Directive for the importation of liquid fuels pressure equipment for use in Combustion and Fuel Handling Systems for Industrial Thermoprocessing applications including the licencing of persons working on liquid fuel systems
1. Purpose of the Directive
To ensure that Importers and Suppliers of liquid fuels combustion systems are appraised of the South African Regulations and Standards applicable to such imported equipment and that persons working on the combustion and fuel handling systems are licenced to undertake liquid fuel work.
Verifying and registering pressure equipment within the gas business has been the task of the Southern African Gas Association (SAGA) since 2010 and expanded on 2022 to include liquid fuels as an energy source for the Industrial Thermoprocessing Equipment (TPE).
The Department of Employment and Labour mandated the SAGA to administer an Equipment Verification Scheme known as the Safe Gas Equipment Scheme (SGES) covering an array of energy sources for TPE of which liquid fuels is one.
2. Applicable South African Legislation, Regulations, Standards, Mandate, Directives and Rules Governing
- Occupational Health and Safety Act.
- Pressure Equipment Regulations (PER) Regulations 5(3) and 17(1)(c).
- SANS 347 Categorisation and conformity assessment of pressure equipment.
- SANS 13577-2 Industrial furnaces and associated processing equipment – Safety – Part 2: Combustion and fuel handling systems. Reference to paragraph 4.3 for liquid fuels.
- Reference to SANS 13577 implies the use of SANS 329 until officially replaced by SANS 13577 through publication of the PER and as incorporated in the Health and Safety Schedule.
- Directive 1/2024: Placing equipment in the market.
- Directive 2/2024: Importation of New or Second-hand Combustion and Fuel Handling Systems for Industrial Thermoprocessing Equipment (TPE).
- Department of Employment and Labour (DoEL) mandate to administer an equipment verification scheme referred to as the Safe Gas Equipment Scheme (SGES).
- Rules Governing the Scheme.
3. Importation of liquid fuel combustion and fuel handling equipment
This directive must be read in conjunction with Directive 2/2024 to ensure full compliance to this directive.
4. Licencing of persons working with liquid fuels equipment
For clarity, reference is made to the PER as follows:
Regulation 1 – Definitions
- “fluid” means gases, liquids, vapours in pure phase and mixtures thereof and may contain solids in suspension;
- “gas” means gases, liquefied gases, gases dissolved under pressure, vapours and those liquids whose vapour pressure at the design temperature is greater than 50 kPa above normal atmospheric pressure
Regulation 17 (1) (c), for gas [‘’fluid’’] reticulation equipment and systems, quote unquote…
“No person shall – (c) ’construct, replace, repair, modify, test or remove an appliance, or pressure equipment related to the gas [‘’fluid’] system unless such person is an authorised person’’.
Taking direction from the above regulation, persons working on liquid fuel systems need to be registered and licenced as an authorised person. Persons currently registered as Gas Practitioners who work with liquid fuels can request an upgrade of their current licence to include liquid fuels dependant the portfolio of evidence is supportive of the request. Once licenced, the person can sign off compliant work done by issuing a Certificate of Conformity (CoC). The SAGA manages training and licencing.
Liquid fuels as an application type has also been added to the Industrial Thermoprocessing CoC as an energy source, which implies those persons working with liquid fuel systems need to ensure equipment permits are available for equipment placed in the market to enable signing off work done thereby ensuring a compliant and safe liquid fuels combustion and fuel handling system.
5. Implementation
Even though industry was informed via a communique on 8 September 2022 as to the expansion of the SGES to include liquid fuels being a fuel source for TPE applications and confirming compliance as from 15 September 2022, participation by the liquid fuels industry has been slow placing Users at risk regarding compliance to the PER.
With immediate effect Manufacturers, Importers and Suppliers to ensure equipment permits for liquid fuels are in place and businesses to ensure persons working in the liquid fuels industry are in possession of a valid TPE liquid fuels licence.
Should one require further clarification or assistance in the implementation of this Directive, please contact SAGA offices on 011 476 4403.
