates, bridge plates, fire bridge brick arches, oil fuel burners and mechanical stoker fittings shall be removed. All valves and cocks comprising the boiler mounting shall be opened up and taken apart and the valves or cocks ground, when necessary, before the Inspectors visit.

b) Provision shall if, required by the Inspector, be made for the removal of lagging or brick work or other concealing part and for the drilling of plates, and for verifying the pressure guage and safety valve dimensions and weights.

c) All smoke tubes, exterior of water tubes, smoke boxes, and external flues shall be swept clean

d) Provision shall be made for the effective disconnection of all steam and hot water communication with another boiler under steam as required

e) No blank flange / plug shall be inserted between a safety valve chest and the boiler generally and where it is permitted by the Inspector, the blank flange / plug shall be removed in his presence.

f) In the case of forced flow and forced circulation types of boilers, provisions shall be made for checking that proper circulation is maintained through all sections of the circuit by the flow of water.

REGULATIONS 378 –PREPARATION FOR HYDRAULIC TEST

a) The chest of all mounting subject to the steam pressure shall be in place and shut tight or blank flanged.

b) The safety valves should invariably be removed and the chest opening blank flanged

c) The attachment for the Inspectors pressure gauge shall be in order

d) All doors shall be properly jointed and tightened up. The boiler shall be completely filled with water, care being take to allow all air to escape and, if possible, a preliminary test not exceeding the working pressure of the boiler shall be taken before the Inspector's visit, to test the tightness of the joints.

e) When a boiler is hydraulically tested for the first time, it shall be entirely cleared of lagging or brickwork, at subsequent tests the lagging or brick work, or portions thereof, shall be removed if required by the Inspector.

DEFECTS OF BOILERS

• The Various defects that can develop in a boiler during operation can be summarized as
• Internal and external fittings and fasting's
• Internal and external grooving
• Bulging due to overheating
• Cracks
• Distortion due to overheating
• Leakages through various riveted seams 

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