EU Pressure Equipment Directive – PED. What is it and when is it applied?

The Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) is a European Union legal act that regulates the design, manufacture, and conformity assessment of pressure equipment and assemblies. Compliance with the PED is required for a range of products available on the market, especially in hydraulics. Essentially, non-compliance with the provisions of the Pressure Equipment Directive means the product should not be allowed to be placed on the market. It was introduced to ensure user safety and harmonize requirements across the entire European market from a formal standpoint. From a practical perspective, it imposes on manufacturers and distributors the necessity to adhere to its norms.

What is the PED - i.e., Directive 2014/68/EU?

The PED is Directive 2014/68/EU, which replaced the earlier Directive 97/23/EC (also known as the Pressure Equipment Directive). It defines the minimum requirements that pressure equipment must meet to be legally placed on the market within the European Union. Failure of a product to comply (of course, a product that falls within the scope of this directive) means that the product should not be distributed, and installing it can also lead to the inability to obtain technical acceptance for a given building or installation.

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What is pressure equipment?

The PED introduces this concept and specifies which products fall under it. The term "pressure equipment" includes, among others:

• pressure vessels,
• piping,
• steam boilers,
• pressure accessories,
• heat exchangers
• other components where the maximum allowable pressure PS exceeds 0.5 bar

Why is the PED important?

Pressure equipment, in case of failure, can pose a serious risk to a building, potentially leading to leaks, flooding, and significant damage. Less frequently, it can also constitute a threat to human health and life, as well as to the environment - if the systems contain chemicals such as, for example, glycol in a solar system or refrigerant, etc. The PED therefore ensures uniform safety standards for all European Union countries, while simultaneously eliminating trade barriers within the EU.

A manufacturer of pressure equipment who meets the requirements of the directive and marks its product with the CE marking can sell it throughout the Union without additional certifications. They also have the right to issue a so-called EU Declaration of Conformity for the product, confirming compliance with the norms contained in this specific directive.

The Pressure Equipment Directive in practice - benefits for product users

✅ Although the EU creates a vast amount of unnecessary bureaucracy, the Pressure Equipment Directive is rather a beneficial phenomenon for Customers or users. Thanks to it, we have a guarantee that sold storage tanks, boilers, or heat exchangers meet some obvious standards and won't rupture after exceeding low pressures.

On the other hand, it is not surrounded by excessive bureaucracy; the system operates on the principle of a large degree of trust, is not strictly controlled, and relies on the aforementioned CE Declarations of Conformity issued by manufacturers (or distributors). Of course, we must also remember that this is a system largely based on trust.

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When does the PED apply?

The Pressure Equipment Directive applies to most pressure equipment and assemblies where:

• the maximum allowable pressure PS exceeds 0.5 bar,
• the medium (liquid, gas, steam) could pose a hazard in case of uncontrolled release,
  e.g., heat pumps or their components like gas heat exchangers
• the product is intended to be placed on the EU market or put into service in a member state.

The PED covers both fully manufactured equipment and components intended for incorporation into larger systems.

Exclusions from the Pressure Equipment Directive

However, the Pressure Equipment Directive provides for certain exclusions – for example, it does not apply to equipment covered by other regulations. There are a whole series of them, including:

• containers for carbonated beverages,
• household appliances (e.g., pressure cookers),
• military equipment,
• equipment where the pressure does not exceed 0.5 bar.

What must a manufacturer or distributor of pressure equipment do?

The manufacturer of pressure equipment is obliged, among other things, to:

• design and manufacture the equipment in accordance with the PED safety requirements,
• conduct a conformity assessment (with the involvement of a Notified Body if required),
• issue the EU Declaration of Conformity,
  and
• affix the CE marking to the pressure equipment - which is a visible sign.

Upon the customer's request, the seller of pressure equipment - e.g., a heat exchanger - should provide the declaration of conformity related to this directive (if the product is covered by it). It can be issued by them or by the manufacturer. It may be needed for the acceptance of certain investments, especially in the area of public projects. Formally speaking, every product on the market should comply with the EU standards to which it is subject.

Summary

The Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) is a key document in the area of pressure equipment safety - at least in the EU's intentions. Thanks to it, users in principle can be assured that the equipment used meets technical and operational requirements. Manufacturers, in turn, gain the ability to freely introduce their products to the European market without having to check separate standards or regulations in each country.

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