Technical Report

BVAA Technical Service

Technical Services covers a wide range of activity. Training is hugely important. We must pass on our knowledge to members, customers and suppliers. Every attendee at our courses benefits from the unrivalled expertise of the BVAA trainers. We can provide the training at any location.

Standards and Directives are essential tools for everyone in the industry. There is continuous change, which needs monitoring and the information communicating to all members in a way that allows the relevant information to be easily found. Attendance at BVAA events such as conferences, trade shows and working group meetings helps to ensure that the technical service has up to date knowledge that can then be shared with the membership. Technical Expert Groups have proved to be an effective way of bringing together experts to address specific topics. Expert advice is provided to members in response to specific queries and to users such as the Energy Institute who are seeking our help to develop Guidelines for the Integrity Management of Valves.

Training
Our training courses are technically up to date, interesting and readily digestible. They are presented by experts with an unrivalled knowledge of the specific course they are presenting. We are seeking to have all our courses approved by the CPD Certification Service. Courses that are presented at the user or member location are routinely tailored to meet the specific needs of that organisation.

Directives
We continue to support CEIR in their work to achieve an agreed position in respect of actuated valves and the Machinery Directive. We have maintained a dialogue with the HSE and with CEIR. The commission’s Machinery Directive WG published a position paper following its meeting in November 2017. The text of this is not clear so we are working with the HSE and CEIR to try and obtain clarifications. The directives work is shared with Ron Strang (Alco). We regularly receive member enquiries regarding directives and Ron’s expertise and commitment to helping to answer these is an extremely valuable resource.

Standards Activity
In my role as chairman of PSE/18, I have attended the plenary meetings of CEN/TC69 in June and ISO/TC153 in October as the UK’s principal delegate. Mike Gray (Safety Systems) continues to be responsible for all Safety Valve activity at both PSE/18 and TC185 and similarly Peter Hirst (Rotork) takes care of the Actuator standards activities as Chairman of PSE/18/5 and UK’s principal expert to both CEN and ISO. I am very grateful for their contributions.

The UK has agreed to host the ISO/TC153 Plenary and working group meetings in London, in October, and the BVAA will be making a significant contribution to the holding of these meetings.

Monthly standards activity reports are issued to members of the Valve and Actuator WG. The KEY word column on the left allows members to efficiently find those activities that are of interest to them.

23 HOT SPOTS have been issued in the last 12 months to Valve and Actuator WG members advising them of EN/ISO standards that are published, EN/ISO New Work Item Proposals, EN/ISO Draft Standards that are issued for public comment.

These HOT SPOTS are clearly being read as indicated by the feedback we are receiving.

We are pleased to welcome Dr Taj Chapman as the BSi programme manager for PSE/18 and its sub-committees. Dr Chapman took on this new role from 1st March 2017 and as part of her induction programme availed herself of the opportunity to attend the Introduction to Valves training course

Technical Expert Group Activity
The Butterfly Valve TEG completed its work in respect of the revision to EN593 Metallic Butterfly Valves standard. UK views were taken account of in the final approved draft. The BVAA is grateful to all those who contributed to this standard

Following the work of the Diaphragm Valve TEG, which produced recommendations for revision of BS EN 13397 ‘Industrial Valves - Diaphragm valves made of metallic materials’, CEN/TC69 has agreed to open a new work item for the revision of this standard and to appoint David McClymont, Crane ChemPharma & Energy, as Chairman of the working group responsible for this work item.

End users have raised a number of questions regarding fire testing of valves and the requirements of BS EN ISO 10497. These questions have been considered and answered by the Fire Test TEG. The answers have been published as HOT SPOTS to our members with recommendations for action.

The Safety Integrity Level TEG has finalised the BVAA ‘Guidelines on supplying valves and actuators capable of use in applications with a Safety Integrity Level (SIL).’ The Guideline was published in February 2017 and gives members practical instructions as to how to answer customer requests for certification for their SIL systems.

Energy Institute
The Energy Institute is developing ‘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 organisation’s overall integrity management requirements. In addition, the industry has highlighted common valve integrity management issues which the industry should be addressing. The Guideline aims to provide good practice guidance to assist organisations to develop their valve integrity management arrangements. The BVAA strongly supports the EI aim and is delighted to be able provide its expertise to help in the writing of the document.

Goals for 2018
Obtain CPD accreditation for the BVAA training courses and expand the delivery of these to member and user locations. Assist the Energy Institute to complete their document Guidelines for the Integrity Management of Valves for the Upstream and Downstream Hydrocarbon Industries and develop training materials to help with the implementation of this document.

Ensure the successful hosting of the ISO/TC153 plenary meetings in London in October.

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 the members.

Published: 26th March 2018