Transportable pressure equipment has been used to transport industrial and medical gases since the end of the 19th century.e century.
This transportable pressure equipment, the main containers of which are commonly referred to as “gas cylinders”, could have presented, because of their wide distribution in industry and the public domain, stored energy, and the characteristics of certain gases , a significant risk potential.
However, the operation and handling of a gas cylinder poses an obvious danger, and regulatory authorities have long legislated the construction and use of such cylinders. As early as 1890, several European countries meeting in Bern adopted a regulation called “ Convention de Berne » laying down the conditions for the transport of dangerous goods. This is the origin of RID regulation for railthen laterADR agreement for the road, which give the rules for the design and use of containers and tanks. Following them, the French regulations, by the decree of January 18, 1943 and its amending or complementary texts, endeavored to set special rules to which the equipment is subject. At European level, Directive 2008/68/EU took over ADR and RID.
Needs in terms of standardization therefore very quickly made themselves felt in the field of transportable pressure equipment and, to ensure a quality and safety policy, standardization, which supports and complements regulations, has become an increasingly important tool. most important. Until the end of the 1980s, the main purpose of standardization was to complete the regulations by formalizing the rules of the art with an essential aim of quality. This was still the case when the European Directives 84/525/EEC, 84/526/EEC and 84/527/EEC were published, the latter containing all the detailed safety requirements and explaining all the design or tests for the circulation of equipment on European territory.
In May 1985, the Council of Ministers of the European Communities, adopting the resolution on the ” new approach and by instituting “the reference to standards in technical regulations”, gave overriding importance to standards. This is how new directives, such as Directive 2010/35/EU ” Transportable pressure equipment » (TPED or ON) published in 2010 and replacing Directive 99/36/EC, only defines the essential safety requirements and refers to European standards, which are becoming the real tool for harmonizing regulations in Europe. The entry into force of the new TPED which complements Directive 2008/68/EC should reinforce the safety of transportable pressure equipment approved for the transport of goods and facilitate the free circulation of this equipment in Europe.
The United Nations (UN) Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, which meets twice a year in Geneva, has drawn up recommendations which take into account technical developments, new materials and materials, and transport requirements in order to ensure the protection of people, property and the environment. These recommendations are addressed to governments and international organizations interested in the transport of dangerous goods, and classify them in a document, reviewed regularly, is commonly called ” orange book by the professionals.
The reader will find a glossary and a table of acronyms used at the end of the article.