Technical Report

BVAA’s Technical Service
The key role is to make available to member companies, Government, end users and customers, the expert knowledge that we possess as an organisation. Industrial Valves give life to a wide range of industrial processes in our modern society.

They are also items of pressure equipment, so we have a fundamental duty of care to society to ensure that they are safe, as well as providing reliable and cost-effective performance.

The BVAA is recognised worldwide as a centre of excellence for valve expertise. Thus, we can provide solutions to members on technical issues and exert influence for the benefit of members and the wider community.

We contribute our expertise to:

1. the development of European and International standards,
2.providing advice and information to members and government on issues concerning the Legal Responsibilities and Essential Safety Requirements of the range of our members products
3. world class training in all aspects of valves and actuators.

Standards Activity
In my role as chairman of BSI PSE/18, I attend the plenary meetings of CEN/TC69 in June and ISO/TC153 in October, as the UK’s Delegation Leader. Mike Gray (Safety Systems) continues to be responsible for all Safety Valve activity at both PSE/18/6 and ISO/TC185. Similarly Peter Hirst (Rotork) takes care of the Actuator standards activities as Chairman of PSE/18/5, and as the UK’s principal expert to both CEN and ISO.

I am very grateful for their contributions. The UK also hosted this year’s TC153 Plenary and working group (WG) meetings in London, and the BVAA kindly organised a reception for the delegates.

Monthly standards activity reports are issued to members of the Valve and Actuator WGs. The key-word column within allows members to efficiently find those activities that are of special interest.

Technical HotSpots are the way that members of the Valve and Actuator WGs are kept up to date with developments with EN/ ISO standards, from New Work Item (NWI) proposals, to various stages of Draft Standards issued for public comment.

The HotSpot format enables recipients to immediately determine the relevance to their business and any actions they should take.

2018 has seen the start of two significant NWIs. In CEN, ‘Industrial valves – Functional safety of safety-related valves and actuators’ and in ISO, ‘Industrial valves — Type-testing of valves.’ Through our BVAA experts we are contributing to the development of both standards.

Directives
The issue of the definition of actuated valves as a machine or partly-completed machine remains unresolved.

The EU Machinery Directive WG was not able to reach an agreement, so the matter is now held in abeyance awaiting a revision of the Directive, when the text will be clarified so that the meaning is clear.

Martin Greenhalgh delivering Valves Advanced Level Training The potential implications of the UK leaving the EU with ‘No Deal’ have been advised to members in the form of HotSpots.

Whatever the outcome, Deal or No Deal, the BVAA will be able to provide the necessary advice to members helping them to fulfil their legal responsibilities.

I share the Directives work with Ron Strang (Alco). We regularly receive member enquiries and Ron’s expertise and commitment to helping to answer these is an extremely valuable resource.

Technical Expert Group Activity
‘TEGs’ are formed for specific tasks usually supporting the development of an EN or ISO standard. They comprise small groups of experts for the specific topic and are time-limited.

The UK is making a NWI proposal for a revision to EN ISO 10497. Thus, the Fire Test TEG is co-ordinating BVAA expert comment on the proposal and will support the revision of the ISO should that be approved by ISO TC153.

The EN NWI to develop a standard ‘Industrial valves – Functional safety of safety-related valves and actuators’ is being followed by the Safety Integrity Level (SILs) TEG under the leadership of Paul Reeve (Silmetric). The standard will define procedures and methods with which all relevant components of automated industrial valve packages can be evaluated according to the rules of IEC 61508 Parts 1, 2 and 4 to 7, in order to integrate them into a safety instrumented system (SIS). It provides a method to determine all relevant factors, associated with the product, to be fully taken into account and thereby meet the specific needs of users.

Training
Our training courses are technically up-to-date, interesting and easy to adsorb. They are presented by experts with an unrivalled knowledge of their specific topics.

The majority of our courses are also certified by the CPD Certification Service. Courses that are presented at the user or member’s location are routinely tailored to meet their own specific needs – a valuable option.

Energy Institute
The Energy Institute has developed ‘Guidelines for the Integrity Management of Valves for the Upstream and Downstream Hydrocarbon Industries’. Integrity management of valves is recognised as being a key component of each user organisation’s overall integrity management requirements.

In addition, the industry has highlighted common issues which the guidelines address. BVAA strongly supported the EI aim and our members have provided their expert knowledge to help in the writing of the document.

Goals for 2019
Provide the membership with advice regarding EU Directives and equivalent UK legislation following the UK leaving the EU in March 2019. Also to continue to develop TEG’s to support active Standards work and other interest areas.

Finally, I am indebted to the rest of BVAA team for their ongoing support which ensures an efficient communication of all the Technical Service output to BVAA members.

Published: 26th April 2019