13.1 Objective
13.1.1 The purpose of this Regulatory Standard (NR) is to establish minimum requirements for the structural integrity management of boilers, pressure vessels, their interconnection piping and metallic storage tanks, regarding installation, inspection, operation and maintenance, aiming at the safety and health of workers.
13.1.2 The employer shall be responsible for adopting the measures set forth in this NR.
13.1.3 The provisions of the previous item also apply to equipment belonging to third parties located within the employer's premises.
13.1.3.1 The employer's responsibility does not exempt the equipment owner from complying with legal and regulatory provisions on the subject.
13.1.4 An establishment whose employer voluntarily obtains the certification set forth in Annex II of this NR shall be considered as having an In-house Equipment Inspection Service (SPIE).
13.2 Scope of Application
13.2.1 This NR shall apply to the following equipment:
a) Boilers with operating pressure above 60 kPa (0.61 kgf/cm²);
b) Pressure vessels whose P.V product is greater than eight, where P is the magnitude of the maximum operating pressure in kPa and V is its internal volume in m³;
c) Pressure vessels containing Class A fluids specified in item 13.5.1.1.1 paragraph "a", regardless of the P.V product.
d) Mobile containers with P.V greater than eight, where P is the magnitude of the maximum operating pressure in kPa, or containing Class A fluids specified in item 13.5.1.1.1 letter "a";
e) Piping carrying Class A or Class B fluids, as specified in item 13.5.1.1.1 letters "a" and "b", connected to boilers or pressure vessels covered by this NR;
f) Metallic storage tanks with an outer diameter greater than three meters, nominal capacity over twenty thousand liters, and containing Class A or Class B fluids as specified in item 13.5.1.1.1 letters "a" and "b" of this NR.
13.2.2 This NR does not apply to the following equipment:
a) Transportable containers, pressure vessels for product transport, portable compressed fluid reservoirs and fire extinguishers;
b) Pressure vessels intended for human occupancy;
c) Pressure vessels integrated into auxiliary systems of machine packages;
d) Ducts and their components;
e) Furnaces, heat exchange coils and thermal fluid heaters;
f) Pressure vessels with internal diameter less than one hundred and fifty millimeters, regardless of fluid class;
g) Steam generators not classified under pressure vessel or boiler codes;
h) Instrumentation system tubes;
i) Public gas distribution network piping;
j) Pressure vessels manufactured in Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic – GFRP, including those under vacuum conditions;
k) Boilers with volume less than one hundred liters;
l) Structural tanks of vessels, ships and offshore platforms for oil exploration and production;
m) Vessels and accumulators of submarine equipment for oil production and exploration;
n) Buried tanks or tanks supported on legs, shoes, pedestals or saddles;
o) Cooking pans;
p) Accumulators and hydraulic blocks;
q) Piping operating with steam, subject to the provisions of subitem 13.6.2.6 of this NR;
r) Gasketed and brazed corrugated plate heat exchangers;
s) Pressure vessels subjected exclusively to vacuum conditions less than or equal to 5 kPa and not containing Class A fluids.
13.2.3 The provisions of item 13.2.2 do not exempt the employer from the duty of inspecting and performing maintenance on the aforementioned equipment and other pressurized systems that pose risks to workers, supervised or carried out by a technical responsible person, in compliance with the manufacturer's recommendations and applicable codes or standards.
13.3 General Provisions
13.3.1 The following situations shall be considered as grave and imminent risk conditions:
a) Operation of equipment covered by this NR without the safety devices specified in items 13.4.1.2 "a", 13.5.1.2 "a", 13.6.1.2 and 13.7.2.1;
b) Delay in the periodic safety inspection of boilers;
c) Absence or blocking of safety devices without due technical justification based on codes, standards or formal equipment operating procedures;
d) Absence or operational unavailability of the boiler water level control device;
e) Operation of equipment covered by this NR when the inspection report certifies its operational unfitness;
f) Operation of boilers in non-compliance with the provisions of item 13.4.3.3 of this NR.
13.3.1.1 In cases of force majeure and with formal justification from the employer, accompanied by technical analysis and respective contingency measures to mitigate risks, prepared by a Legally Qualified Professional (PLH) or by a multidisciplinary group coordinated by him, the deadline for periodic safety inspection of equipment covered by this NR may be postponed for up to six months.
13.3.1.1.1 The employer shall notify the trade union of the predominant occupational category of the establishment of the formal justification for postponing the periodic safety inspection of equipment covered by this NR.
13.3.2 For the purposes of this NR, a PLH is defined as a professional legally qualified to practice as an engineer in activities related to construction design, operation and maintenance monitoring, inspection and inspection supervision of boilers, pressure vessels, piping and metallic storage tanks, in accordance with the professional regulations in force in the country.
13.3.2.1 The PLH may voluntarily obtain professional competency certification through a Personnel Certification Body (OPC) accredited by the General Accreditation Coordination of the National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology – Cgcre/INMETRO, as set forth in Annex III of this NR.
13.3.3 The safety inspection of equipment covered by this NR shall be performed under the technical responsibility of a PLH.
13.3.4 The safety inspection of equipment covered by this NR shall be supported by examinations and tests, at the technical discretion of the PLH, in compliance with applicable codes and standards.
13.3.4.1 The equipment historical records shall be considered when available.
13.3.4.2 Examinations and tests shall be carried out under safe conditions for the performers and other involved workers.
13.3.4.3 The performance of pneumatic or hydropneumatic tests, when indispensable, shall be conducted under the technical responsibility of a PLH, with prior approval of the procedures to be applied.
13.3.5 The inhibition of instruments, controls and safety systems is prohibited, except when temporarily provided for in formal operation and maintenance procedures, or through formally documented justification prepared by the technical responsible person, with prior risk analysis and approval by the employer or his designated representative, provided operational safety is maintained.
13.3.6 The instruments, control and safety systems of equipment covered by this NR shall be kept in proper operating condition, duly inspected, tested and, where applicable, calibrated.
13.3.7 All repairs or modifications to equipment covered by this NR shall comply with the respective construction codes and the manufacturer's prescriptions regarding:
a) Materials;
b) Execution procedures;
c) Quality control procedures;
d) Personnel qualification and certification.
13.3.7.1 When the construction code is unknown, the original design concept of the boiler, pressure vessel, piping or metallic storage tank shall be respected, adopting the control procedures prescribed by the codes applicable to such equipment.
13.3.7.2 At the technical discretion of the PLH, more advanced calculation technologies or procedures may be used to replace those laid down in the construction codes.
13.3.7.3 Modification or repair designs shall be prepared in advance in the following situations:
a) Whenever the design conditions are modified;
b) Whenever repairs that may compromise safety are carried out.
13.3.7.4 Modification projects and repair projects shall:
a) Be designed or approved by a PLH;
b) Specify materials, execution procedures, quality control and personnel qualification;
c) Be disclosed to the establishment's employees involved with the equipment.
13.3.7.5 All interventions requiring boring or welding on pressure-bearing parts shall be subject to quality control examinations or tests with parameters defined by the PLH, in accordance with applicable codes or standards.
13.3.8 Safety inspection reports for equipment covered by this NR shall be prepared within 60 days, or in case of a general maintenance shutdown, within 90 days.
13.3.8.1 Immediately after the safety inspection of a boiler, pressure vessel or metallic storage tank, the operational and safety condition shall be recorded in the respective safety record provided for in items 13.4.1.8, 13.5.1.7 and 13.7.1.3 of this NR.
13.3.8.2 Recommendations resulting from safety inspections shall be recorded and implemented by the employer, with defined deadlines and persons responsible for execution.
13.3.9 Reports, designs, certificates and other documents required by this NR may be prepared and stored in computerized systems with information security, or kept in electronic media with a valid signature issued by a Certification Authority – AC, ensuring authenticity, integrity, availability, traceability and non-repudiation of the information.
13.3.9.1 In the case of printed versions of safety inspection reports, all pages shall be numbered.
13.3.12 Documentation for equipment covered by this NR shall be available for consultation by operators, maintenance staff, inspection staff, and worker and employer representatives of the Internal Accident and Harassment Prevention Commission (CIPA). The employer shall ensure full access to such documentation, including to the union representation of the predominant occupational category of the establishment, when formally requested.
13.3.11 The employer shall notify the competent regional labor authority and the union of the establishment's predominant occupational category of any leakage, fire or explosion involving equipment covered by this NR that results in any of the following:
a) Death of worker(s);
b) Hospitalization of worker(s);
c) Large-scale incidents.
13.3.11.1 The notification shall be sent by the second business day after the occurrence and shall contain:
a) Employer's corporate name, address, place, date and time of the occurrence;
b) Description of the incident.
c) Name and function of the victim(s);
d) Investigation procedures adopted;
e) Copy of the latest safety inspection report for the involved equipment;
f) Copy of the Work Accident Communication (CAT).
13.3.11.2 In the event of the accidents foreseen in item 13.3.11, the employer shall formally notify the union representation of the establishment's predominant workforce to participate in the respective investigation.
13.3.12 Mass-produced boilers and pressure vessels shall be certified under the Brazilian Conformity Assessment System, where applicable.
13.3.13 The construction, import, commercialization, auction, leasing, assignment under any title, exhibition and use of boilers and pressure vessels is prohibited without indication of the respective construction code in the technical record and identification plate.
NR-13 – Boilers, Pressure Vessels, Piping and Metallic Storage Tanks
