The Indian Boilers (Amendment) act, 2007 Simplified -Notification to Benefit broad Spectrum of Industries

The Indian Boilers (Amendment) act, 2007 Simplified --Notification to Benefit broad Spectrum of Industries

The Indian Boilers (amendment) Act, 2007 which was passed in December, 2007, has introduced improvements in the provisions of the law to enhance safety norms, to ensure uniformity in standards of inspection, expediting inspections and reducing bureaucratic delays by decentralization of inspection of boilers during their manufacture, erection and use, by allowing inspection and certification by the independent inspection authorities.

Although a few of provisions of Amendment Act had been implemented in May 2008, but many of the provisions including those for third party inspection could not be implemented as rules/regulations were being framed. These were discussed in various meetings of the Central Boilers Board and as finalized by the Central Boilers Board, a notification containing regulations for implementing the remaining provisions of the Amendment Act including for implementing the inspection by the third party inspecting authorities and competent persons has been published in the Gazette of India on 7th October 2010. 

The coming in force of this Notification will now lead to a simplified and more accessible, user-friendly framework for the administration of the Boilers Act and also protect manufacturers/users' interests without sacrificing the safety of boilers. This will immensely benefit a broad spectrum of industries both in large and small-scale sector which includes Power plants, Chemical plants, Refineries, Paper plants, Steel plants, Sugar mills and other process industries. 

The Indian Boilers Act was enacted in 1923 mainly to provide for safety of life and property from the danger of explosion of boilers and for achieving uniformity in registration and inspection during operation and maintenance of boilers throughout the country. Since then there had been no major amendments to the Act. The legislation required changes in consonance with the evolving developments and changes in the technology of fabrication, operation, testing and inspection of boilers.