Pressure equipment personnel approval checks
Confirm the equipment category and marking route, then check each person's approval scope and issuing body. Permanent joining needs third-party approval in Categories II, III and IV; non-destructive testing personnel need RTPO approval in Categories III and IV. Ask Cambridge China Bridge to help gather factory evidence.
Start with the category and intended marking
Ask the manufacturer for the category assessment and intended CE or UKCA route before accepting personnel certificates. Importers must check that the manufacturer has carried out the required conformity assessment. Record the equipment model, drawing revision and category alongside the approvals you review.
The machinery sourcing guide covers broader equipment purchasing checks. Use the marking and certification guide for the wider paperwork context; this guide focuses on the people making permanent joints and testing them.
Separate qualification from third-party approval
Permanent joining of pressure-resisting components, and components directly attached to them, requires suitably qualified personnel and suitable operating procedures. In Categories II, III and IV, both the personnel and operating procedures require competent third-party approval. Collect procedure approvals as well as personnel approvals.
Non-destructive tests of permanent joints require suitably qualified personnel. In Categories III and IV, those personnel must also be approved by a recognised third-party organisation, abbreviated RTPO. Below these approval thresholds, qualification requirements still apply. A training certificate alone does not answer whether the required approval exists.
Match the approval body to the marking route
OPSS gives the following personnel-approval routes for equipment intended for the GB market. EEA means the European Economic Area. Check the issuing body's exact legal identity and relevant scope, rather than relying on its logo or the location of the factory.
Personnel approval and whole-product conformity assessment are separate checks. An acceptable personnel approval does not establish that the finished equipment has completed its chosen conformity assessment. Ask the body handling the product assessment to confirm any unclear approval scope before production.
| Activity and category | UKCA route | CE route |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent joining: Categories II, III and IV | Competent approved body, Notified Body or RTPO, based in the UK or EEA | Competent Notified Body or RTPO, based in the EEA |
| Non-destructive testing: Categories III and IV | RTPO based in the UK or EEA | RTPO based in the EEA |
Verify scope against the actual factory work
Request readable approval documents showing the person's identity, issuer, approval reference, scope and any validity conditions. For joining, compare the process, materials, joint details and working range with the production specification and approved procedure. For non-destructive testing, compare the method, sector and permitted duties with the inspection plan.
Contact the issuer through independently obtained contact details to confirm authenticity and resolve unclear scope. For a UK body, start with the register linked from OPSS guidance and check the relevant approval activities. Ask an EEA issuer for its designation evidence. Do not treat general accreditation or a factory quality certificate as confirmation of the specific personnel approval.
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Connect approvals to production records
Ask the factory to link joining records and test reports to the actual people, procedures and joints on your order. Include subcontractors in this check. Agree that changes to personnel, procedures or testing providers trigger a document review before the affected work continues.
Keep the approval documents, issuer confirmations and production links together using the technical file checklist. Put document checks into your pre-shipment inspection plan, while checking joining evidence during manufacture. Cambridge China Bridge's staff in China can help collect factory records and raise gaps for the relevant approval body to resolve.
Frequently asked questions
Which pressure equipment categories need joining approvals?
Categories II, III and IV require competent third-party approval of permanent-joining personnel and operating procedures. Suitably qualified personnel and suitable procedures remain necessary below that threshold.
Who can approve non-destructive testing personnel?
For Categories III and IV, an RTPO must approve the personnel. For UKCA equipment entering GB, OPSS accepts an RTPO based in the UK or EEA; for CE equipment entering GB, it specifies an EEA-based RTPO.
Can EEA personnel approvals support UKCA equipment?
Yes. OPSS accepts competent EEA-based Notified Bodies or RTPOs for permanent-joining personnel, and EEA-based RTPOs for non-destructive testing personnel, subject to the relevant category and approval scope.
What should I ask a Chinese factory to provide?
Ask for the category assessment, marking route, personnel and joining-procedure approvals, issuer details, and production records linking the approved people to your joints and test reports. Verify unclear documents with the issuer.