Regulator Turns Safety Spotlight on High-Risk Pressure Vessels

WorkSafe WA recently announced that it will conduct a proactive inspection program looking at safety issues with some of the highest risk pressure vessels in workplaces in WA.

The program will continue throughout the 2019/20 financial year, and will focus on some of the state’s highest-risk pressure vessels in both metropolitan and regional areas.

The inspection program was being conducted because these pressure vessels carried with them a high risk, said WorkSafe WA Director Sally North.

“These vessels are used for the processing and storage of large amounts of industrial gases such as natural gas, liquid petroleum gas and oxygen.

“The Department has a database of the plant that has been registered with WorkSafe in metropolitan and regional areas of WA, and this will be used to identify potentially high-risk plant and target the facilities we will inspect.

“Poor maintenance of these vessels can potentially result in serious and destructive industrial incidents, so this inspection program will concentrate on checking whether they are being inspected by competent persons and properly maintained.

“In short, the WorkSafe inspectors will be seeking to ensure that workplaces are complying with the Regulations that govern pressure vessels in workplaces.”

WorkSafe WA has an extensive schedule of proactive inspection programs concentrating on particular industries or activities aimed at providing employers and employees with information on how to make workplaces safer.

North said the regulator’s plant and engineering team will inspect these vessels with a primary focus of raising awareness and providing information to employers and employees, but enforcement action will be taken if breaches of the laws are found.