FIRST REPORT

ASME REGION XIII

LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN SUBREGION
TECHNICAL CHAPTER ON OPERATION & MAINTENANCE OF BOILERS
SUBJECT: REGULATION OF THE STEAM GENERATION IN LATIN AMERICA
& CARIBBEAN ASME SUBREGION
Countries involved:
Argentina
Bermudas
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Ecuador
Jamaica
Panam
Per
Trinidad & Tobago
Venezuela
Collaborators:
Bernardo Daniel Kurcbart / Carlos Carlassare / Andres Taverna / Oscar Sanmilln / Ernesto
Freuler / Patrick D. Caton / Oscar Rodrguez Vargas / Viviana Rojo / Juan David Arango
Velez / Cesar Roberto Trivio / Juan Carlos Cobos / Carlos E. Rodrguez D. / Orlando
Chinchilla / Alberto Calvo / Gonzalo Gonzlez Rey / Fernando Dvila / Aldane Stennett /
Antonio A. Alarcn Candia / Ricardo Domnguez / Aldwyn Lequay / Jos Pereiro /
Gonzalo Lebn.
Introduction
In the present report is shown the way on which the use of the boilers is handled or
regulated in the countries that form the ASME Latin America & Caribbean (LAC) Sub
Region.
The information here organized was received through surveys and from direct
comunications with users, advisors, representatives of engineers societies and government
functionaries related with the steam generation in the countries indicated above.
So, the intention of the next points in this first report is to try to summarize the information
related with the existence of formal regulations and certification of the technical personnel.

involved with the operation and maintenance of the boilers in the LAC SubRegion
countries.
General Information
Even if in almost all the countries there are boilers and pressure vessels manufacturers
some of them with ASME stamp, most of the boilers are imported from North America,
Asia or Europe.
Due to the different origins, not all the boilers are designed and manufactured in agreement
with the ASME Codes.
As the use of the ASME Codes is not a mandatory regulation in the LAC countries and
even if some of the boilers were originally stamped and there are ASME R-Stamp
contractors or workshops, in most of the countries the boilers are not repaired under the
ASME Code requirements.
The ASME Codes are generally known, but its use is not common, so even the user
practices and procedures for repair welding and others are normally adopted from the
manufacturer.
The more diffused certification program between the users of boilers is those related with
the welding works offered by the AWS.
In all the countries there are all the range of boilers, from the fire tube boilers of low
pressure up to large industrial and power station boilers not reaching critical pressures.
There are direct fuels firing and heat recovery boilers and the type of fuels (range from)
natural gas, Fuel Oil # 2, Fuel Oil # 6, (Bunker C), Coal, Bagasse, wood, nutmeg shells,
different type of refuse, seeds, skin and black liqour, depending on the type of industry and
the natural resources.
It is necessary for the technical persons engaged in the use of boilers (operation, inspection,
maintenance and chemical control) be knowledgeable about their specific type of boilers
and the process on which the steam generation is utilised.
Government Regulations and Laws
Thirteen (13) countries were involved in this first step of the work related with the ASME
LAC Sub Region Technical Chapter on Operation and Maintenance of Boilers. The
conditions in these countries vary in the extreme. For example, there are countries where
the Laws establish the requirements for the installation, periodic inspections by a Certified
Inspector. The minimum requirements for the Inspector are defined. The minimum
requirements for a Boiler Operator are also defined. In contrast with other countries where,
there are no regulations or minimum requirements for installation, operation or inspection.
Here is shown a table with almost all the details an abstract - of the information received
from each country:

COUNTRY

LEGAL REGULATIONS
There are no a Legal National Regulation or Law
Depending on the Province or City there are particular regulations that define the requirements
for the installation of new boilers introduction of drawings, calculations, inspections and tests
and then a regular - periodic inspection of the boiler in service there is no an officialgovernment body of inspection which control that.
Some of the Provinces and Cities that have this type of regulations are:
Buenos Aires
Santa Fe
Buenos Aires City
Cordoba City

Argentina

Additionally the users have their own internal procedures to operate, inspect and maintain their
boilers, based on the manufacturer manuals, International codes and their own experiences.
There are a couple of government Institutes for the training of Operators which certification
if any is not well diffused and mandatory between the users.
There is no school or certification for boiler inspectors, but there is a training program and
certification for NDT and Welding Inspectors, since 1.979 developed by the CNEA (Comision
Nacional de Energa Atomica).
An Institute which name is IRAM (Instituto Argentino de Racionalizacin de Materiales) has
issued a non-mandatory standard more oriented to the use of fire tubes boilers.
The use of boilers is regulated by the requirements of the Ministry of Works and Engineering
and the Health and Safety Office Professional Engineers Council.
The frequency of inspection required is every two years.
There are no official inspectors to control the safe working conditions of the boilers in process.

Bermudas

The boiler operators of the Power Stations are certified by the Canadian Steam Certification,
managed by the Ministry of Works and Engineering this is not a mandatory requirement for all
the boiler users.
The welders can be certified, but there is no a mandatory regulation.
The ASME Code and its recommendations for the Care of boilers in use are not so diffused.

The use of the boilers is ctroled by the Regulation Standard NR 13 Boilers and Pressure
Vessels. Its last version was issued on November 1.994.
On this standard is defined a Qualified Professional which is a legal qualification exercise the
engineering profession in the activities related with design codes, operational and maintenance
examination, inspection and inspection supervision.
The qualification of the boilers is defined by their location in the facility:
Boilers intalled indoors in a Boiler House
Boilers installed outdoors in a Boiler Area
In each case are well established the madatory safety conditions and the its even indicated the
Alternative Installation Design.

Brazil

The more important subject in this regulation is the Safety in Conditions and Operations and
establish requirements as:
The Operational Manual indicating guidelines or procedures for startup and
shutdown, routine operational parameters,
The rwequirements of calibration of devices and controls
Water Quality
Safety Operation:
The requirements of a certificate Operators who satisfies Safety Training in Boiler
Operation in agree with the Brazilian Regulation Number 02/84 dated on May 8, 1.984.
The supervisin of the certified operators have to be manage by a Qualified Professional - all the
general and training requirements to reach the level of operator are well established in the
regulation.
Safety in Maintenance:
The regulation also give guidelines for the maintenance, repairs or changes in the boilers the
corresponding construction design codes have to be respected (materials, performance
procedures, QA/QC procedures, personnel qualification and certification). Any modification
Modifying and Repair Designs shal be authorized or approved by a Qualified Professional
Safety Inspection:
All the boilers ahve to be submitted to:
an initial inspection in new boilers prior to start up
periodical inspection by an internal and external exam each
1. Twelve (12) months for regular boilers
2. Twelve (12) months for Chemical Recovery Boilers
3. Twenty-four (24) months indorrs boilers category A, but testing the safety
valves each 12 months.
4. Fourty (40) months in the cases on which there is a Own Service of Equipment
Inspection special boilers, but the interlock and the safety valves have to be
tested each 12 months.
When the boilers reach the 25 years of use, those have to be submitted to a strict integrity
evaluation to determinate their remaining life. This period can be extended when the facilities
have a Own Service of Equipment Inspection
The scopes of the safety inspections are established by this regulation, depending on the
category of the boiler and are defined the conditions on which extraordinary safety inspections
have to be done..
The safety inspection shall be carried out by a Qualified Professional or by an Own Service
of Equipment Inspection.
A copy of the Inspection reports have to be submited to the union representatives.

The Government Institution responsible of the regulation of use and care of boilers is the
Ministry of Health.
All the boilers which pressure is > to 0.5 kg/cm2 have to be registered formally in the Health
Service Offices.
The local Health Service Offices have enough autonomy to consider or include additional
requirements to the national regulations and the officers can take additional action based on their
previous experience.
The frequency of inspection by an authorized agent, is no more than 3 years, depending on the
occurrence of accidents, large failures and/or major maintenance. Some users power stations
have their own frequency (each year) due to their critical conditions of operation and their
international partners.
Chile

The operators have to be certified as per the legal regulation requirements Mandatory and
there are three (03) levels of Operators:
Low and Medium pressure
High pressure
Power Stations
For the Certification, the operators have to participate in a course of at least 30 hours and pass an
examination. The instructor, the course and the examination have to be authorized by the
Ministry of Health and its regulations.
The Law defines - establishes the minimum requirements for the Inspecting agents, who are not
government employees.
Both the certification of the operators and inspectors do not expire once issued No renovation
or update is required.
There are official inspectors just for the facilities considered as critical, from the point of view of
environment or health.
For the other technical personnel the users have in house training programs.
The ASME Codes are well known between the boiler users and the advisors.
There is no Ministry or Government Institute responsible of the use and cares of the boilers in
the country. So, there is not a Legal regulation for inspection or certification of the personnel
involved.
The Ministry of Works is closely associated with this particular area of industry and is
responsible for safety.

Colombia

The users have different criterias to define the inspection and maintenance periods one, two or
more large periods. (Months or years?)
There is a Government Institution SENA for the training of welders and mechanical and
electrical artisans.
Most of the users who participated in the survey were knowledgeable of the ASME Codes
even the Section VII

Due to the increment in the quantity of boilers installed in the country, the government
generated the Decret 26789 - issued on July 2001. As indicated in the document, this regulation
is based on the requirements established by the NFPA, ASME Codes and the Labor Unions
International Organization OIT.
The boilers are qualified by their capacity as follow:
Type A: with a capacity of more than 7.500kg/h or a heat exchange surface > 200 m2
Type B: with a capacity between 2.000 and 7.500kg/h or a heat exchange surface between 60
and 200 m2
Type C: with capacities > 70kg/h or heat exchange surface > 60 m2
Type D: with capacities up to 70kg/h or heat exchange surface < 2 m2.
Other qualifications are given depending on the use, location in the facility, etc.
Its regulated the requirements for the permissions of Installation and working. The working
permission is only issued after the initial inspection of the facility by an Authorized Engineer
Inspector.
NOTE: On this Decret is textually indicated the use of the ASME Code or the Original
Equipment Manufacturer Specifications for the selection of materials, design and fabrication and
the eventual repairs.
Costa Rica
The Department of Medicine, Health and Ocupational Safety keep a very strict supervision on
the:

Anual Inspection
Basically its required:
1. External in service Inspection
2. Internal out of service Inspection
3. Hydrostatic Test 1.5 the pressure of work
4. Steam Test very related with the conditions of the boiler
during the start up, after the annual maintenance and
inspection
Modifications in the boiler or facilities related
Registration and conflict of interest of the Authorized Inspectors
Recomendations indicated in the inspection reports
Workshops and contractors involved on repairs

Additionally There are recomendations related with the continuous training of the operators
(their certification is not established), water conditioning and treatment.
In the Transitory conditions of the Decret its established the detailled inspection of boilers with
more than 30 years of service.
Its also regulated the limtis of emmissions for the boilers by the N 30222-S-MINAE (Ministrys
of Health and Embironmental & Energy)

Depending on the production area on, which is located, a particular industry, there are different
Ministries involved on the regulation of the use of boilers.
There is a Cuban Ministry Council which give the general regulations then the Power
Generation industry is regulated by the Unin Electrica Nacional, the sugar industry boilers are
supervised by the requirements of the Sugar Industry Ministry, and so.
Most of the users follow the recommendations given by the domestic boilers manufacture
workshop Empresa Nacional de Calderas a private company, with international partners.
The frequency of inspection and maintenance depend on the type, model, fuel used and the time
of service during the year.
Cuba

Most of the personnel related with the use and care of boilers are certified by different national
institutions.
Operators by the Superior Education Ministry
Welders by the production area ministry (power, sugar, etc)
Mechanical by the production area ministry
Refractory by local University UNE and Empresa Nacional de Calderas
The inspectors involved on the boilers business (general inspectors of boilers, Welding and
NDT) are certified based on the National Board Code.
All the certifications of personal, materials, procedures and practices are oriented by the State
Committee of Standards and by the Education Ministry.
The ASME Codes are known between the professors, advisors and users of boilers.
There are no Formal Regulations or any Government Office responsible of the installation, use
and cares of the boilers.
Just if the owner or user has internal requirements, they could ask for inspections of insurance
companies, to save costs of insurance.

Ecuador
The owner could also ask to the manufacturer to design and fabricate based on the ASME Codes
or other.
In the case of new facilities the users have to ask for a Fire Department inspection, but its
more related with the fire protection system.
The government/organizations responsible for the installation, use and cares of the boilers are:
Ministry of Labour Factories Services Division and the Factories ACT of Jamaica determines an
annual frequency of inspections.
The technicians related with mechanical maintenance and repairs (mechanical and welders) are
certified by the Ministry of Education through the HEART Technical Vocational Training the
certification of welders is related with the AWS requirements.
Jamaica
There are no programs for formal certification of operators, but in some companies there are
training programs to assure the competence.
Annual inspection is required by the National Regulations, - the available inspectors are
experienced - but there are no certified Inspectors or regulation defining the requirements.

The Ministry of Government and Justice, through the Fire Department, manage all the
requirements regulated in the country the use of the boilers:
1. Anual Inspection of the existing boilers to issue the permision of operation.
2. For the installation of boilers, there are requirements for the company which will be the
responsible of the job, and once concluded the installation has to be done a final
inspection.
3. Once the interested people take the courses and approve the examinations, the regulation
establish Licencies for:
Panam

3.1. Installation
3.2. For the Operator there are six diferent level depending on the capacity of the boilers
production establishing as limits: 20 H.P., 50 H.P., 100 H.P., 300 H.P., 500 H.P.
and 1.000 H.P.
In Panama, used to be an Island inside the country which is the Panama Canal. Still now, in
there, the use of the boilers are additionally regulated by a Document known as the Agreement
N 12 established on June 13 1.999.
The frequency of boiler inspection is established by the users criterias and policies each one,
two or more years , because there are no Legal Regulations and there are no Government
Organizations which address the installation, use and care of those equipment.

Per

Even if there is a formal program of formation of the operators, oriented by the OSINERG, there
are no regulations to make that mandatory.
There are Technical Institutes that certify welders based on the AWS and form mechanical
technicians.
Normally the inspectors come from insurance companies
Trinidad & Tobago and most of the English speaking Caribbean do not have a Boiler
Regulation or Code.
The system grew up from the British where a Factory Ordinance requires that a competent
person who is appointed by the Ministry under the Ordinance, is required to examine and test
boilers operating above one atmosphere pressure.
Because the majority of the boilers are manufactured in accordance with the ASME Code, the
inspectors are guided accordingly.

Trinidad & For a standard boiler inspection the Ordinance requires:

Tobago
A visual inspection of the water side and outside
Inspection under hydrostatic test of 150% maximum permissible working pressure.
Hot test when all safety devices are proven and the safe operation confirmed by the
inspector.
There is no a formal program of certification for operators
As an heritage from the oil industry the welders are certified based on international standards
(AWS, BSS)
So, the boiler users are guided/influenced by the knowledge and experience of the Competent
Person who is the inspector.

The Ministry of Work, through its Techno Mechanical Division and based on the Law of
Work Regulation of the Health and safety Conditions in the Work (1.968), control the
installation of new boilers and establish the moments on which the boilers have to be inspected:
Just after the installation (new or moved)
In periods no longer than 13 months and
After a major maintenance works
The project of installation (all the information of the boiler, the drawings and piping
calculations) has to be introduced in the Ministry of Work.

Venezuela

The Regulations established by the Law are complemented by three standards issued by the
National Standards Organization (FONDONORMA COVENIN) oriented to:
Installation
Inspection
Repairs
Traditionally the Ministry used to have Official Inspector, but all of them were removed (1.997)
and now the users have to do their own inspections, by external or internal (user) inspectors
its not definied any possible conflict of interest.
There are no requirements defined to establish the technical level of the inspectors, but the basic
inspection scopes are indicated in the Law.
There are no certification programs for operators or inspectors of boilers.
Depending on the orientation and experience of the maintenance supervisors the welders are
normally evaluated based on ASME or AWS Codes and Standards.
There is a formal program to certify welding inspectors by AWS, managed by the National Oil
Corporation.
Most of the artisans (welders, mechanical and instrumentation) are formed in a Technical
Vocational Training Institute from the government INCE.

General Needs Observed by the Participants

The participants on this collection of information indicated some basic and evident needs
oriented to:
1. Development of programs to improve the skill and certify the personnel involved
(Inspectors, Operators, Welders, Insulation & Refractories, Water treatment control)
2. Safety recommended practices.
3. Recommended practices for maintenance (maintenance programs) and repairs of
boilers.
4. Recommended practices of operation and parameters control
5. Development of guide of practices to improve efficiency
6. Development of a guide of practices to define the test parameters and safety devices
calibration.
7. Establish a forum of technical discussion of experiences
8. Maintenance considerations for boilers operated with fuels of high Sulfur content.
The participants suggested the above points as priority.
The main reasons:
Cost savings in Insurance

 Cost savings in Fuel consumption

Cost savings in Maintenance
(The equation is economics)
General Analysis and Recommendations
After this general and basic view of the existing Regulations and Laws, oriented to address
the installation, inspection and test, maintenance, repair, modifications and the daily cares
on the operation of boilers in the countries involved in the ASME LAC Section - Technical
Chapter on Maintenance & Operation of Boilers, its possible to find that there are many
things to do and develop.
One half of the countries have legal regulations oriented to control the use of the boilers,
considering as the more important subject the care of the health of the people and safety of
the facilities.
Most of the deficiencies observed in the presentation could be covered, in a first step, with
a good diffusion of existing standards and codes like:

ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code - Section VII Recommended Guidelines
for the Care of Power Boilers
National Board Inspection Code

Some of the first actions to propose, for the improvement of the actual condition in most of
the countries involved in the Latin America & Caribbean ASME Sub Region, could be:
1. Contact the Government Officers that could be responsible for the regulation in the
use of boilers in a safe way Ministry of Work or Health , to show and negotiate
with them the importance of the development of the basic regulations.
Once the interest of the Government Officers on this subject is assured
2. Create an ASME LAC Board of recognized experts on Operation, Inspection and
Maintenance of Boilers, to work on a package of basic recommended practices
(installation, inspection and test, maintenance, repair, modifications and the daily
cares on the operation, water conditioning and treatment)
3. Considering the existing Laws and regulations in the countries involved on this
evaluation and bringing information from Codes and Standards (ASME, NBC, Etc)
(@) Prepare a basic package of regulations related to:
Requirements for the registration of the boilers in a information centre
Requirements of inspection of the boilers conditions by Certify Inspectors
establishment of frequency and parameters of test
Requirements for certification of Inspectors
Requirements for certification of Mechanical Maintenance personnel
Requirements for certification of operators
Program for certification renovation (inspectors & operators)
4. Take care of the needs related with formation of technicians specific training
programs on inspection, operation, welding & expansion of tubes, insulation &
refractory, instrumentation & controls, combustion and safety systems, water
treatment & chemical cleaning and others.

5. Take care of the general needs and go deeper on the details of those needs
6. Generate a permanent platform for a forum of technical discussion, with the
intention of generate a Manual of General Recommended Practices
NOTE (@): General list of available Codes and Standards to use as references for this
project

ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code Section I Rules for Construction of
Power Boilers
ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code Section II Materials
ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code Section V Nondestructive Examination
ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code - Section VII Recommended Guidelines
for the Care of Power Boilers
ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code Section IX Welding and Brazing
Qualifications
ASME QAI-1-1995 Qualifications for Authorized Inspection
ASME QFO-1-1998 Standard for the Qualification and Certification of Operators
of High Capacity Fossil Fuel Fired Plants.
NBBI - National Board Inspection Code
NBBI NB-131 Recommended Boiler and Pressure Vessel Safety Legislation
NBBI NB-132 Recommended Administrative Boiler and Pressure Vessel Safety
Rules and Regulations
NBBI NB-215 Rules and Regulations

This report was done on February 2003 by:

Carlos L. Lasarte V.
Chairman of the Technical Chapter on Operation and Maintenance of Boilers
Latin America & Caribbean ASME Sub Region / Section
ASME Region XIII
ASME POWER Technical Division