Pursuant to Regulation 5 of the Health and Safety in Employment (Pressure Equipment, Cranes and Passenger Ropeways) Regulations 1999 (“PECPR Regulations”), I, Richard Steel, in exercise of those powers delegated to me by WorkSafe New Zealand, hereby give notice that exemption is granted to controllers of timber treatment vessels from those duties in Regulation 10 of the PECPR Regulations, which require equipment to have a certificate of inspection.

This exemption applies to all treatment vessels that conform to the following criteria:

1. The vessels were in service prior to 1 March 2004.
2. The maximum water capacity of the vessels does not exceed 95,000 litres.
3. The design pressure of the vessels does not exceed 1700KPa.
4. The vessels operate at ambient temperature.
5. The vessels are full of liquid when under pressure. (There is no steam or air pad within the vessels).
6. The treatment fluids are those water-borne preservatives that are currently used within the New Zealand timber treatment industry and are categorised as copper chrome arsenate (CCA), alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ), copper azole (CuAz), micronized copper quaternary, micronized copper azole and boron compounds.
7. The ACQ, CCA and CuAz preservatives are used in the timber treatment vessels at a maximum of 6% concentration in water.
8. The boron compound preservatives are used in timber treatment vessels at a maximum of 20% concentration in water.

This exemption is subject to the following conditions:

1. The commissioning date, contained treatment fluids and operating parameters of the vessels must conform to the criteria in 1–8 above.
2. The timber treatment system must have a current stationary container system issued under the Hazardous Substances and New Organism Act 1996.
3. There shall be an inspection of the vessels and associated pressure equipment by an equipment inspector employed by an inspection body recognised under the PECPR Regulations or a charted professional engineer. The condition of the vessels and equipment and any recommendations for modifications, repairs, maintenance and servicing shall be reported to the controller by the inspector or engineer. These inspection reports shall be kept in the place of work where the equipment is located and be readily accessible to the test certifier and any other person in that place of work who wants to examine them.
4. Except as otherwise required by this exemption, the vessels and associated pressure equipment shall be operated, modified, repaired, maintained and serviced in accordance with the requirements of the Approved Code of Practice for Pressure Equipment (Excluding Boilers) and the Best Practice Guideline for the Safe Use of Timber Preservations & Antisapstain Chemicals.

Dated at Wellington this 15th day of June 2015.

RICHARD STEEL, Manager, Technical Support Services, WorkSafe New Zealand.